Almost as good as the first movie

Rating: 9/10 (22 December 2002)

Let me start of by saying that I really did like the film, but I had some complaints about it. I would have to say that the movie is not quite as good as the first movie. The real difference for me was that a few times during the TTT I thought to myself, this is a long film and that was an interesting change to the book, while I never thought that once about fellowship.
As noted in umpteen other comments director Peter Jackson made some interesting changes to the movie from the book. Most of the changes I could accept as needed for transforming a lengthy and complex novel with oodles of characters into something that is halfway comprehensible. The Arwan sequences, the cool warg cavalry battle, Galenderial(sp?) appearance and the elves at helm deep all fall into this category.
In fact I didn't mind almost any of the changes at all, it was when wholly new elements were introduced that I began not to like PJ changes (Frodo + Sam being taken into Gondor, Merry and Pippen tricking the Ents to help).
I also had a few qualms about some of the overall directing on the film. I felt that the climatic battle scene did not achieve the full effect it could have by the constant cutting away to other events, I mean after a good 20 min of build up I was ready and excited for the battle to get rolling, only for it to be start and stop and really seem to drag on. Also,how many rotating helicopter shots can occur in one film and way too much Gimili as comic releif. I also felt that the movie was a little too long, maybe 10-15 min shorter would have been perfect. I would of cut out the Aragon near-death scenes and the stuff with Hugo Weaving (not all the Aarown stuff) but added more to the relationship between Merry and Pippin and the Ents.

On the other hand I felt that the Gandalf-Balrog fight was awesome and better visually than as described in the book. PJ also did a good job interspersing the various plot elements from what in the book are nearly 2 different stories.
I must admit that my expectations were through the roof for this film, so it was a bit of a letdown, but overall a fine movie. I f you haven't read the books very, very