Transcendent Movie-making

Rating: 10/10 (19 December 2002)

I am not one given to fits of exuberance or to heaping praise on movies (or anything else, for that matter), but I have to honestly say that this is the best movie I have ever seen. I found it even more satisfying than the Fellowship of the Rings, hard as that may be to believe. While Smeagol was incredible, there are so many parts of this movie that were perfectly done I hesitate to focus on just one. One aspect that I haven't seen mentioned in other reviews, however, are the rohirrim, the Riders of Rohan. I thought their depiction as sort of Vikings on horseback was perfect! They were perhaps my most favorite characters in the books, and Peter Jackson really made them come to life for me. I only wish there had been time to see more of them. As for the "purists" who quibble over discrepancies between the "holy" text of the book and what is in the movie, get over it! The movie should be experienced and judged on its own merits, and as such, it is a true masterpiece. I can only wonder how PJ will top this movie in the finale!