[The Saucepan Man]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> I'm afraid that's what PJ did because he didn't give it enough time. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>As I have said elsewhere, one of the main criticisms that I have heard made of the film (outside of Tolkienite circles) is that the ending is too long. And I can see what they mean by this - a 20 minute "wrap up" is lengthy by any standards. Both times that I have seen the film, the audience has just about lasted the length, although second time round they were getting fidgety by the final scene of Sam returning home. To my mind, therefore, the one thing this film needed like a hole in the head was a longer ending.<P>Personally, I liked all of the scenes which marked the closing stages of the film, although the "reunion" of the Fellowship in Minas Tirith could perhaps have been shortened. I found the Grey Havens sequence to be exceptionally moving, moreso second time round for some reason. <P>I can understand why others may not have liked some or all of these scenes, but whatever improvements might have been made (for the theatrical release at least), they should certainly not have involved any lengthening of them.