First time I was sorry to have read the book in advance...

Rating: Null/10 (26 December 2002)

Congratulations, Mr Jackson. You've done it again. Ever since I left the cinema at the end of last year (only to return twice again), totally stunned and bewildered, ready to take up my trusty sword to come to the rescue of all of the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth (Oops- sorry, got carried away...), I have been longing - yearning to see how you're going to make the rest of Middle-Earth come alive. There were moments during "The Two Towers" when I actually cursed myself for having read the books because it would have been even more breathtaking NOT to know what was going to happen next and HOW our heroes are going to escape that close call and WHEN the relief force would arrive. Last time I had this much fun, excitement and emotional involvement was about 2o years ago, when I was hanging on to the edge of my seat watching "The Empire strikes back". I always thought there would be a point when I would be old- grown-up- respectable(?)- NUMB enough not to get excited about a movie (or a book)any more and it's something I have always dreaded in my heartof hearts. Thank goodness, "The Lord of The Rings" proves I was utterly wrong in this respect. The biggest compliment I, for my part, can give to Mr Jackson, his exceptional team and the actors in particular (who - especially the members of the Fellowship - are sensational - how can you ever expect to top this?) is that I - like so many other in cinemas all over the world - was sad to be left out, to be unable to enter the screen and stand next to Legolas and Gimli on the walls of Helm's Deep, looking down onto the milling Orcs underneath. Alas, but one can dream. :) However, the thing I dread most of all, is the knowledge that after the third part ,"Return of the King", I will forever have to part with the heroes and fiends of Middle-Earth. And that's very much like coming to the end of the book, knowing one now has to leave the characters, never to know what will become of them, like parting with a good friend at the end of a very exciting journey.