Cal (insert last name here...) (PvtCaboose91)

It's a Wonderful Life G

"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"

A Christmastime staple, Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life is a rare film which has withstood the test of time and continues to touch millions of people through its themes, boundless appeal, and emotional power. Placed alongside such movies as Miracle on 34th Street or National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, It's a Wonderful Life is not exactly a typical Christmas movie since only its finale happens on Christmas Eve and it has nothing to do with Santa Claus or gift giving. Nevertheless, it encapsulates the true spirit of the holiday: the value of family and friends, and the importance of giving rather than receiving. On top of this, It's a Wonderful Life can be watched any time of the year because of its feel-good themes and the message it conveys about the significance of a single human soul.

The story kicks off on Christmas Eve, as a chorus line of prayers are heard coming from the small town of Bedford Falls pleading for the angels to assist the despairing George Bailey (Stewart). The unsung hero of Bedford Falls, George was anxious to travel the world and head to University when he was a young man, but was forced to relinquish his dreams and manage his late father's business to ensure that it won't fall into the hands of wealthy schemer Mr. Potter (Barrymore). George has always acted in the interests of others before serving himself, and in his adult life he marries the beautiful Mary (Reed) and has a handful of wonderful children. However, financial problems and personal issues suddenly begin to mount, overwhelming George and plunging him into a tragic abyss of despondency. Enter George's guardian angel Clarence (Travers), who is sent from heaven to heighten the depressed man's spirits. In order to achieve this end, Clarence shows George what the world would have been like if he had never existed.

The first two-thirds of It's a Wonderful Life are spent in flashback, with Clarence learning about George's background and seeing the events leading up to his suicide contemplation. Such a device is a structural masterstroke; it allows a chance for viewers to see George's past and it permits room for George's character to be meticulously developed while the knowledge of his depression sits at the back of our mind. Conveying enough material to constitute a separate movie on its own, Capra accommodated the full breadth of George's existence and treated it with the care it deserved. We become immersed in George's existence and we fall in love with the man, and it seems impossible that anything could threaten to destroy his life. This kind of gentle, enthralling character development is gratifying and essential, letting us see what's at stake when Clarence at long last travels down to earth to meet George. And since we grow to love George so much, the climax is all the more poignant (almost unbearably so).

It's a Wonderful Life is such an effective feel-good movie because it asserts the notion that everyone, regardless of how insignificant they may seem, has the capacity to make a difference. Life is described as "God's greatest gift", and the film delivers the message that worldly riches mean nothing compared to love, family, friends, honesty and integrity; qualities which are far more valuable than other fleeting items of value which are so often held in higher regard. All of this converges for the goosebump-inducing finale which never fails to leave this reviewer a blubbering mess. Anybody who isn't moved by the flick's final few minutes should wonder what the heck is wrong with them. Additionally, It's a Wonderful Life is so often referred to as cheesy and sentimental, but it's surprisingly dark at times. The imminent lead-up to George's depression is heart-wrenching in how bleak it is, and George's lurid odyssey through Pottersville - a community in which he was never born - contains noir-ish traces, as it's realistically gloomy.

With Capra having made the most of his estimated $3 million budget, It's a Wonderful Life is a technically impressive picture indeed. The fictional town of Bedford Falls seems completely real, as Capra's crew constructed an elaborate main street consisting of dozens of buildings and stores. It feels lived-in and real, not like something situated on a studio back-lot. Additionally, filming took place during summer months, meaning that snow had to be artificially created. Fake snow often fails to convince, but every flake of snow in It's a Wonderful Life looks authentic. If anything is to be criticised (though perhaps that's too strong of a word), it's that there are a few technical faults, like a wide shot not precisely matching a close-up. But such shortcomings don't matter at all, as Capra's direction is stunning. His sense of pacing is magnificent, and each shot is infused with enthralling visual flair. And while the film is vehemently a drama, gentle humour is scattered throughout, making the film even more of a delight.

While Frank Capra and his team of credited screenwriters deserve some of the recognition for It's a Wonderful Life's brilliance, it's James Stewart's immaculate performance that truly makes the film work. Stewart infused George Bailey with a deft mixture of innocence and veracity, not to mention humanity and fallibility that has viewers rooting for him from the outset. Stewart fits the role like a glove - he's amiable and convincing, and his desperation and despair is increasingly apparent when he's submerged into the vision of Pottersville. Equally excellent is Donna Reed in the role of Mary. Reed wasn't Capra's first choice, but it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role, as she embodies the sweetness that was required to capture George's heart. Meanwhile, as George's guardian angel, Henry Travers is completely charming. The rest of the supporting cast is just as excellent - Lionel Barrymore's performance as the wicked Potter is full of cunning and malice, while Thomas Mitchell was a great pick as the lovable (albeit incompetent) Uncle Billy. Capra never allowed a faulty moment of acting to sneak into his picture.

With It's a Wonderful Life's strong reputation and almost unanimous acclaim, it's difficult to believe that it wasn't a hit during its theatrical release. Reviews were mixed and the box office earnings were underwhelming, dooming Capra's newly established production company. It was nominated for a few Academy Awards, but won nothing. Subsequently, It's a Wonderful Life fell into relative obscurity until the picture's copyright expired and it entered the public domain, meaning that television stations could play it ad nauseum without having to pay royalties. Thus, it was used as a time-filler for the Christmas season, allowing it to be rediscovered by a whole new generation. At last, reviews were almost uniformly positive and It's a Wonderful Life became bestowed with the love and acclaim that it always deserved. Indeed, if It's a Wonderful Life was never born, the world would have been worse off for it.

"You see George, you've really had a wonderful life. Don't you see what a mistake it would be to just throw it away?"

Submarine R

"My mother is worried I have mental problems. I found a book about teenage paranoid delusions during a routine search of my parents' bedroom."

Adapted from the 2008 novel by Joe Dunthorne, Submarine is the feature-film debut for director Richard Ayoade. Ayoade has been somewhat of a British television comedy luminary over recent years, with appearances on shows like The IT Crowd and Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, the latter of which he directed and co-wrote. For his first film, Ayoade has predominantly eschewed his established form of comedy to concentrate more on poignant drama, rendering Submarine a shrewd drama-comedy about teen angst and the harsh realities of young love. While it does provide the occasional laugh, this is more of a quirky, almost arthouse-style fare. Suffice it to say, it's an acquired taste, but those who can tolerate the material may find this to be an enjoyable coming-of-age fable benefitting from a dry sense of humour and idiosyncratic visuals.

Oliver Tate (Roberts) is a 15-year-old from Wales with an active imagination. In his free time, he enjoys memorising new words in the dictionary and listening to music by French crooners, not to mention committing the occasional act of petty arson. As he endures the British school system of the late '80s, Oliver's parents hit a spot of marital trouble that's exasperated when Jill's first love, a psychic named Graham (Considine), moves into their neighbourhood. Panicking, Oliver starts working to keep his parents from splitting up, but the domestic trouble is nothing compared to his experiences with quirky classmate Jordana (Paige) who agrees to have a relationship with the naïve lad.

Split into three chapters that are bookended by a prologue and an epilogue, Submarine doesn't shy away from exploring the highs and lows of teenage love, not to mention the inanity of teen behaviour. Oliver wants to believe he's emotionally mature, but this is contradicted by his actions at times. For instance, he tries to remake Jordana in his own image by giving her books he enjoys and taking her to see The Passion of Joan of Arc. Additionally, Oliver tries to be wise while working to reconcile his parents' crumbling marriage, but his methods are juvenile. We're also given a glimpse into Oliver's psyche via constant narration and scenes depicting the protagonist's self-obsessed fantasies. Ayoade's love for cinema is on display from time to time as well, with Oliver's internal monologues discussing movie clichés and even predicting what a biopic of his life would be like. Pretty much the entire story is told from Oliver's perspective and is filtered through his viewpoint, allowing Submarine's visuals to say as much about Oliver's character as the actor playing him. Consequently, this is more than just an eccentric arthouse flick with nothing to say - it's a celebration of the idealism, brutality, innocence and stupidity of youth.

Guided with a sure directorial hand belying Ayoade's status as a first-time filmmaker, Submarine is a visually striking flick which impressively captures the time and place of Britain in the 1980s. Ayoade ostensibly borrowed from Wes Anderson's playbook for his mise-en-scène, with matter-of-fact shot construction, blocky chapter titles and dry humour. Ayoade also employed a variety of techniques to bring vivid life to Oliver's mind, though the flick's overriding atmosphere is grim and dank thanks to the constantly miserable weather. Meanwhile, the quirky, well-chosen soundtrack serves as a nice aural complement to the story. Narratively, the only flaw with Submarine is an out-of-place subplot that seems major but leads nowhere. Early in the story, Oliver feels guilty when he playfully taunts heavy-set girl Zoe (McCann) with a few classmates, causing the bully victim to transfer to another school. To atone for this, Oliver tries to contact Zoe through the school lunch lady, but the subplot is immediately dropped after this. There's no satisfying payoff to Zoe's story, and in the long run this stuff comes off as an unnecessary distraction. Admittedly, too, the pacing begins slowing down during the third act.

Craig Roberts is pitch-perfect as Oliver Tate, effortlessly selling the character's wild imagination, contrived maturity, and utter naïveté. Alongside Roberts, Yasmin Paige is a delightful presence, and her performance allows us to understand why Oliver would be so smitten with her. Paige's key strength is in her ability to simultaneously play merry and moody, and she's able to comes off as uniquely quirky without seeming forced. Then there's Paddy Considine (Dead Man's Shoes) in the supporting role of the insipid New Age mystic who poses a threat to the marriage of Oliver's parents. Considine is a frequent scene-stealer thanks to his high energy levels. Meanwhile, in more minor roles, Sally Hawkins and Noah Taylor are understated yet incredibly rich as Oliver's mother and father. Also keep an eye out for Ben Stiller, who executive produced the film and who has a quick cameo as an actor in a soap opera.

One could contend that Submarine is a paint-by-numbers coming-of-age tale, and that it ends on a very familiar note of hope. At the very least, though, the ending feels earned, and Ayoade refused to close the film on a completely blatant, artificial note. Submarine may not be a game changer, but it does give vibrant new life to an old story. Ayoade is definitely a filmmaking talent to keep your eye on.

The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King PG-13

"The battle of Helm's Deep is over; the battle for Middle Earth is about to begin..."

Through my eyes, Peter Jackson's much-anticipated and much-glorified The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the paradigmatic example of a perfect movie. The cinematic journey that initiated on Boxing Day 2001 and quickly received worldwide acclaim ultimately came to a conclusion with this final instalment. Personally, my passion for the Lord of the Rings trilogy never ceased and to this day I continue to view them frequently.

Just like its two precursors, The Return of the King was met with a congregation of positive reviews and of course recognition from the Oscar committee. I was ecstatic during the Oscar season at the beginning of 2004 when I discovered that the film was recognised with 11 Oscar nominations. Needless to say, I was even more ecstatic when Peter Jackson and his crew walked away with all 11 in their possession. The Return of the King won literally hundreds of awards worldwide and above all it accomplished a Box Office landmark: breaking the $1 billion milestone and becoming just the second film in history to do so. With this film walking away after sweeping the Oscars and sitting at a convincing second on the worldwide box office (as of mid-2008), this is indeed a rare event when it comes to a film offering of the fantasy genre. The technical proficiency is purely the finest that money can buy. Jackson's team at WETA workshop single-handedly created and rendered all special effects shots using software they had designed themselves.

This is by far the longest instalment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy; however it never feels too long. While many will complain (endlessly complain) about the length, I see the film in a completely different light. The way I see it the length is necessary to maintain a sense of fidelity to the novel and to successfully wrap everything up. If anything, I hate it when filmmakers rush things and end up with a missed opportunity on their hands. Peter Jackson had a modest budget and some astronomically amazing special effects on his side, so the work in every other department had to be top notch. Jackson's supreme gift is that of total immersion; the breathtaking lands of Middle Earth remain vibrantly alive. The film's pace may be reasonably slow for some, but the beauty soars with opulent layers of architecture, geography and complex storytelling.

Just like both entries thus far in the trilogy, The Return of the King reinvents the word "epic" completely. Many of the battles throughout the film display rich texture, and awe-inspiring showcases of visual effects. The action is emphatically extravagant and brought to life on an exorbitantly impressive scale! But what separates this from most fantasy epics is the heart at its core. Whenever there's a battle, you'll always find a satisfying serving of emotionally-charged moments featuring intimate scenes with the central protagonists. This coupling of visceral special effects and moving moments that display deep camaraderie is absolutely spellbinding!

This third and final instalment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy starts off almost exactly where The Two Towers ended. One must remember that all three of Tolkien's novels were written to plainly be one enormous piece of literature, and it was his publisher that insisted the novel should be split up the three shorter, more convenient components. In essence, all three additions to the cinematic Lord of the Rings trilogy can be edited together and the transitions would be seamless. The films are identical to the situation with Tolkien's novels: one big chunk of storytelling that's separated into three parts. You can never watch The Return of the King without first watching the initial two parts as this was never meant to be a standalone movie.

The first section of the plot here is concerned with Frodo (Wood), Sam (Astin) and the creature Gollum (a digital character played by Andy Serkis). As they move closer to the dark lands of Mordor, towards the fire of Mount Doom where the One Ring must be destroyed, the ring is becoming a heavier burden for the troubled young Frodo. As the quest perseveres, Frodo is becoming severely tested. Faith has been placed in Gollum to lead the Hobbits to Mount Doom despite the constant mistrust that Sam holds for the former Hobbit. On the outside this seems like a simple physically straining journey, but it's also an emotionally tiring journey on the inside for the three companions. While this story unfolds, the focus also alters to the remainder of the original fellowship. Sauron's eye has shifted to the city of Minas Tirith, the capital of Gondor, as the next target for his rampaging army. The fall of Gondor will mean the end of Men and the completion of his objective to clean Middle Earth of the species. A portion of the original fellowship, along with a horde of newer characters, move to the city of Minas Tirith to help build up defence for the impending attack and possible destruction of the White City. We find Aragorn (Mortensen), Legolas (Bloom) and Gimli (Rhys-Davis) through their more diverse journey into the cursed mountains to summon the legendary Army of the Dead.

This brief synopsis barely breaks the surface of this grandiose, all-round extremely satisfying epic film.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is an unprecedented milestone of contemporary moviemaking. If The Two Towers raised the bar with its epic battles, then The Return of the King knocks the bar cleanly out of the ground! This is so much more than just a simple fantasy epic, in fact this is multi-faceted tale about the strength of character, friendship, loyalty and love. Each shot is sizzling with visual elegance...the special effects are nothing short of breathtaking! Every battle is truly monumental in its sheer scale, as well as exciting and intense. Previously, I briefly touched on the emotionally-straining moments that this film has to offer. The cast pull off these moments beautifully and I was extremely close to tears more than once during the movie. There are several truly moving moments that still give me goose bumps at the simple thought of them. These moments are fuelled by not only the motivating performances, but the score courtesy of composer Howard Shore. The composer was recognised with an Oscar and I plainly cannot quibble with this decision. The music retains the elegance of the visuals, and even makes the epic battles look even grander.

There are only a few new additions to the cast that are introduced here, the most notable being Australian actor John Noble as Denethor who rules Minas Tirith with an iron fist. The Oscar committee barely gave any recognition to the actors (only awarding Ian McKellen with a nomination for Fellowship). I guess with so many people in the cast it'd be impossible to choose one or two for a nomination. Andy Serkis is one member of the cast that deserves particular credit. He's hidden behind digital make-up, but each line he delivers is potent and really hits home. The acting from Elijah Wood is truly a triumph to behold. His performance required a great degree of emotion to portray the ring's power to corrupt. His performance was critical in order to display the ring's influence, which needless to say is absolute. Each character has their own personal demon to confront, and each undergoes their own inner journey. Every cast member does their job stunningly.

The Return of the King has of course been filmed in Peter Jackson's homeland of New Zealand. The Kiwi landscape is vast and beautiful. Whenever one views the film we're taking a step inside the gorgeous land of Middle Earth. Peter Jackson is a visionary, and like all the preceding films the attention and care to every conceivable detail is incredible.

The Fellowship of the Ring is a build up with an even share of action and exposition. The Two Towers is more exposition and build up followed by some action. With The Return of the King, the build up is definitely worth it...every second. The exposition has already been established in the other films, so this film is short on exposition and instead stocks a great supply of action scenes that are truly a cinematic marvel. The battles are lengthy but never suffer from over-length...each second is as intense as the one preceding it. Then the conclusion to the film is wholly satisfying. Some people complain about "too many endings". Okay, so there were many instances when the film could have ended but instead moved onto something else. Fair enough, but I mean this trilogy has already gone for like 9 hours...they can't wrap everything up in a hurry and leave plot holes or stories that haven't been concluded. Instead of rushing everything, each second is lovingly created in all aspects: filming, editing, colour scheme, special effects, acting, scripting, etc. The best part is that this end remains faithful to Tolkien's original novel. Thus the fans needn't worry...for the novel has been properly transferred to the medium of film.

There are far too many pointless and vain arguments between the haters and the lovers of the trilogy. The bottom line is that we're all entitled to our own opinion, and we can't all agree. Thus labelling Peter Jackson's masterpiece as "overrated" only proves that you are too narrow-minded to accept the fact that you are just a component of the minority that disagrees with the majority.

Overall, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the crowning achievement of the fantasy genre. In terms of a conventional fantasy with wizards, magic and mythical creatures, this is as good as a fantasy film can get! Since 2003 this film has been my favourite of all time. In the number of years since the first time I saw it, I have never seen a film that can top the quality and escapism of this masterpiece. All three Lord of the Rings films score top marks from me, which is a rarity when it comes to a trilogy or series. All three films are truly an unfathomably excellent work of art. J.R.R. Tolkien's legacy that was preserved on pages is now preserved on film for the audiences of the contemporary age. The Return of the King is one of the most finely tuned and cinematically perfect films ever made. Winner of 11 Oscars including Best Picture 2003, Best Director, Best Visual Effects, Best Makeup, Best Score among others. Also available in an extended edition that adds 50 minutes to the experience.

The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring PG-13

In the common tongue it reads "One Ring to Rule Them All. One Ring to Find Them. One Ring to Bring Them All and In The Darkness Bind Them."

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring marks the first ambitious film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's highly praised and acclaimed series of fantasy novels. Naturally, transferring one of the world's greatest fantasy novels to the screen would subsist as a daunting undertaking. For the die-hard fans of Tolkien's legendary novels, uncertainty was always an issue when small-time New Zealand born director Peter Jackson took the reigns. Although Jackson is an accomplished director who had previously helmed such films as Heavenly Creatures and Bad Taste, no-one knew for sure if the Kiwi was up to the task. The results are absolutely outstanding: a ripping yarn of a fantasy film rich in extraordinary production values, astounding special effects and never a dull moment.

The hordes of Tolkien fans must have breathed a collective sigh of relief when Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring thundered across cinemas worldwide and became an instant hit. The film grossed millions of dollars globally and was being met with cavalcades of acclaim including mountains of positive reviews. What's more - the film also scored 13 Oscar nominations and subsequently walked away with 4 wins. Although previous stabs at adapting Tolkien's novels to the big screen yielded embarrassing results, Jackson's prior experience and familiarity with the fantasy genre translated into a respectful, lavish, gorgeously-mounted production that breathed fresh cinematic life into Middle Earth.

This first instalment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy introduces the characters and establishes the story. An ancient ring of power was forged several centuries ago by the Dark Lord Sauron (Baker). Sauron's master ring, known as the One Ring, was filled with Sauron's sinister power and contains the capability to rule all peoples of Middle Earth. After an impressive opening montage that recaps the integral events of Middle Earth that have occurred thousands of years ago, the story then picks up at Hobbiton: a village that is largely inhabited by the Hobbit race.

After being lost for centuries, Sauron's One Ring is picked up by a Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins (Holm). Fast forward a few decades and it's Bilbo's eleventy-first birthday. As the celebrations rage on, Bilbo should be happy but feels empty as his life is seemingly winding down and there are still a lot of things he wants to do before shuffling off. Bilbo departs Hobbiton, leaving the One Ring to be inherited by his nephew Frodo Baggins (Wood). Frodo soon learns that this ring is Sauron's master ring, and it must be immediately destroyed. Now Frodo must embark on a journey to the fires of Mount Doom. Only in the flames of that mountain can the ring be destroyed. If he fails and a resurrected Sauron reclaims the ring, he will bind the other 9 subservient rings to his will and cast a pall over the lands of Middle Earth.

The film's subtitle, The Fellowship of the Ring, is drawn from the milestone in Frodo's journey to Mount Doom that occurs: Frodo collects a band of companions who swear to aid in the quest and protect Frodo at all costs.

The film's easy-going first hour quickly transforms into a heart-stopping, exciting, powerful and violent saga that is truly difficult to find boring. Although audience reactions were mixed and many complained about the film's length, I frankly cannot imagine myself being bored.

To say that I loved this film is a gross understatement. Not only is Tolkien's novel one of the greatest books ever published, but Jackson's film adaptation now confidently places itself amongst the greatest movies of all time. This first instalment in Jackson's trilogy is a labour of love - he and his team were determined and worked endlessly to accomplish the best possible product. Jackson's first LOTR film is visually astounding, as well being outstanding in terms of audio and atmosphere.

While so many battles were created using computer technology, this is the blueprint of "epic". Over the years we've seen "big" films like Titanic and Braveheart, but this film simply dwarfs most movies in terms of sheer production size. Every facet of the movie has been done to perfection - every chair, every sword, every location. Why has it taken so many decades to finally get this ambitious project off the ground? Simply because the sheer scope and size of the production would cost far too much. Even in the age of advanced digital technology and big-budget epics, it took countless years to finish. It's refreshing to see so much determination to reach perfection. The descriptions of everything in Tolkien's novel are brilliantly matched by the ideal creative team.

Pale imitations like Harry Potter are a regularity. In the years succeeding this film's release the world was exposed to failed fantasy epics like Eragon, just to name one. The brilliance of Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy will always remain unmatched. To quote a music reviewer, this film is the "blueprint for a trillion inferior facsimiles." With the aid of contemporary filmmaking technology and the diverse New Zealand landscape, the visual result is simply impossible to match.

Special recognition must go to Howard Shore for composing the music that won an Oscar! I own the soundtrack CD and can't get enough of the music. It's exciting, intense, grand, passionate and even heart-breaking at times. This is the cherry on top.

The film is astronomically elevated by the marvellous cast. Elijah Wood makes an exceptional Frodo Baggins. This is an emotionally challenging role for the youthful actor, and nevertheless he nails it perfectly. Sean Astin plays the exigent role of Samwise Gamgee. The role called for an endless assortment of diverse emotions that Astin strikes faultlessly. Ian McKellen is utterly flawless as Gandalf the Grey. McKellen was acknowledged with an Oscar nomination for playing Gandalf with equal parts of underhanded humour and shrewdness. McKellen IS Gandalf and there is no doubt about that. Viggo Mortenson convincingly pulls off the dashing Aragorn: a ranger who becomes determined to help Frodo. Credit must also go to Sean Bean. I am a great admirer of Bean, and must mention his outstanding performance. His versatility is tested with this challenging role: like many other additions to the cast, a collection of emotions are pivotal. Bean passionately pulls off the role of Boromir.

I'm not even halfway through mentioning the cast! Orlando Bloom got his big break playing the loyal elf Legolas. This is the single role that Bloom was meant to play. The character is flat and emotionless...and this describes the nature of every single Orlando Bloom performance. John Rhys-Davis is sublime as the dwarf Gimli. This is one of the veteran actors included in the cast. I couldn't imagine anyone better suited. Finally there are great portrayals from Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan as two Hobbit companions, in addition to sublime elf portrayals from such actors as Hugo Weaving and Liv Tyler. The cast is truly a wonder to behold!

Overall, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring will forever be one of my absolute favourite movies! I still recall the first time I saw this movie: it was Boxing Day 2001 and my favourite uncle dragged me along to the cinema with my brother and cousin. We had booked tickets in advance and it's a good thing we did as there was a sign outside that strictly read "LOTR sold out!" Ever since that first screening I viewed, I subsequently saw it many more times at the cinema (about 5 more times, actually) as well as watching it at marathons and in the comfort of my own bedroom where I can watch the DVD.

Peter Jackson and his creative team have achieved a cinematic marvel! Even with characters and segments of the book being removed, this will remain the definitive cinematic vision of Tolkien's novel for many decades to come. One of the most anticipated cinematic events in history has finally transpired and in my opinion it is completely worth the wait! Some will love it, some will hate it: I will always be part of the former. Critics and audiences alike will always praise this film, and who's to quibble? It's a fine movie! Winner of 4 Oscars. Later released in an extended version.