Episodes 4-6 of Star Wars are good on their own unless you're soulless and can't associate with the characters. - Add nostalgia to it and it's amazing

LOTR is amazing because of the genre-genesis behind the books, but I agree - the books are textbooks with nothing real in them. The movies were a pretty big accomplishment, and aside from the eye rolls that Legolas' feats induced in me, I don't fault them.

But even in a movie I consider awesome, I hate chase scenes - they seem utterly pointless and just don't excite me.