What a long, long movie! Pretty to watch, a bit boring to endure.

Rating: Null/10 (26 June 2004)

DVD, widescreen version, surround sound, big screen HDTV. So, it was almost like being in the theater. This final of the trilogy of LOTR movies is fitting but, like the others, a bit too ambitious in trying to cram in most of the contents of the books to please all the 'ringheads'. As a result, the story drags a bit in many places. And, when the climax comes, it is all a bit too cartoonish for my tastes. As in the other installments, the picture and sound are first-rate, some may call them 'reference quality.' The acting and directing are good, but perhaps they try to take this fairy tale a bit too seriously. It would be akin to taking Tom and Jerry cartoons seriously. Still, I am glad that I have the whole set of DVDs, I plan to re-watch certain scenes from time to time, but probably not the whole movie.
I will give them to my great grandchildren, and they will wonder, "What's a DVD?"
SPOILERS follow, for my recollection. As in the first movie, here I got bored with the huge, drawn-out battle scenes. What may work fine in our minds as we read a detailed book is presented in far too much length and detail in the movie. Second, there seems to be a bit too much reliance on viewers knowing something about the 'books.' For example, at the end (SPOILERS!!) when Frodo has to leave The Shire, we are not sure why, and that is such an important piece of the story. From what I now understand, his having been a bearer of the 'One Ring' placed him in a special category, eligible for a place across the waters which is a sort of 'heaven' where he can get R&R from his crusade to return the ring. Something he just could not get in The Shire.
MORE SPOILERS: Another thing about the 'cartoon' aspect of the story. As we all know, when Frodo is at the mountain of fire, in such close proximity to the heat and sulfur fumes, he may have lasted 2 or 3 seconds at the most. We know from everything prior that he is normally mortal, a giant spider stings him, he gets cuts and abrasions to his face and torso, in essence having normal vulnerabilities. So, by rights he should also have burned up in the close proximity to the volcano, but doesn't even seem particularly hot. Which signals that the whole series of movies are cartoonish in basis, not to be taken too seriously.