Stunning! Breathtaking! Brilliant!

Rating: 10/10 (30 July 2004)

Peter Jackson has not done an exact representation of Tolkien's' work. That will always remain as impossible as it is to force an apple tree to grow an orange. Some things were left out that could have been put in the movie(s). And some things were put in that in my opinion should have been left out.
I was disappointed that in The Return of the King the story line of Faramir and Eowyn was not pursed. And I was VERY disappointed that Peter Jackson did not deal with Saruman in the theatrical version. I felt that this was unfair to Tolkien, to the actor Christopher Lee, and to the viewer, who was left with the fate of a major character in the films unaccounted for. Indeed, I see this as nothing less than a transparent ploy to force the viewer to buy the Extended DVD Version when it becomes available. Shame on you Mr. Jackson. We would have bought it without you having to resort to the use of a cheap conjurer's trick.
As for The Scouring of The Shire - I am disappointed that it was not filmed, though the truth be told, I see why it was not shot. The movie holds its own quite well without it. The power of The Return of The King as it was presented would have made The Scouring appear to be the longest and most boring ending to a movie I can imagine. At the very least, we would have had to cut out the Gray Havens as well and put them both into a shortened fourth movie, along with such things as the recover of Bill the horse, and frankly, that just doesn't sound like a movie people would pay to sit through. As I sit here just thinking about it, I can almost hear the howls of the purists and the general public alike. Still, I can not help but think that had The Scouring been filmed, at least the footage would have been available for a follow-on short feature on a separate DVD. It is something of a minor tragedy that no footage of this part of Tolkien's work was shot.
Yet despite these omissions, I must rate The Return of the King a solid 10, no question about it. And may I say, "Thank you , Mr. Jackson. Thank you."
There are those who are so troubled by the fact that every word that Tolkien wrote isn't in this film that they can not see what is there. These people say that despite all that Peter Jackson has done, The Lord of the Rings has still not been done in film. Oh how very sorry I feel for these poor, wretched souls. So lost are they in their bitter and abusive criticism that they will never be able to appreciate the stunning, breathtaking brilliance of Peter Jackson's achievement. Guys, set aside your sanctimonious points of view and come smell the roses. Despite its failings, the movie HAS been done.
As for the series as a whole, I regret that I must give it rating of 9. It would have been a 10, but I too am subject to the illness of not letting go of some of the failings in Peter Jackson's work. Peter, you should have done right by Faramir.