Nearly Perfect End to a Nearly Perfect Trilogy

Rating: 10/10 (20 December 2003)

*THIS COMMENTARY CONTAINS SPOILERS! THIS IS YOUR FIRST WARNING!*
Loved it. Great movie, great cinematics. Jackson will be glorified for his interpretation of Tolkien's great epic (and rightfully so). No other director could have pulled it off so skillfully.
*FINAL SPOILER WARNING!*
I must say, as a Tolkien fan, I do have a few disappointments. I did miss the Scouring, but I understand why he cut it. It's just one of those parts that works masterfully in literature but translates to crap on film. It would be the ultimate anticlimax were it rendered in cinematic version (but I still miss it nonetheless).
The ultimate disposal of the One Ring was a bit of a disappointment to me, as well. When I read the book, I was actually cheering when I envisioned Gollum in his victory dance teetering over the edge. The film changed it around a bit and Frodo desperately attacks Gollum once more to try to retake the ring... and the irony of situation is lost. No longer is it Gollum's desire for the ring that is his undoing, but rather the combination of hi s and Frodo's desire.
Legolas and Gimli's characterization was (again) played down. That was expected from seeing the previous films, though.
Frodo and Sam's bond is slightly skewed in the films. Sam becomes a blindly following blubberer (but still lovable, loyal, and always my favorite character), so I had to hold on to the mental version of the Tolkien Samwise Gamgee to get through some of the scenes. I also recall Sam bearing the ring being much more played up in the novel... here, it's given passing mention.
However, these are just the flaws. For each flaw, there are innumerable great moments to account for them. Take for example the overly predictable yet still satisfying "I am no man" line. Or the lighting of the beacons, the one scene that truly displays how epic this story is. Or even Faramir's conversation with his father before he rides off to the river in a suicide mission (this scene, as odd as it may seem, was the one that brought me closest to tears... much closer than the following battle scene, in fact).
*END SPOILERS*
If you're going to see the movie and expecting perfection, don't, especially if you've read the novels. Give Peter Jackson a chance and you'll see why he made most of his changes. It's not perfect, but it's about as close as any movie has ever gotten. Expect The Lord of the Rings to surpass Star Wars as the great epic trilogy in the future. It's earned the spot quite well.
Final Score: 10/10