Impressive!

Rating: 10/10 (18 December 2002)

After having read some comments on IMDb and reviews in newspapers I finally got to see the movie myself and I don't actually know what people are complaining about. Entertaiment doesn't get better than this. I think I can safely promise to anyone who goes to see this movie that he/she won't be bored at all.
This is not one of these stupid CGI and action-filled Movies without heart and essence. I guess you knew this already because FOTR wasn't either. The story - and what Jackson made of it - is so epic and gripping that i was more than once shivering and shaking in my seat. I don't want to go into detail because i think most people know the story and for those who don't it may spoil the fun.
But what I really have to say to people who dislike the movie because they say it doesn't stick close to the book or because something isn't quite looking like they wanted to or blah blah blah...
How can you be this annoying? I mean, there are people who know everyone from these three books. They can tell the slightest difference between book and movie and dislike most of them. Well, sure, this is your opinion. I don't want to hurt anybodys feelings, but there are more books out there - even, although it may sound unbelievable - better ones. Normally i really understand peoples feelings towards books very much. I myself read a lot and i am mostly disappointed with book adaptions (didn't like the HP Movies very much) but with this one, i really can't follow these arguments. This movie is so brilliant and epic especially the way it gets you emotionally involved that i dare to say: it is better than the book. This is the tale of a handful of heroes who try to save their world and it pretty much feels like this. What do you want more? Are these changes really spoiling the quality of this movie?
No, they aren't. The movie works pretty well for itself and it takes the essence of Tolkiens story - if there is any. Tolkien himself said - if i remember this right - that the books do not have a deeper meaning, that they should stand as what they are: an epic fantasy tale.
*****mild spoiler*******

So, why is it bad then to change Faramirs character to focus on the essence of Frodos journey - the rising danger of the ring?

****end of mild spoiler******

It isn't. This movie has to simplify the book and it does this pretty well. Look at what they've done to the Harry Potter books: they even forgot to give Harry a character! I cannot understand what people love so much about the books that they do not find in the movie. Yes, I know, the books full of details about the history of middle-earth. And I know, they take a lot of time for everything. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. Many times they are plain boring and not at all brilliantly written. This is my opinion. You may dislike me for it, but i did not feel anything while reading them. To me the characters and landscapes remained blurry and dull. I still liked the story and think that what Tolkien thought up is a brilliant piece of work, but his books didn't get me involved.
The movie did. It got me very involved. And to get this to an end:
In my opinion this movie gives Tolkiens story the epic scale and especially the feelings that should have been in the book. And it is a brilliant movie in itself. It is so good that i think complaining about it is a complete waste of time, because as i said in the beginning: Entertainment doesn't get better than this. And after all movies and books of this kind mostly are about entertainment, aren't they?