Ever hear the phrase, “third times a charm”? Well, that would sure apply here even if you considered the first two “Lord of The Rings” movies masterpieces because they really got it right this time.

I have to figure you have probably seen the first two installments to be interested in this one. It’ll be worth your while this time – with the exception of maybe the first twenty minutes, the rest of this three hour plus movie flew by for me.

It is a wise idea to divide the storyline up into two or three adventures and then to switch back and forth between them. Frodo Baggins is the Hobbit played by Elijah Wood, and his job is to take that ring to a place where he can safely destroy it and basically save the world from evil. He’s joined by his fat Hobbit pal Sam (Sean Astin) and, returning from the second Rings movie, that ugly troll like thing called Gollum. The troll guy’s role is to be both evil and comic, and once you follow what he’s saying (his deep, raspy voice is tough to handle at first), he provides a fine counter to the cute little Hobbit guys.

Meanwhile, Gandalf (Ian McKellan) and most of the rest (more…)