Great movie!

Rating: Null/10 (4 January 2004)

Contains Spoiler I loved it. Love how merry and pippin were in it more. I read many of the comments and I hated the complaints about how the ending was "too long" or there were "3 or 4 endings". If they hadn't had the hobbits returning to the shire, there would've been he** to pay! I would've demanded my money back (ok, my boss paid so demanded HER money back). Ok, i was getting upset too when they kept fading but I rather liked that suspense. I almost CRIED when Aragorn had the crowd bow to the hobbits. THEY were the reason that these people were still there. Frodo and Sam had a bigger role for sure but if Merry and Pippin hadn't gotten the Ents to fight Saurman (in the movie, in the book, there's no change of heart) then there'd have been a two front battle. A few more things: Merry helping slay the witch king, Pippin lighting the beacons, and Pippin saving faramir. These may seem "small" but even the small action can change the course of the world. (Did you like that? Huh? i just made it up like, 5 seconds ago.)
Loved Billy Boyd's voice when he say. I nearly died and was in heaven (until my friend leaned over and asked if that was really his voice. Don't get me wrong, I love her to death but I couldn't hear my Pippin!)
Hate me for this BUT I hope none of the actors get nominations. They are ALL great actors and I would hate for one of them to get singled out as "better" then the rest. This is an ensemble cast and none of them should get an award unless they all do. I for one was happy to see Ian McKellan didn't win best supporting actor for the first movie. He WAS excellent and any other movie, would've deserved it BUT, I don't see how you can take one actor out and say he's better then all those around him.
I could've done without Arwen. And WTF was up with giving LIV TYLER 3RD billing?! OVER Viggo and Sean Astin. If she HAD to be one of the top 5, put her AFTER those two.
I love how they show Merry and Pippin growing. I think of the four hobbits, it's a close tie between Sam and Pippin on who changes the most. This is something only a book reader would get. Hobbits come of age at 33 (about 18 human years). Frodo is 50, Sam is 39, Merry is 37 and Pippin is 29 making him a CHILD in a sense so he's more mature behavior at the end shows how he has grown. As for Sam, he left the Shire the one getting orders and in the 3rd HE'S giving the orders, making Frodo go up the mountain and then there's him talking and marrying Rosie at the end.
I just love the hobbits (obviously huh?) and was happy to see them get more screen time.
I hope Peter Jackson gets best director. While I would love to see this get best picture, I live in the real world. I doubt it will happen. Then again, I didn't think Titanic would win (personaly I wanted L.A. Confidental which was 100 times better then Titanic in my opinion and I was a teenaged girl at the time) and it WON so you never know.
Anyways, all three were great. I loved the lack of "last time.." JRR Tolkien MEANT for this to be ONE book, NOT three. Fellowship for the hobbitness and the fellowship. Two Towers for the struggle of the 3 factions getting through their own struggles apart yet in spirit still being together. Return of the King just because!
My TWO complaints: Merry and Pippin say..well..NOTHING the last hour (yes, I checked) Ok Merry says "Frodo" twice. Oh well, not a big deal. It happened in Fellowship too.
The lack of developing any sort of relationship between the four hobbits. Merry and Pippin are supposed to be Frodo's closest friends yet after Rivendell, he never speaks to them (in the first movie, he obviously couldn't speak to them in the Two Towers). Pippin and Merry are first cousins. Never mentioned. Oh well.
FOTG: 10/10 TT: 10/10 ROTK: 10/10 TRILOGY: 100/10