I wrote a very, very long message, which took me over half an hour to write, to explain you that so many people have managed to find books that were at first much less interesting that LOTR, but did manage to surpass their expectations, just because they had to courage to find out what other books have been written in human history. I deleted it, cause I think everybody here would call me a fool after today and never take me serious again :) Anyway, I have seen LOTR a few times (for some mysterious reason it was released here a week before the US, lol). I DO like it for it's amazing details and well done CG FX's and the amazing sets. I DO like it for it's length, and that the director has taken all the time to show everything that needed to be shown. I DON'T like it because of it's acting and it's actors. Eventhough they do a great job, I think LOTR's story is mostly a story about interpersonal relationships and not about wars, travels, adventures or SFX, and I think the result (no matter how grand it is) doesn't do the core of the whole story any good....all the great things just blow the 'thin red line' away. Shame. I DON'T like it either because it's got nothing to do with the book, for a book stimulates our imagination....therefor this guy's interpretation of it is completely different from how I read it. Seeing the movie a few times almost completely faded my memory of the book away. Afterall, imagination is what reading books is about....Tolkien wrote a book, and if he wanted to make a film he would have followed directing classes instead. While I've read a lot of books (with Being There, The Unbareble Lightness of Being, Deccamerone and Romeo & Juliet as some of my favorites) I can't say that I know enough to be able to compare so many works of literature to state that LOTR is the best book ever, as you put it so boldy. But I do know a little, humble bit about film (I'll just leave the reason why alone right now) and I can say that Lord of the Rings is a very US orientated kind of story. I haven't got a clue why though, but it's the same thing with games and stuff....very typical. Anyway, I do feel really annoyed by reading that LOTR is the best movie ever 'even better than star wars'. Please, Star Wars was a moment in time. A great moment in a great time....watching star wars is lovely, just cause it was so new, but also cause it brings back a lot of memories of that time. No doubt about it. But no matter if you realize it or not, people like Lasse Halstrom, Darren Aronofsky and Baz Luhrman are on their way to become film legends right now.....and half of the world doesn't even notice it! These people don't need great books to amaze you with a little piece of what's going on in their brains. I'm not saying that you have to LIKE a film like Moulin Rouge, but if you can't see that Luhrman must be a genius there's really something wrong.....really something seriously, totally wrong. And aside of this all, how can you just whipe the floor with movies like Vertigo, Citizen Kane, Metropolis or so many others. Nobody of the actors of the last 10 years can measure up to people like Orson Wells or Jimmy Stewart...get real! You're just overexcited by an awesome movie...it'll pass.... If you want to see some really good movies (to make sure you'll be able to talk about the upcoming Oscar nominations) go see Mullholland Drive, The Man Who Wasn't There, Requiem for a Dream and most of all Memento. Anyway, happy new year to everyone!