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Extra Extended Edition?

After watching the last of the Lord of the Rings movies I am a bit disappointed. The thing I can't tell is if I am disappointed in the 3rd film or that they are now over.

In some ways I doubt that this film will win best picture. I am not sure that it is better than either of the first two. Although I have had the benefit now of seeing each of the first two films the way they were meant to be — at full length — without scenes cut out. Each of the first two films were much improved with the original footage restored, and I suspect the 3rd one will be no exception, that is unless they add more on to the end.

If the award is given for the cumulative works of this trilogy then yes it deserves it by far, but is that fair?

I should keep in mind that (extended editions aside) I thought that the 3rd viewing of the Fellowship of the Rings was the best, and the second viewing of the Two Towers was superior to the first as well. I will likely write a little more about the movie after I see it again (and this time not at midnight).

I have written more (see the extended entry) - but what I have written contains some spoilers, so beware.

The arc and timeline of The Return of the King seemed less crisp — more muddied. It seemed cut together and not as flowing as the first two movies. There was much more "acting" and I think Elijah Wood and Sean Astin are great (in fact all the hobbits are good). Both kings, Theoden (Bernard Hill) and Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) are great as is the Steward of Gondor, Denethor (John Noble).

The battle scenes seem tidier and easier than the massive struggles they should be. Everything seemed to happen too fast, which may seem weird when talking about a 3 1/2 hour movie but things that should take weeks seemed to take only a few hours: the attack on the black gate of Mordor being one example, and the tower sequence with Frodo, Sam and the orcs being another.

Then we get to the ending or should I say endings. I could have done without so many loose ends being tied up at the end. Jackson wanted to include as many of the appendices as he could at the end and it wasn't necessary. There are several places where the film could have come to a cleaner, more satisfying ending, including, after the coronation of Aragorn, and the Elven ship sailing into the sunset to name a few such possibilities. They should have not drawn out the Frodo bed scene, the book writing pieces, and the Sam going home ending. People get it, its a happy ending.

One minor nitpick:

Merry and Pippin drank the Ent Draft in the extended edition of the Two Towers and each grew taller. This growth was not shown at all in the third installment — even at the end when all the hobbits are standing together. Perhaps Peter Jackson thought that many people didn't see the extended footage and would be confused. I wonder if he will correct that with any extended footage or changes scenes in this movie?