A worthy ending, but could have been (a lot?) better

Rating: 8/10 (17 December 2003)

Minor spoiler about the style(!) of the ending: (no spoiler if you have read the book) Near the end of the film when everything finally comes together and the fate of the world hast just been decided as a viewer you get a wonderful nice feeling, suddenly you just have to love this trilogy. Then there's one of those mandatory 'we are threw it, yeah!'-scenes dragging on a bit long with maybe a little bit too much of almost constant slow motion and bright glaring white light all around. Then there's another one of those. Then this wonderful feeling you just had just starts to give way to slight annoyance. Then there's another celebration. Then another. Then some more talking. Then some more. Then general hugging and sniffing. Then some more.
My god, when cutting this film didn't anyone notice something? Like 'maybe we should really stop at the fifth ending?'.
That's the reason samuran had to be cut?
Sadly this overdoing it a bit and almost ruining great moments with stuff that doesn't really work very well is a bit symptomatic for this third and final part. That really doesn't mean that this isn't a very good movie and shure it can be absolutely great for you. I just felt that it also shows a a little tiredness of the moviemakers.
There are great character scenes and fight scenes especially Sam and the spider (really really creepy and thrilling scene) then the war elephants (great fast paced entertainment). Still to me the battle of Helm's Deep just felt more structured and more emotional then the the one of Minas Tirith.
Also that everything done before the dead arrive seems to be almost unimportant because the dead sweep completely unstoppable threw thousands and thousands of enemies anyway...
On the character side there could have been a bit less weeping and hugging. But without any doubt there are enough great moments left to make an at least very good movie.