Fok

I think the films are great, tried reading the books, finished 2 of them and couldn't go on. I found the books to be quite boring actually.

mndtrp

The films are awesome, but it's a bit daunting to watch them now. I've been trying over the past few days to get through the EE's. At the moment, I'm thinking about picking up the theatrical's for a bit quicker viewing. I'll watch the EE's when I have more time.

RogueScribner

I was responding to a comment regarding the LOTR movies being too long to be great films that stand the test of time. My point was there are plenty of long movies, some even longer than the LOTR movies, that were well received and have stood the test of time. The length of a movie has no bearing on whether or not it's good. The movie is either good or it isn't. There's no, "I loved the movie but it was longer than 2.5 hours, so I guess I'll never want to see it again and let it fade into oblivion." That's just stupid.

And I don't know why I listed Cleopatra. It WAS long, but yeah, I don't know that it was really GOOD.

Saxofonix

I never read the books and have no interest in them, but I loved the movies.
The EE releases on DVDs where my most anticipated releases the past few years.

But ... I know this is profanity to some .. but I would like a recut of the three EE's .. with no hobbits and no fairies and gollums and crap. I would like it recut with pretty much only the action and fighting sequences left in.

Eg .. in LotR, where Arwen (Liv Tyler) on horseback, was being chased by the grim reaperish ghouls (the exact name of the creatures escape me now) .. that was breath-taking and exciting.
but where Galadriel goes on and on about some mystical crap in the forest = total snooze-fest. Just edit it out. :-) Seriously.

Oh ... and while we're recutting the movies to suit me, let's have Aragon ride off into the sunset with Eowyn, thank you.

danicus007

Actually the EE of ROTK is over 4 hours. I just watched the entire EE trilogy last weekend. I love all three of them and could care less how long they are. My fav was ROTK and I have nothing bad to say about any of the 3 films. And no I have not read any of the books.

I would still watch the Star Wars trilogy over these though

tanman

I love these movies. Some of the greatest movies ever made and my personal favorite.

wlmowery

I love the movies personally, so I am sure that tends to cloud my judgment on their ability to survive the test of time. However, I have little doubt that 20 years from now the films will still be held up as a remarkable theatrical success.

First, the films are amazing for doing a competent job of filming what many considered an unfilmable book. Remember LOTR was intended by Tolkien to be a single book, with 6 subsections. His publisher forced the break into 3 novels each with 2 subsections. It makes a very difficult narrative flow for film making.

Second, the films marked significant improvements in digital moviemaking tools. Gollum will be remembered as the first true success in digital character integration (though Episode I came close with its digital characters).

Third, the films marked a huge marketing success.

Fourth, the films were successful in developing a trilogy as a coherent whole. The entire risk in filming all three films at once without any test vehicle will be seen as one of the greatest triumphs of all time in film risk taking....

I love the films, and cannot conceive of a BETTER film version than that presented by Jackson. To me that makes any film adaptation successful.

GameGenie

I think there good movies but its not my cup of tea. I also definently think there overrated. I think there all should be top 50 on IMDB but not as high as they are.

dcswirl

Best ever.

starry

I think these movies are great especially the EE versions. I admit they are long especially the last one. It's best maybe to watch them separated by a week or two then you won't get numb. Afterall we saw them in the theatre a year apart.

Sadie

I watched the trilogy one sunday afternoon... it fucking killed me but was well worth it!! (love it)

coli

I don't love them, but do like them. The big reason is the respect I have for them, cause they are well made. It kills me that this trilogy is 100 times better than Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, I can't even compare them.

They are a bit long, and that always is a dilemma to watching them more. But for my two cents, The Two Towers is my favorite, it is dark, the battle of helms deep is great, Aragorn is cool as always, and Gollum is CG character which is done right! cough****Jar Jar****cough.

Mr. Cinema

I like Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I love the Star Wars Original Trilogy.

rexinnih

Loved all of them.

asianxcore

love these movies.

Sernov

Have and watched FOTR EE. It was a well done film, but it didn't make me run out and get the next two.

Hokeyboy

Tolkien fan since I was 8.

I LOVED Fellowship. Thought it was grand and magical and immensely satisfying. Easily a classic IMHO.

I was annoyed by Two Towers. Too many changes from the book I didn't agree with (the appearances of elves at Helm's Deep, the character assination performed on Faramir). It's a good movie but I came out of it strangely indifferent, especially in light of how much I *ADORED* Fellowship.

I was very satisfied with Return of the King. I felt even the theatrical cut felt overstuffed and unwieldly, but it brought back a lot of the enchanment and wonder I felt was missing from Towers. I don't bitch about the "8 billion endings" because they needed to happen.

On a five-star scale, I'd rate them as follows:

Fellowship: ****1/2
Towers: ***
Return: ****

I voted great but overrated.

Groiny?

conscience

Definitely took me a few days to watch each film. That's why I didn't see them in theatres - too long to just sit there in one spot for that period of time.

mattressman

I've become very fond of them. I saw each one theatrically and while I did enjoy them, I really came to love them after repeated viewings of the extended editions. The whole trilogy feels so monumental and engrossing. I love every minute of it.

cactusoly

I like the movies but do find them a tad overrated. I think they all would be better if they were trimmed down a bit. (which is ironic since I own all the EE)

Rockmjd23

no Tom Bombadil = no sale

Sondheim

I love them. The first one is my favorite, and the third my least, but they are all incredibly well made, in my opinion (though I do have some problems with the ending of the final film.) I do think they'll stand the test of time.

cactusoly

The ending of Return of The King is painful, It makes no sense that it has several false endings that goes on forever yet Saruman is cut out of the film (the original cut of course)

caligulathegod

The book goes on more than 100 pages after the destruction of the Ring, plus the appendices. We're all just used to movies ending right after the climax.

cactusoly

yeah but they still cut Saruman