"(again, a stereotype) In the books, elves are more emotional then humans..."

How is that less of a stereotype?

Since I've only seen RotK once, i was going to let you off easy.  But, you asked for it:

Points of character development throughout RotK (note, not in order of appearance or importance):
1) Theoden recognizing Eowen as his daughter who he loves, who he has not treated as such to date.  He's been a good king, but until now he hasn't been much of a father for her.
2) Aragorn (or Elessar by this point if you prefer) facing the weakness of men when he sees the eye of sauron.  The moment he's been dreading for all this time, and he turns around and attacks.  He does not falter.  IMPORTANT character point.
3) Aragorn facing the dead (i know it didn't happen in the books, they just picked up the banner and moved on).  However, this is illustrating how he's taking up the burden set down by Issildur.  Yes its different than in the books.  Yes its very symbollic.  Yes, its just as good as the book.
4) Watch Pippen closely in Minas Tirith.  He is faced with what looks like a hopeless battle.  His reactions before and during the battle are much different than the hobbit from the shire, or from Orthanc.  He has changed.
5) Denethor at the pyre.  Even as he plans to burn himself as the heretic kings of old did, he is shown his own folly.  Gandalf holds the mirror up to him as it were.  In the moment that he realizes what he has become, he throws himself, flaming, from the top of the city.  The haughty, gluttonous man that was the steward of gondor changes in those few moments.
6) Sam handing back the ring in Cirith Ungol.  He is tempted, he is tested.  He now knows exactly what Frodo feels.  Sam is shaken, and changed from his contact with the ring, however short it was.  If i remember right, Sam is offered a chance (in the appendix) to sail to the undying lands because he carried the ring if only for a while.
7) Frodo is finally corrupted by the ring.  After having made it all the way to the Cracks of Doom, he finally breaks.  BIG CHARACTER POINT.
8) Bilbo at the very end.  He no longer really wishes to see the ring.  Under the care of the elves, the hold the ring had on him has diminished.  The shadow over his soul has passed, and he is now the hobbit he once was.
9) Frodo leaving Sam.  After devoting his life to serving Frodo, Sam now stakes out a new life of his own.  He becomes a whole person.
10) Aragorn marries Arwen.  Another case of a shadow passing over his soul, the doubt in his heart is gone.  He can now freely devote his life to his love.  Now he is happy, no longer troubled as he was in the marshes (in Fellowship) or on the ride to Edoras (in the Two Towers).

These are ten examples of character development in RotK.  Most of them are pivotal points in that characters life, for better or for worse.  The movie includes them, and does a damn fine job of conveying that info to the audience.

 

(note: i've only seen the movie once.  Once the DVD comes out, I'll be able to give you more examples.)

The Houses of Healing. The Scouring of the Shire. Anything involving Sauruman. Anything involving Gimli and Legolas. The parlay at the Black Gate.

Notice that many of your examples are during the declining action after the resolution -- a false resolution since the book has conflict well after the Ring. Others are things that were added in and you claim are just as good as the book. Other points are those you confused with plot points. Frodo's fall, for example, is integral to the plot as a demonstration of the evil of the Ring. And they even messed that up by making this huge climax with Frodo almost falling in after it.

And I have to disagree with Pippin. During the battle he was little more than a messenger; though in the book he fared little better.

Same with Denethor. That's a plot point with the Stewerd of Gondor, not a character point with an old man. Nor do I see evidence of repent in his actions, just madness.

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Six inches of cute brooding war hero.

even if it is a plot point, it still counts as character development.  you can't seperate the two ryv.

yes, i think that there were things left out that shouldn't have been, and things added that probably shouldn't have been, but you have to realize that movies, as they are a different medium from the books, handle plot differently from the books, and as such it would be folly to attempt to film the movie verbatem from the text.  surely you realize this?

and as for denethor?  did you pay attention to his face?  that was repentance.  i'll grant you that he was mad, but not in those few moments before his death.

But the problem with your analysis is that the book had a great quantity of character development that was largely irrelevent to the plot. These sections were either removed from the movies or twisted and perverted into the plot.

I do not agree that the limitations of the medium validate the brutal treatment character development was given. I also find your choice of words inflamatory. Good bye.

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Six inches of cute brooding war hero.

Whoa, what?

I think the original point that i was trying to make was that there were scenes with character development in RotK.  After all, you said:

I think that I've successfully shown that the movie did have quite a bit of character development.  And I agree that there were no scenes that were devoted to only character development, as every scene was used to advance the plot.  However, i don't think that Peter could afford to devote entire scenes to character development, as it would both break the rythem of the story telling as well as subtract from the time available to fully show the plot.  I regreted that he left out the Hall of Fire chapter from Fellowship, but i don't think he had a choice.  My question is, what could be taken away from the movies to give you time to incorporate more character development?  The movies are as long as you can get them, people won't sit through much longer.  What are you going to cut out?

 

Note: What did i say that was inflamatory?

I like the first lord of the Rings there were alot of Elves in that one but where did Elves learn to figt so well i thought they were supposed to be peaceful