A most stupendous spectacle of cinematic triumph

Rating: 10/10 (27 May 2004)

Going into this film, I was entirely oblivious as to what to expect. I found the first two "Lord of the Rings" films to be dazzling in action, if often stagnant in dialogue, and so my expectations for this film were high if not stratospherically high. Boy, was I surprised at how this wonderful, spectacular film surpassed any kind of expectation and kept me on the edge of my seat in almost its entire nearly three and a half hour run. Spellbinding, breathtaking, and with epic battle scenes more terrifying and engaging than any film of "horror" I have ever seen, this film succeeds on practically every level, as a certifiable masterpiece in film-making. The direction of Peter Jackson is sweeping and incredible in his infinite scope and articulation, among the most laudible and well-deserved Oscars I have ever admired. "King"'s screenplay avoids the hollowness and gushiness of its predecessors, with the characters primarily speaking what is on their mind, particularly about the war against good and evil which is to be waged between man and orc. The music is every bit as astounding as the original "Rings", portentous to the various moods of action and drama throughout the film, supplying plenty suspense, exhilaration, and overall life to the film, a most essential component of the tone of the film. Visual effects: what can I say? Awesome and mind-blowing, the best of the trilogy and possibly the best of the history of cinema. Gollum as insidious and enjoyable as ever! Breathtaking scenery, magnificent art-set direction, and the complements could extend forever... A truly beautiful, stupendous masterpiece of a film, a leviathan of nearly every aspect of cinema, and the best film of 2003 by far. Generally, a movie trilogy is prone to tremendous declination as it proceeds, yet "Rings" merely inclines to the end, stratospherically. It is everything you would want in a movie, and a sensationally excellent film! **** out of ****