Another spit on the work of Tolkien, fantasy's greatest author. It devolves characters and squashes plots into irrelevance. The direction and writing and acting are all subpar; the few motivated characters have no chance to escape the weight of the fail boat around them, which is constantly sinking. Tolkien strongly questioned a film adaptation decades ago and yet he entertained the possibility, perhaps allowing for the slight possibility it could be accomplished in the right hands. If Bezos is a LOTR fan and he's happy with this rendition, he must be living on another planet (he can afford it). The only way film could adapt Tolkien's work thoughtfully is through smaller storylines and more character development. The fan-made films remain the gold standard.