[Rikae]

Hope you don't mind if I just respond to the synopsis you've already given , as I'm too tired right now to create a wholly original post.

Originally Posted by alatar

Peter Jackson goes back to his bread and butter, Gollum-wise, and shows the creature having a conversation with itself. The CG is even better than before, and I applaud WETA and PJ for giving us a Sméagol/Gollum that never makes me think ‘puppet.’ Or Muppet.

I know I'm becoming a one trick pony at this point but...
my applause here is for Andy Serkis. Actually, I thought the facial expressions (keyframe animated, I believe), sometimes look a little, well, "fakey" here, at least at the extremes of emotion.

It’s actually cute/funny when Gollum talks about the taste of orcs,

and I agree (to state the obvious! )

Aragorn goes outside to view the landscape, and another is there too (it pays not to imbibe too heavily). Legolas spouts off that a darkness is rising in the east and that the Eye is moving.

In an excellent example of Orli's acting ability he says this line with the exact same intonation, dramatic pause and slow turn of the head he used for the Two Towers line "A red sun rises. Blood has been spilt this night". One has the impression that Legolas is also keyframe animated.

Pip finally decides to scratch his itch, though Merry admonishes him.... Pippin is sweating, but it’s not because the room is hot – he too is addicted. He unwraps the palantir then smiles, and so we know that he’s getting his fix. His slow and gentle caress of the orb turns ugly as his hands are pulled magnetically to the glowing ball....The struggle between Pip and the palantir increases in intensity, and it seems that the hobbit’s holding a fireball.

A fine piece of acting from Billy (no sarcasm). He doesn't often get the credit he deserves.

Gandalf says that if the beacons of war are lit, then Rohan must be ready to rise to the rescue of Mundburg. Note that he should have said, “when,” as he’d just said that war will come to Minas Tirith. Théoden, making use of a dramatic pause this time when answering a white wizard, wants to know why he and his people should aid Gondor. I’m with him, except that he at least owes Aragorn something, as King Théoden recently told Éowyn that if it weren’t for Aragorn at Helm’s Deep…and just to whose aid did the Elves come? Would Théoden ride to help Galadriel?

I also found it strange. It comes off like a clumsy attempt at character development "Theoden is, as always, a stubborn jerk, and Aragorn is THE KING OF GONDOR", and, even more puzzlingly, Theo changes his mind later with no explanation.

A vision, or an elvish dream perhaps, as they are like walking in a waking dream. She sees the child run to its father, and the man is clearly Aragorn.

The way the columns of the building in the vision overlay and echo the form of the trees is lovely. Very nice composition and use of color. Ooops, I went into art class mode there...

She asks her father to confirm the vision, the child, but he will not say that it will be - who knows? Arwen speaks words that give me chills, and she makes to have the Sword that was broken reforged. Elrond is still miffed at Isildur after all of these years, and turns his back on his daughter.

Liv must take lessons from Orlando. Her delivery of the line "There is still hope" is identical to the line "Than it is a good dream" in TTT.