A very impressive film

Rating: 9/10 (9 June 2004)

I suppose I'm just adding my voice to the chorus when I say that this was a stupendous film. Great acting. Amazing special effects. Wonderful directing. One of the best films I've ever seen.
It's still not the greatest movie of all time, though. There are those that are greater: Schindler's List, The Godfather, Citizen Kane. But it's up there. This is one of the few movies I've ever seen more than once in the theater.
I was actually glad that Jackson included Shelob's Lair in this version. It gave more screen time to the Frodo/Sam/Gollum storyline. Throughout the whole scene, I was on the edge of my seat. Even though all of the main characters are split up throughout the film, Jackson still manages to keep it as a cohesive whole. The final climactic scene will keep you bolted to what's happening.
There are some flaws in the film. The fate of Arwen is rather confusing. (Sure, the average person visiting the LotR message board on a daily basis might understand it, but for the average person in the theater, I don't think there was enough background info to completely understand). Also, the post climactic ending is rather long, although that's more to wrapping up the film than Mr. Jackson's mistake.
A fine film. 9 stars.