Grandiose, but still no songs

Rating: 10/10 (18 December 2002)

They did it again. Still an amazing show and images that so much look what I have envisioned in my mind for 20 years. Still, I miss the songs. They are such a central part of the books that I simply can't comprehend how they could have missed even one tiny song. Okay, Gollum gets to sing a bit, but not one bards tale in three hours.
As so many others have noted, the battle of Helms Deep kept us on the edge of our seats even though we all know what the outcome is. Frightfully thrilling, I must say.
Trees do not grow that tall, though. The oliphants and the wolves disappointed me. There is no doubt in my mind, that the oliphants Sam is so fascinated with must have been elephants as we all know them. The awe with which he looks at them is only funny if indeed they were. And the wolves. Oh boy. They looked like overgrown steel wool fured hyena. Also, albeit a minor glitch, the animation was unnatural at times, revealing computer animated characters.
Still, this is difficult to top. How on Earth are they going to make Return of The King parallel this in excellence? Half of the story there is a slow descent to normal life in the Shire which easily comes to look like an anticlimax in a hard paced movie. I simply can't wait.