The majestic return of the king!

Rating: 7/10 (19 December 2003)

This film is like nothing you have ever seen before, especially not cinematicaly speaking!
First of all, my guess is that the special effects of the movie will last at least 10 to 15 years without being considered old, or at least "worn". 10 to 15 years is a long time in the art of cinema, but this movie really has potential. The only effect that was a bit crappy was the animation of the undead army. I think they could have done it better by considering using a white color instead of green when animating their "auras"... It's also no hard guess that the whole trilogy is going to become for the children of today what "Star Wars" was to us in our childhood.
The movie is simply breathtaking. Although I like the more slow and laid back parts of the trilogy rather than the action packed parts, the action sequences where really enjoyable! I'm sorry to say that I thought of the battle at Pelennor as to short, but that might just have been because of the thrilling speed the whole movie was going at. Also, I think that the same battle will be one of the parts that has been edited in the "Extended Edition".
There may be some disappointments for fans of the book to be found in the movie. Some parts not appropriate to their hopes and expectations from the book, and also some parts changed or deleted completely. The greatest hope for those fans is to be found in the mentioned "Extended Edition", but the persons will also have to accept that these are the movies and not the literary story. I am one of those pretty big fans who has read the trilogy and additional books about Middle-Earth a couple of times, but I knew right after having seen "The Fellowship of the Ring" that I have to accept the movies as they are...
And as movies, they truly are great!