[Anguirel]

I generally agree with Boromir on this one. The introduction looks, sounds, and feels fabulous, and to ask questions like "where did Sauron come from?" or "surely the Elves would have different swords from each other?" seems somewhat over-pedantic.

I don't mind Galadriel's poaching of Treebeard's lines at all. They are a dramatic opening, Galadriel is far more interesting (and better portayed in the films) than Treebeard, and the refernce to "feeling it in the water" works perfectly with the Mirror, and perhaps Nenya, both of which we will discover later. Filmically speaking, it's better to set up a major character throughout all the films and especially the first than a fairly major character in the second film.

Besides, both Galadriel-the survivor of the House of Finwe-and Ms Blanchett are made for the narrator's role. Personally I was hoping for an ending with her voiceover, finishing with Legolas and Gimli taking ship...

The introduction of the races seems a bit token, with the Men and Dwarves identical to each other, but given its symbolic nature I don't mind it. I liked our glimpse of Gil-galad and Cirdan here.

The Last Alliance-I'm intrigued alatar got an impression of greenness; I overwhelmingly recall gold and blue. These are wonderful scenes. I love the line "But there were some who resisted" and the music and marching Elendil which accompany it. It really captures the spirit of the Free Peoples in LOTR.

The only disadvantage is the murder of Gil-galad on the cutting-room floor. His appearance wielding Aiglos is very tricky to catch. Why not have shown more shots of him in the fighting? It needn't have cut Elrond's appearances if they'd fought side by side. I don't especially mind the absence of Cirdan though.

I think Sauron is tremendous, if perhaps not as I'd quite imagine him; a bit too in-your-face and Gothmogish. Nevertheless, his sweeping away of the Elven and Human lines is amazing. Once again, Gil-galad's contribution to killing him is elided, sadly. Isildur deserves a little less credit than he gets.

Unlike alatar, though, I felt sympathy for him during the Gladden Fields EE scene-an extremely wise addition. The EE of FOTR is less radically different from the other EEs, but still debatably the best them; a very intelligent director's cut.

"The creature Gollum" seems a fair enough description, and yes, the Ring's hopping sets a nice, sinister tone...