Quality Adaptation of Great Tolkein Novels. Great work, Peter Jackson, etc...

Rating: 9/10 (25 October 2008)

The title gives away the ending...But these 3 films are great because they do almost everything WELL! Many great, believable characters, wonderful (though complex) story line, hundreds of costumes, special effects, including nuanced, computerized special effects, believable villains (notably Smeagol/Gollum - the lowly bad guy who still will influence Frodo - for good or ill...)...
Film students - this adaptation of the Lord of the Rings trilogy is worth intense study. Peter Jackson & co. did just about everything well. The long, long list of awards tells you his peers noted this.
This highly complex three film series is to the average film - as the multi level D-Day invasion was to the typical battle.
And speaking of battles, I agree that Sean Astin's Samwise is the best character of all. He is probably like the World War I foot soldiers Tolkein served with (called Tommies). The average guy who wants to get back home - who steps up to be the little-known person who helps win the battle...