Director Peter Jackson directs this film masterfully. It is compelling and dazzling. The first in The Lord of the Rings trilogy gets the trilogy stated off on the right foot. It takes a bit of time for the ball to get rolling, but once it does, the adventure only grows. The characters are great and the story is simple but epic. Once the protagonists begin their adventure to destroy The Ring, things only magnify in intensity. The action is exhilarating and the spectacle is state-of-the-art. However, this film is not only an action adventure flick, it's dialogue is very strong as well. When the characters speak, there is hardly any fluff or nonsense. Everything appears to drive the plot forward, even in the slower moments. The music has since become iconic, and it adds strong emotion to every frame. There is a sense of awe, and sense of despair that a viewer will feel throughout this film's runtime. This movie is a great standalone film, but the way it sets up the sequels cannot be overlooked. It does a great job. Overall, I give this film a 8.5/10.