UNBELIEVABLE

Rating: 10/10 (21 December 2002)

I saw TTT this Friday and it was great. I suppose that a fear/criticism of this whole film trilogy was whether or not it would uphold the book's integrity. For the most part it did which was nice (you'll recognize some slight changes when you see the film). It is a great supplement for me as it gives me a more vivid picture of Tolkien's imagination a picture that we as fans try to capture when we read the books.
I really enjoyed the whole world that Jackson has created and the wardrobe is excellent. But I suppose the 2 things that set this movie apart from many other epic dramas/myth is indeed the battle scenes and of course Smeagol. I can only say about the battles that they are spectacular and that any description one could give would bring them shame-you must experience it. As for Gollum, I hate to admit it being a die-hard SW fan, but perhaps he surpassed Yoda as CG character of the year. And as Jackson has learned some things about action and battle from GL, I looking forward to SW ep.III to once again set a precedence in epic film making.
Coming into it, Aragorn and Mithrandir have always been my favorite characters and they really showcased their skills. I really like how they are portraying the love story, Miranda Otto looked beautiful and her role as a "Shield-maiden" was very believable-she had passion, class and strength but also a tenderness which is exactly the way Tolkien wrote it and intended it to be.
My only criticism, it ended- believe me you'll be on the edge of your seat for 3 hours and time will fly but truly it was wonderful well except for some scenes with Frodo, Samwise and Gollum that may have dragged. However my verdict: Give this movie 10/10.
As an endnote there is this really funny scene with Gollum,(you'll recognize when you see it) this I think was the kind of comic relief that GL hoped for with Jar Jar, but failed miserably as the scenes with Gollum were subtle- first time I saw him, i thought not another CG disaster but by the end, i was very satisfied with Smeagol's portrayal. The ents also looked awesome, they were a treat to watch. Hard core fans of the book will not be disappointed, nor will the general fans of action and adventure.