Good popcorn fun, albeit overrated

Rating: 6/10 (1 December 2004)

This movie is a landmark in special-effects wizardry, and within the trilogy is easily the best (it's the only one with closure). I enjoyed almost every minute of this movie, but it is still not a top 10 movie by far.
-Plotwise, it is a simple good vs. evil battle that we've all experienced before. Even though the story was written decades ago, and written quite well, it still doesn't have the depth. You can add characters and subplots to your heart's content, but the movie does not become deeper as a result, just more confusing to people that haven't read the books.
-Besides war imagery that can possibly be connected to WWII, LOTR does not employ any symbolism, deeper meaning, not even a good authorial shot or coded dialogue. After finishing this trilogy, there is nothing else to think about - Not that this automatically makes a good movie, but it sure helps, and LOTR doesn't have any at all
-The ending was long and drawn out. As soon as the main plot was resolved, the movie should have ended. The audience is instead treated to the hobbits dancing and giggling in slow-motion for another ten minutes.
I really liked this movie. It was fun to watch, and it kept me entertained for 3 hours. It was definitely worth the $9. Still, this is not a top 10 movie, no matter how you want to phrase it.