*** Official "LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING" Review Thread (1 Viewer)

[Peter Apruzzese]

Just got back.
Amazing, stupendous, unbelievable, thrilling, exciting!
...and it's good, too.
Seriously, it was fantastic. I've never read those books so I have no knowledge of this world that they show, but had no trouble following the characters and action. The film starts out with a bang giving us the history of the ring and then quickly moves into its story. Frankly, it's been a long time since I've seen a film like this, the only one that comes to mind would be seeing the original Star Wars in 1977, but this appears to have much more depth; there are several moments that are genuinely heartbreaking. The best praise I can give the film is this: 1. I wish that it was another 6 hours long so I could see the rest of the story, and, 2. I wished I could have stayed to see it again. It's the fastest 3 hours I've ever seen - there's nothing that could be removed without hurting the story. Only a couple of the CGI shots were less-than-perfect. This is epic filmmaking on the scale of something like Lawrence of Arabia and points out just how lacking almost all modern fantasy films really are, in addition to showing how stuff like Gladiator are really just imitation epics. Howard Shore's score is equally magnificent - rather than take a tired, simplistic, theme-based approach, he's intellectualized the music masterfully into the fabric of the film. The combination of the imagery and music was stunning - there's been nothing like it this year (only Williams's A.I. score comes close)
I recommend it be seen in the largest theater possible!
:star: :star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star: .

 

[Tim Gerdes]

I went into the film with virtually no positive expectation. I am not a fan of the fantasy genre, and I generally find films with wizards, elves and dwarves to be laughably bad.
Additionally, I’ve tried on several occasions to read the books, but I’ve never been able to make it through the entire series. I found the film however to be quite good. While this may be blasphemy to some, I found the film to make an exceedingly dull book quite accessible. Likewise, I felt the movie truly transcended the fantasy genre.
The acting was exceptional, as were the visual effects. Even if the story hadn’t moved me, watching the endless vistas and beautiful towns and cities would have been entertaining. Filming in actually locations while integrating fanciful elements worked much better in my opinion than the excessive blue-screening that I feel has turned Star Wars into something of a cartoon visually.
And while I felt the movie was good, I didn’t think it was great. It did feel like a 3 hour film, and though I was enjoying myself, I found myself looking at my watch and shifting uncomfortably in my seat. In this respect, I feel that the film might play better at home watching from a comfortable chair with the pause button close at hand if necessary.
The beginning of the film enthralled me and I loved the Shire. In that sense I could really identify with Frodo. I understood the sacrifice he was making in his journey. I would not have wanted to leave that place myself. On the other hand, I felt that the Fellowship seemed to assemble rather unconvincingly and, with the exception of Gandalf, I didn’t feel empathy for the characters who travel with Frodo.
I do agree with those that complaint of pacing issues. After the film ended, one of my companions remarked, “It was just what I expected, long passages of exposition intertwined with battle after endless battle.” This didn’t bother me per se, though by the time Frodo met with Galadriel, I was hoping that the film would end. I suppose that because this is just the beginning of a traditional story arc it was difficult to achieve a more comfortable pacing.
I did like the fact that the film ended as it did though. I enjoyed that nothing was resolved in an artificial way.
Technically this film was one of the finest pieces of craftsmanship I’ve witnessed this year. While entertaining, the story didn’t engage me as it has clearly done with so many of you. I am however looking forward to experiencing this one again in the comfort of my home theater.
:star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:

 

[Morgan Jolley]

The thing that I liked a lot about it was how visually stimulating this film was, not because of the vistas and landscapes, but because of how well they were shot. The director obviously knows how to direct and like the trilogy, because he did a very good job with it.

The acting was good, the casting was good, but I think that I would have a better understanding of everything had I read the books. I'm trying to guess to myself what will happen in the next two films based on what I saw in this one.

I like how they opened with an explanation of the rings and a very short summary of the Hobbit. Some people I know who read the books didn't know what the RingWraiths were (where they came from) and thought it was very interesting when I told them.

I loved this film and can't wait to own it.

 

[Blu]

All I can say is WOW. I can't wait to get this on on DVD at home and really crank it up like it should be. The theater I saw it in really lacked in this dept. The air conditioner was louder than lots of the voices in the movie and I could tell that there were lots of parts that screamed for the loudness I am used to at home that the theater just didn't provide. I think it was just the theater I was in since I could hear the movies on either side of me going on. As for the film itself man I was enthralled!!! It gripped me from beginning to ending and I can't wait to see how the Treeants are depicted in the next film in the assult on Saurman's tower!!!!

I wish they had released the movies 6 months apart instead of 12 months apart!!!!

 

[Todd Christ]

Good movie - saw it this afternoon - agreed, this will be HIGHLY anticipated on DVD
I think they did a great job telling the story in the text - amazing how many people never read the books - at the end, probably 50% of the folks said "i guess there will be a sequel"
anyway - excellent movie, get comfortable it's a long one (don't realize it though)... not for kids by any stretch, but great for teens/adults
they'll definitely sell out of books soon

 

[Joseph Young]

First, some background:
I have read The Hobbit, FOTR, TTT, and ROTK previously and highly enjoyed all of them. I also followed much of the web rumor/spy reports for most of the preproduction period so I had a good idea of what was being cut and changed from the novels. I have not read any of Tolkien's other books nor had I immersed myself in The History of Middle Earth.
I am also a longtime PJ fan (Bad Taste, Dead Alive (aka brain dead), as well as Meet the Feebles). I always felt that PJ's directing style was well suited for the types of over-the-top gorefests he specialized in, and I was curious as to whether he would do the material justice. I saw a glimmer of hope with The Frighteners, a film that danced around a much deeper and more heartfelt approach to the fantasy genre, but never quite gelled.
FOTR, an ambitious 3 hour interpretation of Tolkien's classic novel, chronicles all the major events in the book, injecting it with just enough humanity and warmth to avoid the trappings of many fantasy film cliches (stilted dialogue, cold and by-the-numbers exposition).
Frodo (and later, the rest of the Fellowship) are essentially wandering across Middle Earth, since they lack airships to drop them over Mount Doom. Therefore they spend much of the film wandering through woods, galloping across fields, cutting a swath through deep canyons and hiding out in caves, an Inn, and various hidden Edens populated with humans, dwarfs, and elves. Middle Earth is probably the main character - with the fellowship as supporting players - and gets a lot of screen time, probably a lot more than many people would like.
Before he cast any of the speaking roles, PJ cast New Zealand. His passion for making this film and its sequels was fueled by the beauty of the landscape and he spends much time simply sweeping his camera several hundred feet over the earth. He practically strokes the lens across the landscape; it's obvious he adores New Zealand. This is just as much a travelogue as it is a timeless tale of good versus evil.
Does this mean that the actors get shirked altogether? No!
The look of fear on Frodo's face (which many have called a one-note performance) dominating the screen for the latter half of FOTR, is due to the weighing influence of the ring, which in his possession is attempting to draw him over into the wraith world and corrupt him. He is fighting the power of the ring every step of his journey, and PJ focuses on this.
We get a lot of closeups... furrowed brows, glimmering eyes and teardrops, Saruman's craggy countenance and Gimli's cross eyed rage. There isn't a moment that I didn't believe each of these characters. They inhabit their roles with utter seamlessness and grace, and never for a moment did I feel removed from the illusion. Despite the breaks in pacing, uncomfortable fadeouts and uncertain passages of time, I never for a moment doubted the film's earnestness.
The CGI is almost consistantly great, especially when you consider that WETA output all of this. And yes.. some of it is not photorealistic, looks stiff or ill-proportioned (as many here have pointed out). But it didn't ruin the illusion for me because every effect in the film pushes the story along and advances the mythology. In movies like The Mummy Returns I felt as if the filmmakers were trying to beat a record for number of CGI shots used, rather than advance a story. Nothing about the special effects in LOTR feels unecessary. It's appropriately subtle when it needs to be (the almost perfect sizing down of hobbits) and fantastical when it needs to be (the jaw-dropping ferocity of the Balrog).
There is a consistant push to get things right throughout the picture that's hard not to appreciate, even if you despised it. This is not film-by-committee; it is a respectful and mature work that believe's in its source material, believes in the actors and in the imagination and patience of its audience.
I forgave FOTR its flaws for this reason. There are always going to be things, be it for personal preference or otherwise, that one would like to see done differently. But the fact that PJ and crew got so much right, and rarely trip up during the entire three hours... that's an accomplishment.
[rant]All in my opinion, of course.[/rant]
Joseph

 

[Steve Owen]

Saw it yesterday morning. I'm still reeling from it. Amazing. One of the most spectacular movie experiences I've ever had. I was enveloped from the start. Transported to Middle Earth for 2 1/2 hours. I can't wait for the next chapter!
A bit of background on my LOTR history... I've read some of the first book when I was maybe 14 or so, but wasn't much of a reader, so never finished. But, I've played a LOT of D&D since then and the campain my DM runs is based on Middle Earth and Tolkien's world, so I'm familiar with the legends and folklore of that world. And I'm VERY familiar with the maps and geography. It was really fun to see all of that come to life.
:star: :star: :star: :star: :star: / :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
-Steve

 

[Bergan Peters]

All this fluff. Try reviewing this film a month from now. This film is a good film. I won't lie. The acting is OK. No one overacts. But it's not a great film. It's not contributory, and it's not revolutionary. The fluffing comes from the fact that this is beloved material, and it's sacred. The cinematography was LAUGHABLE. The hobbits were irritating, they must inbreed because they are chronically mentally retarded. As a FILM goes, this film is trounced by something stylish such as Pulp fiction. And for those that don't think that's a fair comparison, this film is trounced by all three of the Star Wars trilogy. But that is more due to the fact that the SW trilogy is a holy grail, and a time piece. There is nothing in the film that is unbelieveable because you don't need to trick yourself into believing the CGI of SW, there isn't any. LOTR could have benefitted greatly from puppetry and costuming, the CGI took me completely OUT of the fantasy.
:star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star:

 

[Brian W.]

The film is overwhelming. Is it perfect? No. I would rate it 4 1/2 out of 5 stars -- or an "A minus."

The first 20 minutes or so, I found myself marveling at how perfect the whole thing was, how much I BELIEVED.

I thought it hit some structural snags early on -- the Black Rider scenes, in my opinion, are too intense right off. They don't build in intensity, so by the time I got to the third or fourth one, I thought, "Oh, God, THEM again?" The action felt a bit forced at times, artificially urgent. The MTV-style editing and somewhat overstylized cinematography occasionally took me out of the picture, as did the too-intrusive score. I found myself longing for moments with no music -- and they were few and far between. You're not supposed to really notice a film's score -- and I noticed this one a LOT.

The Council of Elrond is too brief. We did not get to know any of the new characters at all in this scene, which, to me, made their sudden show of support for Frodo seem slightly artificial.

Some (Roger Ebert among them) have complained that the focus of the film is shifted away from the hobbits. I do not agree with this at all. Two things may make it appear so: the necessary omission of two "hobbits-only" sequences from early in the book, and the equally necessary acting out of sequences that are only described second hand in the book. Film, by its nature as a visual medium, requires these changes. The "hobbits relegated to supporting characters" argument makes little sense to me.

But its minor shortcomings pale in comparison with its IMPACT. I have not been able to stop thinking about it since the 12:01 a.m. showing on Wednesday. I think I even dreamt about it. The casting is dead-on perfect, the acting is marvelous the Mines of Moria sequence is mind-boggling, and the Balrog is possibly the single scariest thing I've ever seen on a movie screen. I was completely, mesmerizingly transported to Middle Earth for three hours. I rarely see films twice in the theater, but I will DEFINITELY pay for this one at least once more.

SEE IT! SEE IT! SEE IT!

 

[Alan Kurland]

The experience was awesome. This was clearly an epic, within a larger epic. The characterization was perfect. In fact the movie was almost perfect, and certainly the best adaptation of the books we could have hoped for. Yes, more could have been added, more explanations and detail (I just read the book, so I had no problem understanding it all), but the movie was already 3 hours long.
What really excited me about the movie, though was the use of surround, deep subwoofers, exciting battles and fantastic surreal visuals/ cinematography. (ie should make an exemplary DVD experience)
Not to be missed by any - most should enjoy, most will want to see it again to revisit the experience.
:star: :star: :star: :star: :star:

 

[Mark Zimmer]

My review is posted up at http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/sho...iew.php3?ID=49
Since writing that 36 hours ago, I've gotten more comfortable with the notion that Saruman may indeed be acting on his own; the line to Lurtz, the chief Uruk-Hai regarding 'Who is your master' seems to be setting up the idea that Saruman is after the Ring himself, and not just a servant of Sauron. Having seen it twice, I anticipate seeing it again, soon.
I cannot wait for this to hit DVD.

 

[Chris S]

I too have never read the books and was pretty sure that the movie was not going to be able to live up to all the hype. Man was I glad to be wrong! This movie is visually stunning in just about every scene. The use of color and lighting is just phenomenal! Peter Jackson has done a wonderful job. The use of CG effects was spot on. Just the right amount at the right time. George Lucas take note this is the way that it is suppose to be done.
Now is it the greatest film ever made? Well probably not. As a single film (not looking forward to the rest of the trilogy) the ending was a little weak. Knowing that there are two other films coming in the next two years helps to make up for the need for closure. There were also a couple of repetitive cuts of scenes that were shown at least three times. The audience just doesn't need to be reminded that much. But theses are all minor problems.
This film definitely sets a high standard for the next two films to come, and if those films are anywhere near as good as Fellowship of the Ring then these films will definitely become the next classic triology.
:star: :star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
I suppose the biggest complement that I could give to the film is that I am now going to read the Two Towers because I can't wait until next Christmas to find out what happens next.
Chris S

 

[Will Cunningham]

I am very impressed with this movie, it was far more accurate to the book than I was expecting and is one of the few book->movie translations that seems to actually work! I can't wait to see it a few more times. There is so much to love about this movie that I wanted to mention the few parts of the movie that I thought could be a little better, nitpicks to be sure.
I did not care for the CGI when they first entered the tree city, until the camera pulled back to give perspective it felt very much like "graphics" and lacked the "real" vibe the effects had evoked till then.
I had a similar problem in the big dwarven hall, when they were standing alone with the strange green light. It felt very CGI to me, I don't know exactly what was wrong with it but it was off just enough for my brain to detect it and start nagging me about it. lol. I think that scene had a diablo feel to it which may account for my problem.
Like most everyone else I really loved the Balrog, he had a sense of menace that was palpable and somehow felt real. I was very impressed. I will put my beef in a spoiler block even though everyone probably knows what happens.
I was a little dissapointed by the Gandalf/Balrog battle. I was honestly expecting a few more blows to be traded and more of Gandalf's power to be evident. The battle seemed a little quick to me, I could not help but feel that there should have been just a little bit more to the battle.

Like I said, the only issues I have with the movie are so minor that I barely even think they are worth mentioning. Definately go see this movie, the only dissapointment you will experiance is when you realize you have to wait a year to see the next one.

 

[Billy Fogerty]

My only gripe was with the filming format used...SUPER 35 for this sweeping epic tale??!!

I saw this wed afternoon in a THX certified theater. It was mind blowing. The picture was perfect,no grain at all. How do you know this was shot on super 35mm? An awsome film. The sound was incredible. At certain times, you actually felt the low frequencys.:star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: out of:star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Jan H]

Still recovering from the Wednesday night showing. I'm a high school English teacher, and it was all I could do to tell the students the next morning to throw 'To Kill a Mockingbird' in the dumpster (great book and film, by the way), and jump right into the Silmarillion. Astonishing film, worthy of a new category of Oscar, and a gift to those of us who hunger for the feeling of vitality that great moviemaking can bring.

 

[Terrell]

Ok, here comes a review from a non-fan and a guy who has never read the books. Nor did I know anything about. Stay with me because I've never written a review. First I'll list the positives.
Acting - For me, the acting was very good. But Christopher Lee and Ian McKellen were clearly the standouts here. Superb on their part. I also like the choice of Aragorn and Strider. Both did a fantastic job. The rest of the performances were good, but not as good as these. I'd give the acting an B+, with Lee, McKellen, and the man who played Aragorn and Strider an A+. Can't remember the name. Forgive this blunder.
Effects - I thought the effects were mostly great, with a few misses. Balrog, Mount Doom, the river creature at the Mines of Moria, and Mines of Moria interior were all impressive to say the least. Overall, I'd give these effects and most others an A-.
Cinematography - The lanscapes and camera angles were beautifully shot. The scenes were laid out in a way I thought they should lay out. Beautiful scenery throughout the film. A+.
Art Direction - Impressive sets and locations. Great costume design as well. Costumes seem to perfectly fit my vision of what they would look like simply from the discussions around here. No further explanation needed here. A+.
Sound Effects - The sound effects were spot on. Another self explanatory section. A.
Battle scenes - The battle between Lee and McKellen was fantastic. The opening battle was a spectacle as well. Utterly amazing. Perfectly choreographed. Almost all of the battles were choreographed very well.
Ok, here come my problems with this film.
Plot - The plot in this movie is very simple. Maybe it's supposed to be. I don't know. But it's basically getting from point A to point B while being constantly assaulted by the bad guys. There's not much of a side-story, just basically a very linear story. I wanted more from the plot. Hopefully, the next two will get better from this perspective. C+.
Film length - This film was just too damn long. This film was 3 hours, yet it felt like it was 4 hours. It went on too long. It labored on and on and on, even when I did think it could. And it was basically the same thing over and over again. They're being attacked constantly while trying to get to Mount Doom. It was just way too much for one film. They could have made 3 seperate films with all those battles and effects. It seemed like they put all of these battles in the movie to overwhelm people and keep their attention. It made me wonder, what if they didn't have all of those battles? There'd probably be a lot of yawn time. It just seems they stuck all of these battles in there because they had nothing else to use, even though I know that wasn't the case. It would have been much better if they had a few small battles with some interesting plot details while slowly built up to an epic battle at the end. The payoff would have been much better. As it stands, it felt like the ending was anti-climactic because we had already seen the constantly huge battles and impressive effects, and there was nothing to look forward to at the end. C- here. In my opinion, they could have knocked 20 minutes off this film and it would have been better.
Having said all of this, I understand he had to stay true to the book. But it just didn't quite do it for me in this area.
Effects - I know I'm repeating here, but I said some effects were not up to par with others. The Cave Troll began to look fake in more up close shots. And the shots of members of the Fellowship jumping on his back didn't help. Also, the beginning battle was fantastic, but didn't hold up to snuff under closer scrutiny, but still pretty good. The problems were with the massive armies. Also, the goblins crawling down the columns and up from the ground of Moria weren't so hot. C+ for these areas of the effects.
However, I must commend WETA. They did an admirable and altogether fantastic job, considering they are as big as other effects houses and don't have the resources at their hands that some of the bigger effects shops do.
Character Development - I found that there was hardly no character development. We don't learn much at all about the characters. They basically are thrust into this journey. I wanted to learn more in-depth information about some of the characters. Who are they, why are they here, etc. And they weren't developed much throughout the movie. I also thought there were way too many characters as well as different kinds of characters. I couldn't keep up with half of them. I give this area a C.
So, those are my thoughts. I know it's not a great review, but then I've never really written one. If I got any facts incorrect concerning names and such, feel free to let me know. As I said, didn't know anything about this film or the story going in.
All in all, I really enjoyed this film, but I didn't find it the masterpiece most here did. I thought it was too long, not enough character development, a constant barrage of one huge battle after another, and very linear plot. It was just too much for one film. However, it was a very well made, well acted, and technically very good film. For that, I give the film :star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
I hope the next one has a somewhat more complicated plot without the constant barrage of battle after battle. Build slowly up until a climax. One last comment. The theater I was in, at the end I could overhear everyone go "what?" Obviously, I knew the ending would have much closure. Mainly because it's being shot as one movie. But obviously a lot of people didn't care for the fact that there wasn't at least a litle closure. For instance, Star Wars was told as one large story, but they managed to have some closure at the end of each film. However, this ending to FOTR did not bother me at all because I understood the motive by Jackson.
Ok, now I'll stand back and let everyone laugh at my sloppy review.

 

[IanK]

Short story : Really loved the film.
Having read the books many times and being burdened with my own visions of what things should be and look like I went into the film with a somewhat skeptical slant but came out quite happy. This is the first film in a long time where I had to remember to breathe. It should come with a warning lable or something.
The changes made to the story were fine by me. I thought these changes were reasonable adptations needed to make the story work on film. The things that didn't work for me would be an issue with ANY film.
I like how they expanded Arwens role and used her in place of Fingolfin(sp?). It's unfortunate that women play such a small role in this particular tale, and in that light this change makes sense.
I think they made good decisions on what they cut, mainly Tom Bombadil and a lot of the stuff in Bree and Hobbiton.
HOWEVER I would have prefered less scenic vistas and more focus on things like the growing friendhip between Gimli and Legolas. Why is Sam so devoted to Frodo? I did not see/feel the depth of grief Gimli felt when he finally realized his brethren had died in Moria and that this greatest of Dwarven achievments was now infested with the vilest of creatures.
Character development in general suffered. Yes, New Zeland is a beautiful land beyond a doubt but I was wanting more character development.
As to the plot : yes it is very linear. It's a quest story. You cannot avoid it, but they tried. I liked how they wove in events barely mentioned in the book like Gandalfs escape from the tower, so you can see things happening in parallel.
As to the length : it was not an issue for me. When they beached the boats at the falls I was supprised that it was almost over. I thought "aw man..." I wanted to see more of Peter Jackson's Middle Earth vision.
As to the FX: They were for the most part good. US $ goes a long way whne your SFX crew is Kiwi powered. The cave troll had some issues. But considering the laugable FX in the "Potter" film these were a real treat. The output from the "Massive(tm)" battle generator and rendering engine was pretty damn neat. Can't wait to see what they do with it at Minas Tirith and Helms Deep.
What I'm really looking forward to is the DVD. They cut a lot of stuff to squeeze this into three hours. I KNOW Jackson had to of shot the Gimli and Legolas banter. Orlando Bloom was great with what little he had on screen as Legoals, as was Davies as Gimli. I wanna see more.
Finally, I am glad to have finally gone to a big "event" movie and not walked out thinking "hey, at least it wasn't Highlander 2"
:star: :star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
PS: And to the guy who above said the three Star Wars films were better. I say "Even Jedi? Pass me some of what you're smoking man cause I gotta visit my disfunctional parents for Christmass and I'm sure it'll help!"

 

[Clinton McClure]

:star: :star: / :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
Unfortunately, I must place this film in the should have been left as a book pile. I thought the acting was pretty bad, the wraiths were irritating (a 3-hour scream-fest), and there was waaaaaaaaaaaay too much CGI to hold my interest. About an hour into the movie, I was looking at my watch wondering when it would be over. Now don't get me wrong...I like the novels, but the movie was a huge disappointment for me.
Sorry guys... this one couldn't hold my interest and I will not be seeing the other 2 films in the series.

 

[James David Walley]

The film itself: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: .
The audience: -:star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: .
(See http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=33903 for more details on the latter.)

 

[Julie K]

First, the background:
I am not a Tolkien fan. I tried to read The Hobbit when I was younger and just couldn't get into it. Recently, I read Lord of the Rings and it was pure torture to me. However, I am a huge Peter Jackson fan (Bad Taste is, afterall, my favorite movie.) So, it was with decidedly mixed feelings that I went to see the movie.
The Movie:
I greatly enjoyed the movie. I would have enjoyed it more, I think, had I not read the books. Even though my memory is hazy concerning various details, I knew far too much and feel as if I would have had a far grander time not knowing all that was to come. The woman sitting next to me had not read the books and she seemed to have a grand time jumping out of her seat at times and letting forth various surprised exclamations.
The movie didn't "feel" anywhere near its length, although I did think some parts could have been tightened up. There are repeated shots that are unneccesary, and others that linger just a bit too long. These are just minor nits, though.
My main gripe is a rather glaring continuity problem. I'm really rather surprised that this got through. Oh well. Maybe the deleted scenes on the DVD will explain it.
I thought the CGI was just fine. Everyone seems to praise ILM when I think they are just going through the motions with most work they do, but I think the WETA folks have a real passion for their work. It really shows here. There's some of the best CGI I've seen in this movie. There's also a scene where I wanted to leap to my feet and yell "Cthulhu fthagn! IA IA!!". (But alas the stars were not right so I didn't.) If that didn't make any sense, well, you wouldn't appreciate what the critter in the lake looked like anyway
I find that this movie has invaded my mind. The more I think on it in order to analyze it, the more I find I enjoy it. I will be going back again today (I saw it yesterday). If anything, I think I will sum up my feelings for the movie by saying that I'm horribly upset at having to wait two years to see the rest of it! I want it now.
My grade: A-
(P.S. I laughed out loud at Peter Jackson's cameo. )