Please note that I am rating this on the basis of it being a seperate entity from the book; I have not read the book yet, and will refrain from doing so until after I have watched the third installment of the series. It is understood that the movie strayed away from the book's storyline a bit, and if you cannot handle that, I highly suggest you do not watch this movie, as many of my die-hard LOTR fans left disappointed and could not see the movie through their preconceptions from the book. Alright, that being said, the movie was an absolute work of art! The cinematography was breathtaking and well done; the computer graphics enhanced the story rather than masked it, something that many current movies cannot yet accomplish. Gollum was an incredible work of computer technology--almost completely believable (the best that I've seen so far). The story is captivating, and the characters are rich and alive. You may have to watch it twice, to get past the eye candy-ness of it all (and it is, but oh, is it done beautifully). Words of caution: 1) If you can't sit still for three hours, you might want to stay away from this movie. 2) Don't order the super-giant-mega-zized drink at the theater--you probably won't want to get up to go to the bathroom, and three hours is a LONG time for a full bladder! 3) If you don't like fantasy, this is not for you. 4) If you are a die-hard fan of the book and can't stand anything straying from the book, save yourself the heart attack and don't watch. 5) Not everyone has read the book. For the sake of friends who haven't read the book, you may want to refrain from giving parts away, or the movie will be much less enjoyable for them.