Great movie, but what a disappointing ending!

Ever sat through an awesome movie—one you’re actually vibing with—only to have the ending totally kill the mood? Like, those last ten minutes just fall flat against everything else?

For me, the ending of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King was a real letdown...

It dragged on way too long, felt super melodramatic, and they completely skipped over all that stuff happening in the Midwest after the hobbits get back. That part was easily my favorite bit of the book, even if it was quick...

The movie itself is a masterpiece, though. It sucks they messed up the finish like that.

I find myself in complete agreement regarding "Return of the King."

It seems this kind of thing happens quite frequently with Spielberg. Take *Saving Private Ryan*, for instance—that shot of the American flag at the end, or even that scene showing an older Ryan at the cemetery... in my opinion, it’s all a bit much. I think the movie would have been significantly stronger without those flourishes. I remember hearing Steven mention in an interview that he crafted the film specifically as a tribute to veterans. While I understand the sentiment, I truly believe that simply telling the story of the war itself, without leaning on that extra layer of "context," is actually the most profound way to honor the people who lived through it.
Another excellent example has to be Minority Report. It’s such a phenomenal film with an incredible narrative, yet by the end, they felt compelled to manufacture this artificial, picture-book conclusion where everything just wraps up perfectly and everyone lives happily ever after.

Richard Wilson4 said:Ever sat through an awesome movie—one you’re actually vibing with—only to have the ending totally kill the mood? Like, those last ten minutes just fall flat against everything else?

For me, the ending of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King was a real letdown...

It dragged on way too long, felt super melodramatic, and they completely skipped over all that stuff happening in the Midwest after the hobbits get back. That part was easily my favorite bit of the book, even if it was quick...

The movie itself is a masterpiece, though. It sucks they messed up the finish like that.

But honestly, if they had kept that ending, the studio could have just churned out sequels like "Hobbit's Revenge" or "The Hobbits Strike Back." 😁Sure, the ending was long and a bit sappy with all that singing, but considering how many years they spent working on this project, they probably could have stretched it out a bit more...

David Price5 said:But honestly, if they had kept that ending, the studio could have just churned out sequels like "Hobbit's Revenge" or "The Hobbits Strike Back." 😁Sure, the ending was long and a bit sappy with all that singing, but considering how many years they spent working on this project, they probably could have stretched it out a bit more...

They can, and honestly? Hats off to them at the end................the rings are done!

The ending is really just one part of the whole movie—I wouldn't go so far as to single it out specifically...

I find myself quite perplexed by the discourse surrounding *The Wrestler*. While some viewers seem to genuinely embrace that specific conclusion, my own visceral reaction was nothing short of utter bewilderment. Honestly? It was a total "WTF" moment for me.

Richard Wilson4 said:Ever sat through an awesome movie—one you’re actually vibing with—only to have the ending totally kill the mood? Like, those last ten minutes just fall flat against everything else?

For me, the ending of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King was a real letdown...

It dragged on way too long, felt super melodramatic, and they completely skipped over all that stuff happening in the Midwest after the hobbits get back. That part was easily my favorite bit of the book, even if it was quick...

The movie itself is a masterpiece, though. It sucks they messed up the finish like that.

Regarding that ending, Jackson has already made his peace with it. They extended filming by several months because he wanted to include those scenes. I recall him mentioning how frustrated he was that he couldn't make them work within the flow of the movie, so after all that effort, they gave up. I'll try to dig up some footage in the archives at theonering.net, but I can't promise anything.🙂

I gotta admit, my brain is totally blanking on any specific movies right now, but let's take *Vicky Cristina Barcelona* for example. I wouldn't say the ending was a total disaster or anything, but man... I don't know. I just expected something a bit more substantial. Something more? I dunno.

Richard Wilson4 said:Ever sat through an awesome movie—one you’re actually vibing with—only to have the ending totally kill the mood? Like, those last ten minutes just fall flat against everything else?

For me, the ending of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King was a real letdown...

It dragged on way too long, felt super melodramatic, and they completely skipped over all that stuff happening in the Midwest after the hobbits get back. That part was easily my favorite bit of the book, even if it was quick...

The movie itself is a masterpiece, though. It sucks they messed up the finish like that.

I wouldn't go along with that—it used to bug me just as much as Saruman’s altered fate—but "cleaning up the Midwest" would have just been action for the sake of action. It would've totally ruined that calm, steady tone one of those powerhouse directors brings to the film... 😁
Plus, you’ve got that example of how it all looks in Galadriel’s Mirror...

Keith Kelly3 said:I wouldn't go along with that—it used to bug me just as much as Saruman’s altered fate—but "cleaning up the Midwest" would have just been action for the sake of action. It would've totally ruined that calm, steady tone one of those powerhouse directors brings to the film... 😁
Plus, you’ve got that example of how it all looks in Galadriel’s Mirror...

I know... 😉

Definitely NINE DOORS... easily one of the stupider parts of the whole thing...

Sunshine.

Mark Fowler4 said:Definitely NINE DOORS... easily one of the stupider parts of the whole thing...

in this case, the whole movie is just a train wreck... ☕

Keith Kelly3 said:in this case, the whole movie is just a train wreck... ☕

Let's not go down that rabbit hole...

The guy thinks the movie is fine but the ending sucks. That's just his take...

Yeah, I get that—but I thought this thread was about great movies with crappy endings. I mean, Ninth Gate... seriously. But whatever, everyone’s entitled to their own take... Look, Van Helsing is a terrible movie, but honestly? I had a blast watching that trash. 😁

William Morris2 said:Sunshine.

Did the camera bother you at the end as well?

Look, Van Helsing is a terrible movie, but I honestly had a blast watching that glorious trash.

I wouldn't go so far as to call it trash. Are we going to label the old classics by Lugosi or Karloff as trash too? Van Helsing was simply a modern tribute to those monster movies from the 40s and 50s. The special effects have evolved, but the core essence remains exactly the same.

So, looking back at the movies I’ve binged lately, I keep coming back to *I Am Legend* starring Will Smith. Honestly? The movie is solid. Even though it takes massive liberties with the original book, it doesn't even bother me that much... it still works. But man, they absolutely butchered it at the very end by forcing this stupidly optimistic happy ending on us. It felt so cheap! The whole thing would have been infinitely more powerful—way more impactful, really—if the writers had just had the guts to stick to the actual ending from the book. Seriously, if you haven't read the novel by Richard Matheson yet, do yourself a favor and go grab a copy right now. It is absolutely top-tier stuff...

Richard Wilson4 said:Ever sat through an awesome movie—one you’re actually vibing with—only to have the ending totally kill the mood? Like, those last ten minutes just fall flat against everything else?

For me, the ending of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King was a real letdown...

It dragged on way too long, felt super melodramatic, and they completely skipped over all that stuff happening in the Midwest after the hobbits get back. That part was easily my favorite bit of the book, even if it was quick...

The movie itself is a masterpiece, though. It sucks they messed up the finish like that.

Off-topic, for a moment... apparently C. Lee told Jackson that he would walk off the set if they didn't film that specific chapter from the book, though he ended up staying after all...

On-topic... regarding AI—the ending was utterly pointless for me, though I'd still give the film a decent 7/10
just plain foolish 😂😂🙏🙏 (the original plan was for Daniels and Carrey to board a bus together, but the studio rejected the idea)
Knowing—what a shame, considering how strongly the film began its journey

Andrew Roberts3 said:So, looking back at the movies I’ve binged lately, I keep coming back to *I Am Legend* starring Will Smith. Honestly? The movie is solid. Even though it takes massive liberties with the original book, it doesn't even bother me that much... it still works. But man, they absolutely butchered it at the very end by forcing this stupidly optimistic happy ending on us. It felt so cheap! The whole thing would have been infinitely more powerful—way more impactful, really—if the writers had just had the guts to stick to the actual ending from the book. Seriously, if you haven't read the novel by Richard Matheson yet, do yourself a favor and go grab a copy right now. It is absolutely top-tier stuff...

There is actually an alternative ending out there. You might be able to find it on YouTube. It isn't identical to the book, but it's quite good too.

lonesailor6 said:Off-topic, for a moment... apparently C. Lee told Jackson that he would walk off the set if they didn't film that specific chapter from the book, though he ended up staying after all...

On-topic... regarding AI—the ending was utterly pointless for me, though I'd still give the film a decent 7/10
just plain foolish 😂😂🙏🙏 (the original plan was for Daniels and Carrey to board a bus together, but the studio rejected the idea)
Knowing—what a shame, considering how strongly the film began its journey

Actually, that would have made it worse. They just have terrible luck...

David Price5 said:Did the camera bother you at the end as well?

Look, Van Helsing is a terrible movie, but I honestly had a blast watching that glorious trash.

I wouldn't go so far as to call it trash. Are we going to label the old classics by Lugosi or Karloff as trash too? Van Helsing was simply a modern tribute to those monster movies from the 40s and 50s. The special effects have evolved, but the core essence remains exactly the same.

I partially agree. It’s totally wrong for people to assume everything from Hollywood's Golden Age is some kind of masterpiece—there were plenty of bad movies back then, too. For me, the Dracula from Van Helsing doesn't even touch the '31 version, and the same goes for the werewolf and Frankenstein stuff. At the very least, the acting is better. I will give you this: Van Helsing has a certain undeniable charm when you're watching it...

OT—everyone was hyping up the ending of Van Helsing like it was some massive twist, but after Kate Beckinsale died, I just didn't care. Though, she was 😍