The Good

Alright, I've done the bad and the ugly in what I saw of Lord of the Rings by Peter Jackson. We have the Extended Version of both movies that have been released and will get the Extended version for Return of the King also.

So what did Peter Jackson do that was great?

Visuals. Maybe more thanks should go to New Zealand and the location scouts, but the choice of visuals and locations made a lot of the movie. The scenery was amazing. But visuals goes beyond locations, it also involves props and more. Having watched the special features, everything was beautiful, the weapons, the armor, the buildings, the FX were all beyond amazing. The care given to every little nuance. A beautiful example that was simple and all pervasive was the forced perspective that allowed the differences in height to be shown. An unseen example from the special features was a small symbol that was included on the inside of Theoden's armor, something that nobody in a movie theatre would ever see. A wonderful example of the care and dedication that went into the movie.

Actors. They were all brilliant. Maybe not my view of the characters, especially Denethor II in the last movie. But they were still brilliant. Believable, whole, and living. The Fellowship was well done, the cameraderie of the main characters was subtle yet unmistakable. As for Gollum/Andy Serkis, brilliant. The movies have been made so much more through him and the animation of him.

Music. Great evocotive music. Sometimes a bit repetitive but not in a way that clashes with what is shown. It supports the visuals well, and matches them also.

Dedication. Simply a great trilogy of movies, put together by people who loved what they were doing. It shows in the details.

Extended Editions. Sure they are a way to make more money, but more than that they are IMO the way the movies should have been. They flesh out the characters more, they give a better feeling as to the pacing, and quite frankly after all of the above points, more is definitely great.

After all of that, it is simply a wonder to watch the special features such as the WETA stuff and the bigatures. They simply amaze with what was done and how. While they do spoil the feeling of wonder you get from watching the movie, they give a deeper appreciation of what was accomplished as well.