(My review from 2004) Probably one of the most overrated film of all time, I was appalled when the it won 11 Oscars. Peter Jackson basically changed Tolkien's trilogy into a inferior story about a fantasy war vaguely based on the books.Don't get me wrong, the CGI is great, and the music is very good too, but that's where I stop there. The acting is decent among the cast, though some of the cast choices like Eowyn and Aragorn are a little puzzling. I would have preferred Sean Bean as Aragorn to be honest.Now one typical defense by Peter Jackson fans is that it would have been too long to include everything from the book. I don't mind changes, but if it turns it into something its not, that's where I'd disagree.Eowyn was turned into a cheap feminist. Of course they make Gimli the butt of the jokes, which destroys the character. He's seen as totally useless, and always makes dumb jokes, which is typical according to Hollywood standards being a short person, of course cannot be taken seriously as an individual. The characters are mere shadows of what they were. Aragorn for example, is turned into a typical confused person who's not sure what his role is. Then we come up to the racism part, Peter Jackon's Hollywood version is that the world is composed of white people who do important things and the brown people who help them. In the film almost everyone that is a main character has blue eyes (even Gollum). Naturally, Legolas is given blonde hair, which makes the elves seem almost Aryan.Also, Peter Jackson's LOTR world makes no sense. Minas Tirith for example, sits in a desert of green, with no human structures around it . No crops, nothing. Same for Edoras and Rivendell. It makes it seem like they're isolated places in the wilderness. Sadly, Jackson has left a significant obstacle in the way of someone else from taking up the franchise and doing the job right, hopefully for The Hobbit, it isn't the same.Peter Jackson and Hollywood has succeeded where Sauron fails, he destroys the world of Middle-Earth.C+