Jackson's Ring

[The Great Quail]

There are no spoilers below, just a rave.....

"Lord of the Rings" -- Wow.

It does not disappoint. In fact, To say that it's probably the best 
fantasy movie ever made is to do it a disservice by ghettoizing it in 
a genre. It had beauty, awe, and nobility; the scary scenes were 
actually scary, the dynamics of power were really explored, and best 
of all, the characters truly came to *life.* This was no Tim Burton 
set-piece, beautiful to look at but ultimately sterile; no 
overly-literal Harry Potter diorama; it really had heart and soul. If 
the film is not nominated for Best Picture, and if Sir Ian McKellan 
does not win an Oscar for Best Actor, Peter Jackson should be allowed 
to exile the entire Academy to Mt. Doom for a century of hard labor 
while constantly viewing "Driving Miss Daisy."

I am sure there will be cynics and detractors, but fuck 'em. Of 
course, every fan will fondly lament a favorite scene or two that 
missed inclusion, and the music could have been more Wagnerian for my 
taste, but these quibbles are churlish in the face of what Jackson 
and his crew have accomplished. Not only was it the shortest 3-hour 
movie I've ever seen, everyone with me agreed that after a short 
intermission, we'd have easily returned for the next two 3-hour 
installments.

As some Internet critic remarked, "Memo to George Lucas: This is how 
you deliver on a promise."

--Quail