Worth watching, but still way too long.

Rating: Null/10 (12 July 2004)

**DEFINITE SPOILERS!**
Although I had seen the first two LOTR films at the theater, I just saw the final chapter over the weekend. I found watching the final chapter on DVD much more effective, as I was able to scan through the battle scenes as well as some other slow-going scenes.
However, no matter the unnecessarily long battle scenes, this film is worth watching for the final sequences alone. Here are a couple of my favorite scenes:
After the war for Middle Earth, the four Hobbits are back in the Shire at the pub, watching the rest of the Shire enjoying a usual good time. They hold their mugs of ale as if to toast their victory, yet it is obvious they are not the same Hobbits as they were before they left the Shire. The scene has no dialogue really, but the expressions of the four reveal a sad, "Now what?" attitude. If you've ever read biographies of those who participated in a real-life war, like WWI, WWII, or Vietnam, the attitude expressed in this scene is so realistic. They are alienated by their experiences to others in the shire and permanently linked to those who were with them through the ordeal.
The final scene (and of Sam back at the Shire again) of Frodo passing on was surprising (as I had not read the books) and reduced me to tears (more correctly, I was bawling), as it was so touching and probably one of the best definitions of "bitter sweet." It had to happen this way, as Frodo had saved Middle Earth at the expense of his own life. The idea of death was handled so beautifully that anyone fearing their own death could seriously find comfort in many of the scenes in this film.