Can He Conclude It?

Rating: 8/10 (12 January 2015)

To me this is easily the worst Lord of the Rings film, primarily because it simply does not know how to end. We have a total of four false finishes before this gargantuan trilogy finally leaves us in peace. In fairness, this is the story's fault, not the film maker's. That Jackson was able to adapt these books is a stunning achievement.
The practical effects are absolutely stunning, as is the cinematography. This is one of the finest looking films ever. One need only compare this to the Hobbit films, to get an impression of the amazing scale of the LOTR achievement.
My main issue with Lord of the Rings is the lack of truly compelling characters. To me, Gollum is the only truly great character. Characters like Gimli and Legolas are paper thin, and everyone in between is basic. Again this isn't really the film makers fault in my opinion.
For me this is the best that could possibly have been done in adapting these stories to cinema. They're the kind of stories that really are more suited to the pages of a book. Perhaps Jackson could have trimmed a little more fat than he did, and it would have made a more concise and impactful film, certainly the extended cut is vastly worse.
So for me this is a fantastic spectacle, brilliantly acted by most of the cast. I feel that the story is limited, especially on screen, and that means the film is bashing it's head on a glass ceiling.
Eight out of Ten.