The Series is a 10

Rating: 9/10 (17 December 2003)

I'm grappling with the overall view of this final piece of the series. The initial 90 minutes were in general not up to what I expected. All the involvement of the prior movies was missing. I can recognize Jackson's desire to set up the final character developments but as a stand-a-lone piece, I believe he would lose an audience that wasn't already committed to the series. So how do you rate the movie by itself? I love the multiple conclusions because they address the issue of how someone who experiences something so outside the realm of anyone else can continue to "live" in the world of everyone else. Pippin and Merry didn't in the book. The moral turmoil resolutions for the main characters where they decide who they are and what they want to achieve are great. I agree with everyone who says Sam was the best character and should be up for an Oscar (not that Hollywood matters). I was less impressed with Gollum after the not so good piece in the beginning where he kills the character who actually finds the ring. Did Jackson think that furthered the development from the hints from prior movies?
Battle scenes: amazing. Scenery: wonderful. CGI: good but problems with size again: look at the elephants and Legolas.
Superb performances by the Rohans and Gondors. Still find Liv Tyler weak.
I really wanted to love this movie and despite some expected tears during the various conclusions, felt I hadn't got what could have been based on both the prior movies and the books. So still the best epic that has ever been done but I suspect that someone someday will surpass this. Until then, here is the mark, beat it.