Good but doesn't deserve the Oscar for best picture

Rating: Null/10 (11 March 2004)

If you are one of the millions who have already seen the movie and loved it, I'm sure what I say won't change your mind. If you haven't seen the movie, but loved the books, you will probably love the movie too. That seems to be the typical reaction from fans of the books. But if you do not fall into one of those categories, read on.
There is a lot to like about Return of the King--spectacular battle scenes, breathtaking landscapes, and unparalleled special effects (Gollum is without doubt the most believable CGI character ever). Make no mistake, certain aspects of this movie are very well-done. In my opinion, it deserves most, if not all of the "minor" Oscars it received, but just not best picture.
For one thing, the "best" picture of the year ought to have great acting. Return of the King did not receive a single Oscar or Golden Globe for acting. True, some of the performances are good (Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin), but they are not on par with, let's say, Sean Penn's and Tim Robbin's performances in Mystic River.
Another major problem, one that the movie inherited from the books, is the lack of a strong central character. There are so many main characters that they are hard to keep up with. While this may not be a problem for people who have read the books, the movie has to stand on its own merits. You can't strongly identify with any of the characters because none of them gets enough screen time. The hero is supposed to be Frodo, but he is too weak and wimpy for most of the movie, his energy having been sapped by the ring. The real hero turns out to be Sam, but Frodo is the one you've been rooting for. Of course, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) is supposed to be heroic too, but his character is too underdeveloped. Mortensen gives a much more heroic performance in Hidalgo. And, oh yes, there definitely are too many endings. I won't belabor this point as it has already been discussed in great detail elsewhere. Suffice it to say that the movie is a good half hour too long. The Return of the King is an amazing achievement in some respects, but it is near the bottom of my top ten for 2003. I give it 7 1/2 out of 10.