Excellent, but....

Rating: 8/10 (1 January 2003)

I saw LOTR: TTT just last week and found it an excellent movie. Better than the first as the story gets going from the first frame and doesn't bother (much) with reintroducing the story. It is just assumed that you saw the previous film and are fully familiar with it all. Maybe a bit arrogant, but then again they are absolutely right! If you haven't seen the first movie (or did and didn't like it, then shame on you!), don't bother with the 2nd one.
The good thing about all this is that the movie gets right to the point and doesn't waste any second. It just plunges the audience right back in the experience they had in the first movie and even tops it. I am (unfortunately) used to people chatting etc during the movie, because the movie is taking to long, is boring, etc. Well, that did NOT happen this time. The theatre was completely packed and right up to the last minute everybody was totally caught up in it. And that is saying something for a movie that is running up to 3 hours.
Anyway, back to what it is all about: the movie. The story of the original book is followed rather closely. Yes, as several people have already commented, there are several differences as compared to the book, but in all the thread of the book is left intact. The story doesn't lose any pace and keeps you glued to the screen right up to the end. Key scenes are well thought of (Gollum's inner struggle as a key part in the book (in my opinion) is very well translated to the screen) and explain as well as keep the audience interested'.
But.... One of the best performances of the movie, at least for me, was given by Gollum. His inner struggle between doing "the right thing" and following his desire for the ring are very well portrayed (as already mentioned above). And yet..... Frodo is going to a similar struggle and doesn't pull it off as convincingly as does Gollum. So, is a CGI-character beating a human in acting ? Gollum, for me, gives a much more convincing picture of the struggle within, than does Frodo, who just rolls his eyes and looks completely out of is. Is computer science already so far that it can beat a human performance or is it just happenstance ?