As good as FOTR, but very different.

Rating: 10/10 (19 December 2002)

I did not anticipate that TTT could equal FOTR, a movie I have now seen 16 times. But in some ways, this one was actually better! More action, faster pace, positively Apocalyptic battle scenes. As for the poor reviews of some, if I knew as little about my job as some of these people do about this movie, I'd get fired! I guess I'm just too easily entertained.

Gollum is wonderful, almost "real", easily the best CGI character to date. Jackson does take several "liberties" with the plot, but unlike other fans of the book, I realize that Jackson has made an ADAPTATION of the books, not a literal translation! The book spans some 20-25 YEARS of time, come on folks! The movies are already 3 hours! But even though it is long, I never looked at my watch! The action is compelling throughout.
I have only two criticisms, which prevented me from rating the movie a 10 (which only FOTR has received so far): 1. the storyline with Merry & Pippin is almost distracting. In the midst of intense battle, we are abruptly transported to the forest, and the pace SLOOOOOWWWWSSS way down. 2. Gollum's schizophrenic war within himself reaches, well, comic proportions. The cuts from "bad Gollum" to "good Smeagol" I found funny in spite of myself. I'm sure this was not what Jackson had in mind.
On a positive comical note, the banter between Legolas and Gimli is great. Their friendship was one of my favorite themes in the book, I hope it is expanded in The Return of the King.
A must see, even if you only mildly liked the first one. This one is much more for the "twenty-first century moviegoer." More action, faster pace, and although darker and bloodier than FOTR, it is not overdone. But then again, it SHOULD be darker, the middle of the story is a darker and more desperate time than the early chapters. Go see it, give it a chance, and cut Jackson some slack on the plot!