Best of the three films, needs to win Oscars

Rating: 10/10 (4 January 2004)

This movie was amazing, it was only a fraction of what we'll get in the Extended Edition, which I CAN'T wait for, but it was great. Seeing the White City up close finally was memorable, I loved it in the books. I think the scene with Merry and Pippin saying goodbye in Edoras was very touching and they story in this movie in general was so sad but great.

I think it's just a given that everyone hates Denethor, I actually ordered his last surviving son into a battle that was basically a death sentence and then when he came back he tried to burn him alive! EVIL man! "You wish not that our places had been reversed, that I had died and Boromir had live." "Yes, I wish this." "Since Boromir has been ripped from you I will my best in his stead. If I should return, think better of me father." OMG I just wanted to jump through the screen and SMACK Denethor and hug Faramir and tell him not to go. Then you saw the people in the streets throwing down flowers as he was leaving, everyone loved Faramir but his father. I'm sorry they left out the Houses of Healing scenes because the ones with Eowyn and Faramir and then meeting and falling in love would have been good. This movie gives you a new appreciation for Faramir. Pippin singing was lovely.
The passage through Mordor was well done with Aragorn diverting the Orcs to the Black Gate and away from Frodo and Sam. Eowyn taking down the WitchKing was GREAT!!!!! And Pippin saving Gandalf was too. The fight in the fields was wonderful, the troops, the siege towers, the trolls, the Haradrim and Easterlings with their LARGE transportation.
I really loved the lighting of the Beacons of Gondor, the music in that scene was so good, and then Aragorn running through Edoras to tell Theodon Gondor needed help. Then Arwen becomes ill and Elrond does as she asked and reforged the sword of Kings to take to Aragorn. "Put aside the Ranger, become who you were born to be." GREAT line. "Sauron will not have forgotten this sword of Elendil." Aragorn at the Paths of the Dead was unusual but fun, him convincing the dead army to serve him and then they flood off the boats and save the city.
The coming of the Eagles and taking out the Nazgul was GREAT. BaradDur crumbling and then exploding and Mount Doom blowing and the ground falling away under the Orcs but staying firm under Aragorn and his group. GREAT effects. And then Gandalf flying in and rescuing Sam and Frodo and taking them back to Minas Tirith. The reunion scene was touching, everyone was happy. Then the coronation was great, Aragorn and Arwen finally got to KISS and we heard Aragorn sing again! The people of Gondor bowed to the Hobbits. And the return to the shire was bittersweet, the four had been through so much it was hard to "pick up the threads of an old life" like Frodo said.
But the real tears were during the goodbye scene where Frodo left with the final ship to Valinor. They changed it because Celeborn didn't leave with Galadriel and Elrond in the books but it was a nice happy ending for the movies. When the Hobbits were all crying because Frodo was leaving it was SOOOO sad. Then we got to meet Sam's children. "You can't always be torn in two, you have to be whole. You're part in this story will continue."
Overall this was a GREAT movie and I'm glad it is making great money, I've already seen it 3 times and am going back again very soon. They really deserve to win some awards this year, both Golden Globes and Oscars. Go luck ROTK and can't wait for the Extended Edition. Forgive any bad quoting above, but I'm going by memory on how they went.