"My" best picture? (Spoilers)

Rating: 9/10 (4 January 2002)

I have to say that FOTR gets better with multiple viewings, which is my criteria for a favorite picture. The 3 hr length did not detract at all from my enthusiam, whereas the 80 min of Blair Witch was the most torturous 80 min of my life (not really, I used fast forward a lot;). I couldn't sit through The Godfather (heresy!!;), but had no problems with Lawrence of Arabia or GWTW. And I actually enjoyed Tomb Raider (arrgh!!).
The reality of IMDB is that this is a "fun" site for movie buffs. There is no real 10 or 1 movies (some people may actually like Plan 9 from Outer Space, or hate The Godfather), nor can you rate a movie with a simple 1-10 rating system. How about a 50-100 question rating system? That may lend more credibility to the ratings, or not, but rating a movie won't be as simple or as fun anymore.

--SPOILERs---
By the way, in the book, when Galadriel is offered the ring by Frodo, her transformation in the movie was described in the book, almost to a tee, and her dialogue was taken out of the book nearly verbatim.
The time compression was an issue, but PJ only had 3 hours to shoehorn in as much of the story as he could.
Those who lament Boromir not carrying into TTT should note: he appears only for a page or so in the first chapter of TTT stuck full of arrows and dying. It made sense in the movie to conclude his role in FOTR. I did imagine him more porcupine-like with 30 arrows stuck in him in the book, but I guess the 3 or 4 tree trunks they shot into him in the movie had the same effect.
I couldn't imagine any other way the movie could have concluded. Showing Frodo and Sam walking off towards Mount Doom was I thought the best you could do, other than showing a preview of TTT immediately after the movie "...scenes from next year's episode..."
FYI, the principle filming for FOTR, TTT, and ROTK wrapped early last year at an estimated cost of $270 mil. FOTR to date has brought in over $300 mil worldwide in 2 weeks. TTT and ROTK are a done deal, believe me.
Anyway, FOTR "rocks!" Peace.