Fulfills the promise of the source material

Rating: Null/10 (30 May 2004)

I have had the pleasure of viewing many films covering all periods of film production. This movie ranks among the greatest films that I've seen.
There are weak points. The battle scenes are protracted beyond necessity, and a few of the dialogue scenes ring hollow. But overall, these are noticeable because of the great power of the other elements.
All great films are guided by the sense of purpose of the director. Peter Jackson's hand is on everything here. The set decoration, sound, and compositing are perhaps the greatest that I've seen to this point. The casting, editing, and special effects rank near the top - the Smeagol/Gollum character is an astounding achievement.
Many have complained about the exclusion of certain subplots and changes in the original storyline, a problem that I believe greatly crippled "The Two Towers". In "The Return", I find the exclusions and changes to be entirely consistent with the propulsive, compelling nature of the story.

The source material of J.R.R. Tolkien is sprawling and complex in scope, and is extremely difficult to encompass effectively. Unlike the first two films, this conclusion completely fulfills the promise of the source material. The film creates a truly emotional bond for those (such as myself) who have read and digested the entire Tolkien mythology.
10/10. I rank The "Return of the King" in my current top five, along with "The Devil and Daniel Webster" (1941); "Les Enfants Du Paradis" (1945); "Det Sjunde Inseglet" (1957); and "Schindler's List" (1993).