A great epic but some flaws and in a hurry

Rating: 8/10 (17 December 2003)

I'm one of those who like FotR more than TTT. I don't know why but that's just the way. Yesterday we had a marathon with the FotR and TTT before we went to see RotK. Both of them were EE and I hadn't seen TTT:EE before. It was a whole lot better than the TE. TTT rose in my eyes. The same thoughts and hopes do I have of RotK.
*spoilers ahead*
The film starts out very well. Beginning with Smeagol and Deagol and the history of Gollum. Felt a little strange... Weird people Smeagol and Deagol.
The first part of the film follows the book the most (as I remember it) and it is definently the best part from a Tolkien/film "critic"-view. I takes time to focus on the caracters and build up the tension of the coming struggle.
Then something happens. The war begins (too early it seems to me...) and everything in a haste. The last half of the film is rushed. It is so much story and information that has to be in the movie but at the same time Jackson puts in stuff that only add to the time and not to the progress of the film. This is definently the film in the triology that really, really needs an EE to slow down, take a breath and expand the scenes. Then it'll probably be a 10 or a 9 but in the present shape a can not give anything more than a 8 and that one is weak.
There are alot of other things like maybe overabuse of cgi (or wrong purpose and/or use of it), the battle feels to short (although it really is long in real counted time), the ending goes on forever, some lose ends, very long-winded dialog at the end, to many dreams and "lookbacks" among other thing. I don't want to descibe them all more than this. It is still a great movie, but not as good as the other (imho). I be watching it again twice but I'm really waiting fo the EE. It'll rock.
btw The battlescenes a so awesome. Worthy the ticket alone.
Don't even think of not seeing this move!