The quest continues

Rating: 10/10 (4 February 2003)

Enhancement (30 December 2012)
Since posting the original review (see below), I had acquired the extended DVD of the trilogy which, for EACH of the three movies, provided an extended version of the movie that is around 4 hours, as well as a few hours of background material covering just about everything you would like to know about the making of the trilogy.
I have since viewed this set of extended DVD a few times and, based on these viewings, posted an IMDb review under "The return of the King on 13 January 2005. But I never looked back at my TTT review until now and I feel that a few more words are warranted.
In my original review, I made a comment to the effect that in covering three separate but parallel main story lines, TTT comes across as somewhat fragmented (see original review below). That was based on the first impression watching the cinema version. I've since changed my mind after watching the Extended DVD and, even more importantly, the documentary appendix where Peter Jackson and the editing crew talk about the process of editing the film.
The three parallel lines are each given considerable length at the beginning to let the audience move along comfortably with the stories. Then the pace quickens, with more and more frequent cross-cutting, until in the end the separately climax in blood-boiling action: Aragon, Legolas and Gimli charged out from Helms Deep with Theoden, to be greeted by Gandolf up on the gap with the glow of dawn behind his back, then charging down in full ferocity with Eomer and the reinforcement; Pippin and Merry, finally succeeded in arousing Treebeard and company, witnessed the devastating attack of Isengard; in Osgiliath, the blood-cuddling descend Nazguls finally made Faramir understand the meaning of the quest of Frodo and Sam, and release them to follow Gollum into Mordor.
Original review posted on 4 February 2003:
This is comparing TTT with Fellowship. These two are by far the best in their genre that no comparison with any other movies in this genre is even meaningful.
The first reason why Towers is just slightly less satisfying is the Shire, or absence of it, rather. While the grandeur of the dwarfs' caves and the bewitching charm of the elves' forests equally excite and delight me, the real magic of LOTR is rooted in the humble, simple, but most comfortable dwellings of the hobbits in the Shire, just as the ultimate strength of the fellowship of the ring is rooted in the simple, fun-loving but resilient and enduring hobbits. Therefore, while the entire movie of Fellowship is immensely satisfying, it's the very first part, when Gandalf was coming to the Shire, that I best love. And I miss it a little in Towers.
The other reason has to do with the difficulty of making the book into a movie. In the trilogy, each of the three volumes is sub-divided into two books. In Fellowship, the movie pretty well follows the book in a single, linear progression. In Towers, book 3 deals with what happens in Rohan while book 4 tells the story of Frodo and Sam going into Mordor. Within book 3, the chapters alternative between the stories of Aragon's trio and the two hobbits. Obviously, it wouldn't do to follow the structure of the book in making the movie, devoting the entire first half to Rohan and the second half to Mordor. The director and film editor have done their best however the movie came across as slightly too fragmented.
These two reasons are really personal, and not flaws of the movie.
Finally, just a few comments on the characters:

Glad to see that Aragon is gradually coming into his own, becoming more and more like a king, the way it should be

Gollum is a masterpiece, the closest to the original among all the characters

Treebeard is a bit of a disappointment, but it is also the most difficult, if not outright impossible, to create on screen (to faithfully reproduce his speeches in full length on screen will probably drive away even the most loyal audience, but without this aspect, it's really not the Treebeard that we know)

Eowyn is beautifully played, as is Faramir

In the Middle Earth in my own mind, Theoden is older and thinner; but I gladly accept the movie version

Similarly, I cannot expect Legolas and Gimli to be like the ones who have lived in my Middle Earth for over 30 years; but I like the movie version too

Gandalf's character takes on many different shades; the one I love most is when he was going into the Shire, at the very beginning.