Story of Epic Proportions

Rating: 9/10 (3 January 2004)

What a way to end such a marvelous display of storytelling and grandeur! The final chapter of The Lord of the Rings trilogy does not disappoint, whether it be dialogue or depth of character or plain CGI animation. There were instances in The Return of the King that made me feel deep down inside that I was witnessing greatness unsurpassed by any before it and greatness that may never be surpassed. The one characteristic of this series that has continued to make it watchable again and again regardless of time is the believability of the characters, the fact that all characters (especially Merry and Pippin) seem so real that one could swear they know someone of the same personality type. Each actor gives each of their respective characters humanity, showing their ability to make the audience feel for them. Whether it be Frodo and Sam heading towards Mount Doom, Gandalf the White defending the race of man, or Aragorn and Arwen's love story, the audience can believe this is happening, making the movie more realistic fiction that fantasy.
That's the greatness of Peter Jackson. Through a story about Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves, and Men, Jackson can make you tear up at the end of it all. However, the star of the show is none of other than Rudy himself, Sean Astin, who in the role of Samwise Gamgee, shows so much inner strength and blind faith that it makes you feel good just watching his every movement and listening to his every word. Having not read the books before seeing the movie, I experienced for the first time Sam's love and caring for not only Frodo, but for all the decent beings in the world, whether hobbits or men or elves. Message to the Academy: give Astin a nomination for anything. This is his story, his epic, and since the Academy seems hellbent on wanting to reward the entire trilogy, they need to reward Astin.