IMDb's Number FIVE?

Rating: 6/10 (27 March 2007)

Though certainly an improvement upon the second film in this already classic trilogy, I must say I am shocked that of all the incredible films I could name right off the top of my head that could be sitting in the fifth position in IMDb's list of Top 250 Highest Rated Films, this is the one that's sitting there. I know I'm quite tardy in my viewing of this movie, and I've known of its sky-high praise for the four or five years it's been in release, and I thought that even though the subject matter, as I explained in my reviews of the preceding two Lord of the Rings films, is not my cup of tea, I would see what everyone else sees in these movies. I was very fond of the first one, I was grateful when I saw the ending credits of the second one, and though I found myself entertained more than the second one by the third one, I was even more grateful when the final credits arrived. I will start with what I liked: The battle sequences in this film were much better than the ones in its predecessor. I thought the second film's battles were lame and this time around, they had a lot of intensity, and I found myself drawn in. Where I found myself riveted was during the climax, the fate of the ring to be determined on a coarse cliff over molting lava, and everything unexpected happens and all of the present characters in the scene have tension that finally culminates and releases, and I finally truly found myself caring about the ring, even if it doesn't make sense that Shalob can stink Frodo through a supposedly impermeable vest.
But now, let's get down to brass tacks about the denouement. I have never seen a movie that ends as many times as The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. After awhile, I was counting the "final" scenes. Counting! Then, I found myself shocked that I had given up on counting. Who counts endings to one movie? I cannot stand a badly paced film. I've always thought of directors like Peter Jackson as directors who are particularly good at keeping a brisk pace, no matter how long the movie is. But, not only do his endings lag in this single film, but they are plagued further by two horrible things: 1) Every time one ending closes, it fades out and the screen remains black for several seconds. Then it fades up again, having fooled you and the interest that causes you to stay with a film to the end has left. This happens every-single-time-the-movie-makes-you-think-it's-ending. 2) After awhile, this series of endings becomes intensely contrived and meaningless. We don't need to see most of the things that happen! And if Jackson still wants us to see what happens to these characters, as these things must in J.R.R. Tolkien's novel, he should pace it better so that it does not feel stretched, tacked on, or contrived. Perfect way to achieve this: Get rid of the deceptive fade-outs!
I enjoyed The Fellowship of the Ring, and I suppose the last two films had their moments, but all I can say is that I am glad that I'm finished with this trilogy and that I don't have to worry about seeing them ever again.