Excellent, if overstuffed, ending of the Terrific Trilogy

Rating: Null/10 (18 December 2003)

Spoiler Alert With tickets to the 12:15 am showing, we got there by about 11 (you have to be prepared for those lines, you know?). We got to our seats by about 11:45, and let me tell you -the entire theatre was filled!
Now, it's too early to compare the movie to the other two. I'm very familiar with FotR, and tTT, whearas I've only seen RotK last night. Plus it's a much "bigger" movie. By this I mean, it's longer, and more complex.
But I digress. Let me describe the movie. It's very dark, and violent -more so than its predecessors. The overall tone was much moodier and bleaker; characters fall into despair, or become angrier. So is the case with Sam, who, as far as I'm concerned, is the hero of the story. Between defending Frodo, fighting off Gollem, Sam's situation almost rivals the ringbearer's. He is valiant, poignant (the speech at Mordor!!!!!!), and...I think I smell an Oscar.
As for Mr. Baggins himself, you find your heart really being wrenched for him -the way the ring possesses him, and the slow degeneration of body and soul. His (much discussed) eyes portray so much emotion with the simplest stare. His fate, while inevitable really makes you think... a hobbit, just coming of age, has spent the last year of his life in agony. poor creature.
Gollem, who normally runs the gamut from silly and wacky, to creepy and slimy, is here scary!!! I also like the story of his origin in the beginning (god, even as a grungy hobbit, Andy Serkis is a hot piece of ass).
I loved Eowyn here. She shows herself to be more than a wistful, pouty Aragorn tag along. She kicks ass, literally. I wish I could say the same for Arwen, who, fierce and brave in Fellowship, has spent the past two movies being...well...wistful and pouty.
Faramir is good for his five collective minutes on the screen (I hope the deleted scenes indulge us!). Denethor, on the other hand, spends his scenes mumbling, growling, and feeling sorry for himself (what else can you call him but a f***ing psycho during the bit with the oil?). No joke, the entire audience applauded when Gandalf, tired of his episodes, beats him with is staff.
Merry and Pippin, who annoyed the hell out of me in FotR, have now become very close to my heart. The funloving fans of drinking, smoking, eating, and playing pranks, they've become the most endearing little epicureans. But RotK shows them maturing, and understanding the the value and beauty of life, and how easy it is to lose. Bravo, boys.
Aragorn, while always kingly behind his dingy garb, really shows his chops as leader. Nice speech on his part as well -and that kiss with Arwen -well...it took my breath away, anyway. Most beautiful is his respect and appraise of the hobbits. "You bow to no one."
As for everyone else, if I did not include a separate paragraph for them, it is because they were their wonderful self here as the were before.
I had read in an online review recently that the only complaint was that it had "too many endings." I now understand what he meant. Often too much denoument in a movie results it in being anti climactic. 20 min. of it certainly tested our limits (by the "4th ending", the audience laughed in impatience after being certain that the previous was the last), but one must take into consideration: Had they ended it at Aragorn being crowned, and the Hobbits being praised, there would have been a slew of "but what happens to..." questions left behind. Sure, it's a bit long winded, but you can't accuse it of being vague.
As for the end, I was a little surprised that they went so into detail with Sam & Rosie (which officially shoots my Sam/Frodo theory to s**t...oh well, there's still Merry/Pippin...). And Frodo, Gandalf, and the bunch boarding the boat, while the others watch was very tearjerking. Interesting as well, that while "protagonist" usually brings to mind Frodo or even Aragorn -the ending of the movie (and the entire trilogy) belongs to Sam.

The words "The End" on the screen begat both a sigh of relief and a pang of emptiness. It's over, the quest...but so are the movies. We've nothing left to look foward to Winter.
A little long winded? Perhaps. A little too crammed with characters? Inevitable, but yes. But valiant? emotional? visually stunning? *Amazing*? It's nothing short of it.
Congratulations, Peter.