I will give them spectacle and they will love me for it

Rating: 6/10 (19 April 2003)

I have never read any of the LOTR books (and have no mind to), I am merely commenting on the film quality itself.
Since the advancement of computer graphics, directors can now create the humungous, landmark battles that could only be hinted at in such films as "The Empire Strikes Back". Other than that, there is the clunky conflicts of "Spartacus" and "Ran". Do computers make this any better? Having seen LOTR: The Two Towers, I will say "yes, they do". The battle of Helm's Deep is undoubtedly one of the largest and most interesting set pieces ever created out of zeroes and ones.
Unfortunately, the rest of the movie seems vapid and more focused around the big battle than in the mood for telling an engaging and developing story like "Fellowship" did. Gandalf gets minimal screen time, Frodo and Sam seem totally out of place with the rest of the story, and the other Hobbits look bored for about 90% of the time.
Oh well, watch this if you have time for it. I'll go back to "Empire" instead.
Overall: !!! out of !!!!! time-wasting viewings.