Trying ever so hard to be detached....

Rating: Null/10 (11 January 2003)

..which of course is almost impossible when you've read the books 7 or 8 times. But Ill try.
Adaptation: 6.5
Probably going to be my lowest score. If there was one story that jumps straight from the page as a complete visual and dramatic entity then it's got to be this one. Leaving scenes/ characters out is going to have to happen unless the finished film lasts 15 hrs or so, but there doesn't seem to be any need for inventing anything new. Certainly no need for any new action scenes - so I took umbrage at the extra battle between Aragorn, the Riders and some mounted Orcs - and the subsequent 'is Aragorn alive or not' bit. It's all new and just didnt work for me at all. There was no tension there since it is obvious to one and all (even those who havent read the book) that the romantic lead is not going to be written out half-way through. Aragorn lamely turns up again at Helm's deep and that's about it.
As a general point to me it is also obvious whenever something non-Tolkein happens in the film. There is a sudden lack of substance/ thud/ conviction. At first I thought this was born from my familiarity with the original story. But to me there is a distinct lack of inspiration in the new scenes and the feeling that they don't belong to the original's overall architecture.
I wasn't happy with the scene where Merry and Pippin manage to make it to Fangorn, and the preceeding running down of the orcs by the riders - which is so well described in the book I was looking for something rather more in the film than was delivered. The book had a real sense of a race against the clock, with tension and action - more than enough for a good screenplay!
Losing the extra Orc battle and Aragorn yawn bit and adhering more faithfully to the book would have improved things. I conceed that adaptation must be a bit of a b*gger to do well. Rather like flattening the biscuit tin lid - as soon as you flatten one bump, another one pops out somewhere else and you have to change that too.. etc. Simple answer - don't fiddle - and especially don't fiddle purely to add action. We have enough action already.
Take the Faramir change/ Frodo to Osgiliath. For one ghastly moment I was reminded of 'Reign of fire' - thankfully it passed, but it was a nasty reminder of what a narrow plank Jackson walks sometimes. The book already had a quite simple distinction between Faramir and Boromir. It was an important distinction that parallels the difference between the corrupt men who had been letting Middle earth slip, and those who would be entrusted with it's bright new future. Jackson has blurred this - and I hope he's got a good reason for doing so.
Theoden. Hmmm, quite liked the concept of making him possessed by Sauruman. In the book, his negative and insular attitude is a result of years of subtle guidance from Wormtongue. And I conceed this would have been hard to get across convincingly in a short space of time. But in the book - when he snaps out of it - he snaps out of it for good. In the film, he has some relapses in Helms deep. THis didnt make alot of sense for me...
Final remarks about the adaptation are on the two climaxes... Ah yes, and of course you are right, you can;t have two climaxes can you. In the book, space separates the flooding of Isengard from the Battle at Helms deep. THis gives each it's place and prominence within the drama. In the film, JAckson cuts from one to another. (even though one happens mostly at Night, the other during the day.....?!) As a result I believe the impact of both suffers. Which is saying something because even with this weakness they are both fantastic. But it's a bit like trying to flick between two channels - one showing 'Titanic', the other 'Waterloo'. Marriages have foundered on such behaviour!
ps Unlike some I wasn;t too worried about who turns up at the last minute at Helms Deep. I sooo liked those Elven warriors that I kind of forgave Jackson that one.

Cinematography/ Costumes/ general look: 10
Faultless - a yardstick for others to follow. Particularly liked the elven warriors. They had am impressive 'other worldly' quality about them. Gollum - utterly utterly perfect. But Im not going to give Jackson all the credit for this. The reason G has got almost universal approval from LotR officianados the world over is that he is one of the best described chararcters in all fantasy literature - and Jackson has just drawn him straight from the book. Jolly good job too in my mind - since if G had been a failure - then so might the entire trilogy.
Ents - pretty good. Again could have really blown but they didnt.
Isn't New Zealand a nice place ?! Speaking as someone who has had the good sense to Emigrate here, it has always been easy to relate the geography here to Middle-earth.
Riders? - Again about right. Edoras was nicely Scandinavian I thought.
Acting: 9
The acting behind the CGI Gollum is spectularly good. Not sure how the academy may view the achievement, but it's the standout performance for me.

Getting happier with Aragorn - and all the other cast members seem to be about right. Wormtongue especially good - (Only minor quibble is Elrond. Every time he appears I hear 'That. Mr Anderson, is the sound of inevitability....'. I just can;t stop myself....)
Ps. Hey - Im sorry but Treebeard and Gimili's voices were obviously one and the same.....

Script: 8
Nothing too silly. Enough lines taken direct from the book - even Gimili humour was done nicely and didnt pander. I think we've lost alot of the poetry that is contained in the books. But I guess we have the BBC radio series for this if we need it.
Overall: 9
As a standalone film 'Excellent' - and better than the 'Fellowship'. But put this down to the better structure of the TT book than anything else. And in any case there is no way you can judge this or any of the Trilogy on it's own - especially if you have yet to read the books.
In general, there was more additions than were necessary, and some missed opportunities. Jackson was never going to keep everyone happy, but he's probably upset fewer than might have been expected given the passion that surrounds this work.
As a final point - Ive never been to a movie that passed so quickly - or where the audience applauded at the end. There are some of the most breath taking scenes ever filmed - and I'm personally very grateful that someone has so lovingly (and by and large faithfully) brought to life one of the great works of English literature.
Judgement as a piece of film making - very good.