Really good, with qualifications

Rating: 9/10 (29 August 2003)

Epic filmed version of the second (and weakest) volume of the Tolkein Trilogy. The first time I watched this I got about half way through and said, this movie is so damn good I can't believe it. The acting is great and the scenery and effects are awesome. I'm not quite as excited on later watchings. What has me bothered (particularly during the second half) is when the movie strays from the source material. The original story is one of the great fantasy works ever, why go off in other directions? It's not just that the movie is unfaithful to the book, it's that there's no reason for it to go elsewhere. I'm quite sure there's no one working the script with credentials approaching Tolkien's. So I just don't get with the point of following the books 80% of the way and playing with the other 20%, but I'll reserve final judgment until Return Of The King. Post script: I should have qualified my reservations about the changes - Haldir and the elves coming to Helm's Deep is a Jackson invention and the coolest thing in the Two Towers. Enjoy.