Excellent, mind-blowing and just too cool...

Rating: 10/10 (17 December 2003)

Saw the premiere of the movie last night at midnight and I was completely blown away.
First things first, I loved the first movie, saw it a bunch of times in the cinema, then I bought the extended DVD and I loved it even more. The second movie, I saw twice in the cinema, then I waited until the extended was out, bought it and just saw it once or twice.
On both these first movies the cinema versions were great, the extended versions excellent.
Enter: Return of the King. Just the first scene blew me away (spoiler start) when we get to see Sméagol and Déagol finding the ring and fighting over it (spoiler end).
The movie progresses, and does so beautifully. The dark moments in this film (and there are a bunch of them) really makes you...I can't say "scared", but sorry for the characters. The happy moments make you happy and - believe it or not - the sad moments are so well made that they actually make you cry. Or at least give you a lump in the throat. I know I got one and last time THAT happened in a movie was in "My Girl 2" (I was about 13 or so at the time).
Sure, sure, Mr. Jackson has messed with the books from day one (but listen to what they say in the interviews they do) and with the pressure from New Line, I understand it. I'm sure Jackson would have loved to release a 50 hour movie and try to cover -everything- in the books, but they've changed stuff that a lot of people complain didn't need changing. I tend to disagree. You change something fundemental, that's going to affect alot of other things.
Return of the King is an excellent movie, probably in my top ten list of best movies ever. The day I can watch all three movies in the extended versions (supposedly 11½ hours) is the day I will see the best movie(s) I have ever seen - and possibly even ever will see. Makes me kind of sad to think of it, actually, but then again - it's just a movie. Right?
I will give this movie a 10 out of 10, not because a lot of other people will, not because it's the "right" thing to do - but because it deserves it. I have given out tens before, sure, but only a handful after voting on hundreds of movies.
So, Mr. Jackson. Let's see what you can do with King Kong, The Hobbit (?) and anything else you do in the future - I'm sure I'll love those movies to. I salute you.