The best button masher ever? On Co-Op yes. In singleplayer, no. The game is very fun, but some parts are pretty hard.
The gameplay is fun becuase you can pull off alot of attacks as well as throw/shoot. Yes, you can't block, but instead you can parry which works out okay. You can't control the camera, which can get annoying, but it gives the game a cinematic edge. While fighting is fun, most of the time you'll be mashing the A button. Your fingers will get tired playing this game, and that is kinda the point. The three difficulties are misleading. Easy can be very hard sometimes, but not with a partner playing with you.
When you play with another friend, teamwork is needed, and it works out very good. If it was only singleplayer, i'd give the game a 7. But with a friend, i'll give the overall gameplay a 9.
The music is great becuase it is from the movie, and while the cutscenes are narrated by the actor who was Gandolf, you can't skip them. It gets frustrating. Overall, becuase the music is so good, the sound gets an 8.
So this is a must play if you like LoTR and can play Co-Op. Overall it gets an 8.