First from Moe Freedman at Occam’s Toothbrush:

I just returned from seeing the latest installment of the Lord of the Rings, and I have to say I just hated the hell out of it. It’s not that I’m not a fan, I am. I’ve seen the first two, and loved the books as a teenager but this one was just way, way, too long.
Peter Jackson decided to tell the story using the faces of his actors and the long, lingering close- ups go on forever.

Second from Ghost of a Flea:

Let’s see… at 3 hours and 12 minutes I figured I would want to stretch my legs at some point but for that first two and a half hours I was completely lost in the world of the film. Rushed, yes, even at three hours plus the story is rushed and abbreviated. I have high hopes for the extended version… there are points where scenes have almost clumsily been removed. At this point, however, I am prepared to give Peter Jackson almost any leeway. If not for the last half hour this would have been the greatest film I have ever seen (and others may be happier with the last half hour).

For those interested in such things the Flea also provides a link to Tolkien’s views on elf sex.