Stunning visualization, occasionally annoying plot noodlings

Rating: Null/10 (18 December 2003)

SPOILERS ABOUND
The Return of the King combines the heart of FOTR and the adrenaline of TTT into an incredible piece of work.
Jackson has carefully crafted the movie to respond to what critics and fans liked (and didn't like) about the first two movies. Pick-up shoots were designed to emphasize the personal humanity, providing the necessary emotional counterpoint to the big picture.
At 3 hours and 20 minutes, the movie is certainly a test of your ability to "hold it", but the time does fly by.
And yet, the omissions hurt. Because there's no showdown with Saruman, Pippin just "finds" the Palantir lying on the ground in the wreckage of Isengard. Later, the absence of the Houses of Healing provides no context for the eventual pairing of Eowyn and Farmir. Both characters deserve better after what they've been through. If Peter had trimmed the battles by, oh, five minutes he could have squeezed in some of the rest of it. But that's what the Extended Editions are for, I guess.
Then there are the plot modifications. Denethor's attempt to torch not only himself but the obviously still-living Faramir (with the willing assistance of his clearly not-insane servants) strained the credulity of everyone in the theater. And Golllum's lembas crumb conspiracy was interesting, but led to an elaborate reconfiguration of the entire Frodo-capture/Sam-rescue sequence at Cirith Ungol.
Well, it wasn't my movie, and my gripes are small change compared to the enormity of what Jackson accomplished. The panoramas are breathtaking, Eowyn rocks, the ending is just the right length, and Sam--well, in the end it's Sam's movie. Simple as that.
More than once over the last few years I've thought to myself that it's great to be alive in a time when a movie like this could be created. Thank you, Peter. You've brought genuine happiness to a lot of people.