Was it better than the first two?

Rating: Null/10 (30 December 2003)

How can one describe the anxiety and agony a true fan of the LOTR movies goes through awaiting another installment of the trilogy arriving in theaters? This being the final installment my waiting was no less an agonizing experience this time around but in some ways worse being concerned as a loyal reader of the books that the directors get the ending correct and not take short-cuts Peter Jackson and crew have been exceptional in being faithful and honorable to the original Tolkien texts and have been almost fanatically religious about insuring that the heart and soul of the stories remain intact when being transferred to celluloid. Is it possible that WETA, Wingnut Films and Peter Jackson finally get their just rewards by being not only nominated but awarded the prestigious Academy Awards that they deserved and were cheated out of in the prior two years? Or will the Academy do as it has done the past several years in awarding a politically correct actor and actress for performances which were not clearly the best for the year, or awarding films as best picture when they were not really the finest achievement in motion picture arts?
The Return of the King is a majestic film on an epic scale which not only preserves the integrity of the trilogy to its conclusion, but also elevates the honor and pageantry of a more formal time. Granted, the events of this movie and the prior two films are fiction, but the historical references used in the creation of the worlds in the film are remarkable in the detail and what must be honestly said a love of the subject matter and stories themselves.
Throughout the film we are treated with incredible scenic vistas and remarkably staged battle scenes using hundreds of costumed warriors battling on the screen. While interspersed with the action, the primary adventure concerning the two Hobbits Sam and Frodo making their way to the cracks of doom truly exhibits the feelings of pain and despair they experience. I was awed and amazed at how the CGI effects of Gollums animation had improved in the year since the Two Towers had been released. I didn't think it was possible to improve on what was displayed on the screen in the last film only to be shocked and amazed to see a Gollum who was not only more detailed and realistic, but capable of far more "human" expression that most actors you see in films these days. Acting in this film is as usual superior and well done, nowhere in the film are you as the viewer left feeling that the movie went on without you.
The only negative things I can say about the movie are with the choice of camera angles and panoramic panning of the camera in many shots. I unfortunately was forced to sit towards the front of the theater near the screen the day after the film was released and I and my fiancee were both left feeling dizzy and nauseous many times during the film to the point where we had to shut our eyes. I am not sure how much of this is the filmmakers fault or how much fault theater owners have for trying to squeeze in every possible seat for showings not allowing for some healthy distance between the viewers and the screen, but I digress. This is not a film for young children, nor is this a film that will appeal to persons with little imagination. I have seen some reviews of the three films in the past really ripping on them and have to wonder if 90% of the people who see a film think it is worth rating one of the greatest films of all time, who it right and who is wrong? This movie IS one of the best films ever made, it IS going to survive for future generations as an example of what EXCELLENT filmmaking is all about, and it is destined to become a classic in it's own right, whether it wins best picture or not.
Even as a fan and avid reader of the novels knowing how the story was going to end I was really amazed at the emotional scenes and how much depth the filmmakers and actors were able to convey. This film is a true masterpiece!