LOTR, and HP, are both mandatory watches at my house.
Although, ( and I may get burned for this) I have yet to see ROTK.... I've got the DVD, but have no player. I was going to preview it before letting 7yo watch it - the Pellenor Fields, I'm told, was even bigger than Helm's Deep...
elf-boy was nervous the first time he saw it, but then he was fine. Now he watches it all the time.
Honestly, I was worried about him watching the Harry Potter POA, what with the dementors. If the kid can handle ringwraiths, he can handle dementors (and vice versa).
Now this is troubling.... Where's your drive and motivation? You might as well not bother with the theatrical now... the extended is coming soon.
I'll with-hold comment for now on the Rankin Bass... It does have great songs in it.... not great in the sense they were ~good~ mind you. ;~D