I had to be dragged to FOTR. I couldn't stand the thought that it would be Spielberged and Disneyed. I knew nothing about the director, and had no faith at all that it would be done well. And I'm somebody who can enjoy a bad movie if the horses are pretty and the costumes good...
I really believe that it could not be possible to do a better job than PJ did. Just turning it into three movies was a superhuman risk. His gathering together of all those artists...The magic of walking though Bag End, though Rivendell (though Rivendell was much different than my own mental picture--I imagined it to be a cozier place), Edoras, and into the Hall at Minas Tirith...wonderful.
Now, PJ, make the Hobbit and Tales From the Silmarillion--and throw in the episode with Tom Bombadil (an artistic short film for DVD only).
Yup, I really missed Tom Bombadil and Goldberry, myself.