The phrase "Save the best for last" has never been so evident.

Rating: 10/10 (11 October 2007)

My Take: The best of the best. An unforgettable grand-scale epic.
"This is it", director Peter Jackson might have said. "This is the film where the name Peter Jackson will be remembered for." Indeed, it is. The phrase "Save the best for last" has never been so evident. And not since THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK have we had a sequel that outdoes an original that is too powerful to defeat. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING is a sequel the third movie in the series of adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's bestselling novels including THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING and THE TWO TOWERS, two very strong box-office hits that aren't easily topped from the highest spot. But, surprisingly, it was (by this film, no less). But still, all three films act like one big epic of a movie that's just plain beautiful, exciting and enjoyable to watch.
The film continues the events where THE TWO TOWERS left off, having not much separate characters to focus on. This time, it only have the escapades of Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood, companion Sam Gamgee (Sean Astin) and the treacherous Gollum/Smeagol (voiced by Andy Serkis) on their quest for the gates of Mordor and continue their mission to destroy the One Ring. On the other end, we have Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) and the people of Rohan fighting for glory against the forces of Mordor who has besieged the capital city of Gondor, ruled by a treacherous ruler (John Noble), a typical stereotype of a cowardly ruler.
Director (Jackson) doesn't disappoint the fans he has earned with the series he created. Of course he shows new special-effects advancements in the brilliant battle sequences, lots of creative creatures and outlandish settings, but he also keeps a strong direction, brilliant performances from the cast and other stylish works behind the camera. Films like this come ones in a full moon, but Jackson does such a great job, he succeeds to make such a rare and min-blowing achievement.
Here I am, brainstorming one of the best films of the last few years and I'll make sure that the LOTR series is there, with THE RETURN OF THE KING on the top spot of the entire series.
Rating: ***** out of 5.