Perfect viewing (maybe at 11.00 at night!!!)

Rating: Null/10 (29 May 2004)

STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs
In the concluding adaptation of Tolkien's trilogy,Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) head with Gollum to Mount Doom to dispose of the troublesome ring,whilst the rest of the gang brace themselves for the final battle for Middle Earth.
Having put my achy,fidgety,restless bum through the ordeal of the first two movies,I found it only fitting to watch the concluding part (which would be the longest part at a whopping 201 minutes!!!)Luckily,I happened to be watching this one on DVD as opposed to at the cinema and was therefore free to press the pause button at any moment I deemed appropriate in order to take a break and watch it entirely at my own pace.I would certainly only deem it advisable to watch this at a cinema that has a break for refreshments halfway through.
I think my school of thought all along really has been that of a fair few others.If you were a fan of the books,then these movies will probably be the equivalent of a wet dream come to life.If you have never read any of the books,however,it's all likely to emerge as a big overblown,self indulgent affair,as I think sadly has been the case with me.The ending especially here is a real nerve grater,as it appears to come again and again after over three hours of patient sitting and observing,only to keep droning on that bit longer.Given the heavy handedness of it all anyway,it just makes for even more of a labourious experience.
In the movie's favour,it is a bit more emotionally involving than the last two and manages to draw you in to the plot a bit more,although that may just be because you know a bit more what to expect and so you've resigned yourself to it that bit more.The battle scenes and cinematography in general are certainly nothing to sniff at either.This is,giving away from some laughable and not entirely convincing acting indeed.But,given how little the story had already engrossed me to this point,it's all a bit too little too late.
It may have reached #4 on the IMDB top 100,but given I don't know a 'hobbit from a racehorse',it's best use in my favour would seem to be as the ultimate late-night cure for insomnia.**