Thrills through and through

Rating: 10/10 (16 January 2004)

This is one of those rare movies where I found myself hoping each time the screen went black, that it wasn't quite over. The director obliged and had several stops which could have been good endings, but it just kept going. I've heard some critiques say that it was a tad long; I was disappointed when it ended. In any case, coming from a non-fantasy fan, this, along with the first two, just kept drawing me deeper and deeper into the story with the thrills and plots and battles that rival the very best movies ever created. Much like the dreaded ring, the movie got me hooked, leave me wanting more and more and more!
The greatest line in the movie was when Leggelos killed the giant elephant and its crew (a super human feat), and the Dwarf said "That still counts only as one" I, along with the rest of the audience, just about died laughing at that one. The not-so-friendly rivalry in the first movie evolved into a friendly rivalry to a friendship for the ages between those two.
The second best line: At the end of the Return of the King, Aragorn asks the hobbits to rise after he was crowned king and says: Rise my friends; you bow to no one.
This was not just a fantasy, or simply a high tech movie; the human factor played strong and clear. I found myself actually cheering for the human lady who sought Aragorn's heart, but alas, it was not to be.
This movie is one for the ages indeed. It rivals the feeling I got when I first saw a Star Wars movie. Thank you to J.R.R. Tolkien