The adaptation of Tolkien's classis trilogy has started off on the right foot. A long time fan of Tolkien, I was impressed with the way in which the epic tale was compressed to fit into a movie-length format. Undoubtedly some fans will feel slighted by omissions and aggregate characters, the movie held my spellbound for all three hours. It is too bad the others are still a year and two years away. For good measure I watched the 12:01 AM showing with friends whom had both read the books and those whom had not. One friend who had not declared that she would not see another movie until next Christmas. The score is amazing and doesn't seem overbearing, but rather delivers the emotional elements well. The dialogue seems a bit rushed in places, but the film lingers when it should to take in the scenery and the emotion. The battle scenes are graphic and the tension is powerful and under no circumstance would I recommend this for a child too young to separate a movie from reality. The actors are strong and I believe this to be among the best movies yet produced. It stands on its own merit, but as an adaptation of a beloved book, it is in a class by itself.
