[Lush]

Best: Gandalf, because Ian McKellen has the right combination of gravitas and compassion. Legolas, because despite the bright blond wig, Orlando Bloom is amazingly charming and, if you can believe it, subtle. I don't just love looking at him, I love watching him in action. Aragorn, for me, is exceptional in the first film. The other two he's great about half the time.

Worst: Frodo, because the role had so much potential, but seemed to steadily deteriorate for me from the beginning of the first film until the the end of the last film. I don't think this is Elijah Wood's fault at all, and consider him a fine actor. I think he did really well with the material he was given. I just think they exaggerated the role up too much - he just stares at the camera with those tragic blue eyes of his for what seems like to be hours. I blame this on poor directing, honestly. They made him do the same thing over and over again, and although he did it well, it didn't work for me in the larger context. I really appreciated it when, at the very end, he's seen back home in the Shire, and his face looks calm. Sad, but calm. It made all the difference.

Also, there is Haldir to consider. What's up with the bad weave? And don't even get me started on the way they had him move and talk...

P.S. Oh, and I love Gollum. Doh.