a great job, but a little too pathetic

Rating: 8/10 (16 December 2003)

Fascinated by the first two movies of LotR, it was expectable that its last part would combine tension, climax and great technical performance like hardly any film before. It was simply a highlight of everything what made the two movies before so adorable, and it is a worthy finishing for this great myth. I'm sure Tolkien himself would have been proud of this breathtaking visualization of his epos. After seeing the Two Towers, I was wondering if the astonishing mass of special effects and cd-animated could be topped; it could, in a very brave way. The movie is a masterpiece. Sean Astin, Ian McKellen Miranda Otto and Bernhard Hill perform simply great, the parallel strings of the story are conducted in a furious final showdown when sauron is in defeat. Despite a very subtile and complex plot, Director Peter Jackson never leaves his audience back feeling confused or overload.
The only thing about this movie what is a little annoying are the various pathetic and exaggerated scenes, eg in the battle on Minas Thirit, when you hear Pippin sing a melancholic folk tune from the Shire while you watch Frodo and Sam crying. And the closing scene, which could have been shortened for 10 minutes without any impact, was also kind of boring. nevertheless - a must! movie.
8/10