True to the book?

I loved the book. The movie did a pretty good job of sticking to it. There were a few parts that weren't quite right, but you can't expect it to be perfect. Remember, they have to cater to the lowest possible demographic. If you haven't already done so, you should defiantly read the books.

A Masterpiece

This movie has the difficult job of being second in a trilogy. This means that there can't be an intro or a finally. It does a very good job of filling that difficult role. This is truly one of Peter Jackson's masterpieces. Of the three films, this one is the most true to the book. The books are admittedly a challenging read, but they are totally worth it. You will get a greater understanding and appreciation for the movies when you finish.

Hollywood doesn't care about history

As a Civil War buff, there were several things in this film that stood out like a sore thumb. Most notably the direction of the charge on Fort Wagner. They were going the wrong way! There were many other details that were off. Like the whipping, by the time of the Civil War whipping was outlawed. Not only did it permanently injure the soldier, but it caused a tremendous drop in moral. Also there was no such thing as a "sergeant major." There was also an over all sense of political correctness throughout the entire film. In a nutshell, this movie is way too Hollywood to be historically accurate."