Crowning masterpiece.

Rating: Null/10 (9 October 2004)

Though the first two films were extraordinary and both deserved the Best Picture of the Year award, none surpassed the final installment in this timeless classic story. I found myself very moved and and deeply immersed in the plot and characters' experiences, and, I might add, the crew did a wonderful job keeping the story in line with the novel. They never missed out on any important points or rather, changed a few slightly to make up for time; but this was also done with prestige and professionalism. The story was easy to keep up with, and the characters' emotions -truly genuine-, so real that it seemed as if they were actually there. And frankly, the special effects are the best I've seen in a film... at many instances one wouldn't be able to recognize whether or not the huge armies or the big oliphaunts, or the flying ringwraiths were CGI at all.
*a few spoilers in this paragraph*
The music was the real achievement, however; perfectly suited for each scene, provoking myriads of emotions all at once and bringing the entire film to life. My congratulations to Howard Shore for crowning the picture with his adrenaline-pumping scores (especially the ending battle at the Morannon while the Ring-bearers fight to the death inside the belly of Orodruin; as well the final scenes in which Frodo, Gandalf, Bilbo and the Elves depart Middle-Earth - the music was so moving and so utterly integral to the scene that I was nearly brought to tears).
The Lord of the Rings trilogy is an instant masterpiece, its final episode the culminating climax. It's no wonder these are a few of the highest-grossing films of all time: well-merited to Peter Jackson and all who worked with him. Like the original Star Wars trilogy, these will be popular for decades to come and I believe few motion pictures will surpass them for many years. Kudos to all involved in this chef-d'oeuvre, the supreme jewel of great films. 10/10