It was nice to return to Middle Earth, I suppose, but overall I thought the film was a bit rubbish. It was long, self-indulgent, ill-disciplined, and often boring. The cast were fine, and the production was top notch, but the direction and writing were seriously lacking. They took one small book and have turned it into an epic trilogy padded out with a load of inconsequential tosh and, as a result, the narrative and pacing were all over the place. I was thoroughly disappointed.