I still remember that first opening sequence of FOTR, though, and the delight and the astonishment..."Galadriel's talking...! There's the Shire! There's Gandalf in the Cart! He's singing the Road song!" And the warm spot PJ will have in my heart for my favorite Christmas presents for three years running.
The funniest thing about my first viewing of FOTR is that I absolutely did not hear the soundtrack, so blown away was I about everything else.
The artwork of LOTR, though, far surpasses everything else. I loved the sets the very best...and I recommend all those coffee table books with their beautiful pictures.
~smiles~
Man, that was a heck of a good time.
I really disliked how Arwen was written, personally. There's one beautiful, strong, warrior woman in the series and it's not her!
But that's just me. She annoyed me, with her breathy voice and silly outfits. And I wanted to see Glorfindel.
I'm glad you found the movies such a satisfying experience. I'm afraid I'm just too much of a written-word purist.