Where did the last three and a half hours just go?

Rating: Null/10 (27 December 2003)

I am not one to gush, but having seen The Return of The King, I can safely say I am a changed man.
Three hour plus films can (and often are) be a recipe for disaster. As wonderful as they were, I did figit occasionally during the 180+ minutes of Titanic, Braveheart and Schindlers List, to name a few. Return of the King however, had me fixated for its entire running time; at not one moment was I ever (for lack of a better term) bored.
When I wasn't busy choking back tears at some truly heartbreaking scenes, such as Frodo's final moments, I was (jaw to the floor) in awe at the visual impact of the battle of Minas Tirith (I didn't dare blink once during the Oliphant stampede!)
The Lord of the Rings trilogy is not merely a string of highly budgeted decorative sequences, (much like the soulless, effects-heavy garbage that Hollywood can pour out) this is an absorbing epic that will challenge your every sense and emotion, it has without a doubt, matured me as a filmgoer.
Peter Jackson has, with this and is previous films, re-introduced us to the sheer power of cinema as a storytelling medium, it will be a tough act to follow, I would dare the greatest filmmakers to even come close.
I must say I have never read Tolkiens books, nor do I plan to, for me, Lord of the Rings will always be, this thoroughly engaging, absorbing three movie miracle.