It's over already?

Rating: Null/10 (20 December 2003)

This motion picture is a satisfying conclusion to the greatest epic in film history.
One can quibble about how faithful director Peter Jackson was to the book(s), but no one can deny he has made a series of movies that carry the viewer to a new whole new world, involving them mind and soul with the characters that inhabit it. There were a few too many scenes where the men were looking a bit too soulfully into each other's eyes. If they were gay, then fine, it is expected. Here, you felt like shouting "kiss him for heaven's sake" when the gazing became a little too intense and emotional. Deep friendship during times of upheaval and war I understand, but this seemed to be over-the-top.
(Spoiler Alert!)
Don't read past this line if you haven't seen the movie!
I also have a problem with a section of the movie near the end where the fade to black lasts far too long and indicates the end of the film. It happens just after Frodo and Sam escape the lava after Sauron's fall and Mount Doom explodes. This confused many in the audience, who seemed ready to get up and leave. There was no reason for the fade to black, or for it too last as long as it did. The passage of time could have been easily conveyed another way. The final scenes lasted for too long and I would have been happy to see the movie end when the warriors all bowed to the hobbits. Now THAT SCENE was truly great and showed how appreciative they were to the little people who saved their world.
These were actually only minor points of contention for me. Overall, the battle scenes were extraordinary. I cared for all the major characters and was intensely interested in how they would defeat the army of darkness, even though I already knew how the story would end. Some visuals were truly amazing and I came away very happy with the entire series of movies.

I can't wait for the extended DVD edition to come out next Christmas!