I totally agree with
mormegil: Every time I see the prologue I'm right back in the Cinema watching the film for the first time. I don't think there will ever be a movie related experience in my life more perfect than that one. I was completely blown away. I'd never seen anything like it before all the visuals were stunningly beautiful and I was lost in P-J's Middle-Earth. I guess the experience for me was a kin to those lucky people who saw Star Wars in the cinema...There really hadn't been anything remotely similar before. Indeed it was this experience that got my interested in LotR and Tolkien. After seeing the film once and not really taking any of it in because I was so stunned I went straight to the nearest book shop and brought FotR. I had read all of the books within a week and had started the second reading. If it hadn't of been for the stunning way the prologue affected me I wouldn't be posting this message today.
I can't imagine a better way to have started off the films, or indeed of introducing anyone to Tolkien. It starts off simple and enchanting with Cate's perfectly Elven sounding voice and the whispers of Elvish, giving birth to questions in your mind that entice you to watch on(if you're new to the whole thing and have no-idea what's going on). And well it's just great... all the effects look quite realistic and you really get a sense of all the different peoples of Middle-Earth and what they stand for...
* I shall continue this post at a later date...must sleep....eyes getting very heavy...ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz*