Hype and anticipation may be the only beasts middle-earth cannot conquor.

Rating: 9/10 (17 December 2003)

Let me give you a quick overview of my emotional journey through the three and a half hour movie. Excellent-good-good-long-long-long. I didn't want the other two films to end. In the first two films I had more of a feeling of Dread as the hours passed and I realized the movie was coming to an end. I think this film had a little too much jammed into it. I'm not saying that Peter Jackson had an easy job. It isn't a story that ends easily. I think that this is an amazing movie, and it will stand the test of time well, however, I think that there is a slight drop in the story telling in Return of the king. There were just too many events that had to be forced into three and a half hours. To the detrement of Faramir and Christopher Lee.
Fellowship was released and everyone was blown away. No one thought that the Two towers would be able to follow such an impressive act. Two Towers was released and people were even more blown away, their fears and doubts quelled. I don't think The return of the King delivers as well as the first two, I wouldn't go so far as to say that it was a let down, but I anticipated a movie as perfect as the other two and got one that was slightly less. In all fairness to Peter Jackson and the rest of the cast and crew (that I'm sure will be tossing in their sleep due to my comments) I did see the movie at 12:00 on a tuesday so my perception may have been a little distorted, what with having to wake up at 8:00 for work.