Yet another reason why Cold Mountain will beat RotK come Oscar time.

Does Cold Mountain have a blooper reel? If so, that might be worth checking it out for, as Nicole Kidman and Jude Law blowing their lines=comic gold.

I must admit the bedroom scene was cheesy and somewhat disturbing if you think to long about it. (A bunch of men jumping into a bed while Ian McKellan laughs does not conjure a good image.)
I had no problem with the ending, but I could see how average joes would. But then again, since when do awards try to cater to them? Gladiator aside.

I loved the endings especially the second time. It seemed to flow better knowing they were happening.

same here.

So i counted the fades.

3 black:

1. on Mt. Doom "the end of all things"

2. after Grey Havens

3. The End


2 White:

1. after coronation

2. after reunion

I totally agree. In fact, I and the friend I saw this with made the exact same comment after the movie was over. The ending as it is is a long, manipulative, overly melodramatic affair that just seems to drag on forever. Forget about the "but it's a 9-10 hours trilogy!" which is really a non argument unless you're watching the whole trilogy in a single sitting. Don't get me wrong, I loved this film but it just has too many flaws to be a great film. The ending, the ill chosen opening, the madness of Denethor, the Palantir scene(s), etc... But if you dare criticize these films, you are immediately attacked by hordes of LOTR zealots.

I understand that some will not like the film. Or they might find faults in parts of the movies or choices made by Peter Jackson.

It is a movie so by definition some will like it and others will not.

No movie is perfect.

The things you want to change would make some very happy. Others would complain about the voiceover being used to finish the movie instead of showing us what happened.

They had a no win situation and I feel they made the right choice. Some think they did not.

I think it was a great film. You think it is good not great.

No, this IS a valid argument. It's the conclusion of the WHOLE story, not just the 3rd film.

the only reason its not a single 10-hour film is because its not practical. it was split into 3 parts, just like the book, although its ONE continous story.

Lol, I just saw this tonight, and I loved the movie except for this scene. A bunch of people started snickering and even laughing out loud during this, and my girlfriend said "are they going to have a pillowfight or something?" That scene really took me out of the movie...I was glad the ending went on quite a bit afterwards to help wipe out how bad this small scene was done.

My biggest complaint is the "slow motion" scenes every Peter Jackson uses. Its like everyone has to say their lines slooooowwwwlllllyyyyy. It's a little overdone for my taste.

As much as this is "one big movie", there is still a pacing issue. If it weren't for pacing, there wouldn't even be a theatrical cut or Extended Edition cut - they would be the same thing.

Anyway, I loved the movie, but agree with the other posters that the ending(s) distracted me from the overall movie experience. Whenever you have most of the audience sighing and getting up and sitting back down, its kind of hard to enjoy the movie.

I think all those scenes were good and did have their point, even if some were overdone... but I wish that through editing, or whatever, that they just flowed better or were better paced or something because I have to side with the people who say it needed some work.

The ending is not just a matter of saying goodbye, it has to play out that way to be true to the themes of self-sacrifice that were so carefully developed during the three films. The Hollywood-yea-we're-heroes ending would have contradicted those themes. These films are actually about something and the ending asks the viewer to reflect on the meaning of the story. People who didn't like the ending--reinsert that brain you checked at the door and start using it!

Wow.. the ROTK did indeed could have ended 4 times earlier but I still liked them all.

What I can't wait to see is when they finally release the Extended Edition of the ROTK when it comes out on DVD... even more alternate endings!!

what the HELL?!?!? I call reverse-discrimination! PJ is racist!! why are there 3 black fades and only 2 white ones? Thats it, Im boycotting everything PJ does until this injustice is resolved!!!!!!

j

You must have seen a different version than the one I saw.

The Grey Havens goes to blazing white as the ship sails off. And there was no fade after the coronation. The camera pulls back from Minas Tirith, which then turns into the map with Frodo's voice-over.

^^
well, I'll be going for a 3rd time soon.

I was disappointed with the ending. Too many longing looks... Made me feel uncomfortable for the characters.

I thought the ending was perfect, exactly like in the book (before those pesky appendices start. Last 2 words of the movie and book exactly the same, so I was like the only guy at the theater who knew it wasn't another fake ending.

if everyone is bitching about the 20 min ending, wait unitl the ee comes out, another possible 10 or 20 min to wrap up the other characters. (oh, and the ending didn't drag at all. if jackson had left all the scene's at the Shire at the end of the movie, on the cutting room floor and indeed end on the bowing of the hobbits, many people would be up in arms, and there would be endless complaints that "the ending wasn't long enough)