Save all criticism for the box set

Rating: 10/10 (13 January 2003)

All that can be said is that these are not 3 separate movies, but will be one 10 1/2 hour masterpiece when all is said and done. It's therefore a fallacy to evaluate them as separate entities, as they were filmed simultaneously and are simply being released separately only to generate the maximum possible revenue and hype. There are things that were left out and changed in consideration of the Fellowship and for the sake of the Return of the King, in order to continue and elaborate on the themes presented previously and save enough firepower for the final movie (SHELOB'S LAIR, Gandalf Returning to Isengard). I have tremendous faith that this will be an uncannily balanced feat of storytelling, once we have the pleasure of seeing all the parts together.