A true crown on Peter Jackson's excellent work.

Rating: 9/10 (5 January 2004)

No need to loose oneself into saying what others already have said: yes, this movie is a true crown on Peter Jackson's excellent work on the trilogy.
But more important: why? First of all this film just seems to be the perfect blend of digital animation and an outstanding cast 'slash' story-line. It does not overdose with the usual Hollywood 'blah blah', 'gna gna' or 'bang bang' nor does it try to numb you with too many, too heavy special effects (cough*matrix*cough)... After all, there is no emptiness to hide and just like the other two episodes this long movie seems to fly by and keeps you interested and excited the whole 3,5 hour ride.
Secondly, the story line is kept very close to the original (only once in a while the director took some liberties) and starts where it left us in the second episode and hardly gives you any time to catch up with the story, so if you forgot or haven't seen the second part make sure you do before going to this last episode.
Moreover, the world that is created is so convincing and breathtaking that even if fantasy movies just aren't your thing it will blow you away with the beautiful scenery, the overwhelming scale of the panoramic views and the splendid quality of the animations. Particularly the massive battles on one side and the subtle movements of Gollum on the other is something that shows how digital animation can be a remarkable addition to movies and if it's done well, you will even forget that it's there.
So if you want to see a real '10 out of 10' don't miss this one: it's a blast beyond doubt.