Epic and heartwarming.

Rating: 10/10 (17 December 2003)

This, the finale, is the best of the Lord of the Rings films. The cinematography, the score, the editing, and the acting were near perfect. However, the real strength of the movie comes in its execution of a storyline that demands attention to two very important elements - the epic battles of the humans and the tests of the hobbits' determination.
"The Return of the King" represents a return to the story of the hobbits. The movie opens with an unexpected but enlightening prologue telling the story of Smeagol and his deterioration into Gollum.
Many action-seeking moviegoers may complain that there was perhaps a bit too much set-up. There are several epic battles in the film and none happen in the first hour. However, we learn more about the characters in these scenes than we could in a hundred sword fights. The mood of the characters starts on a high note, fresh from victory at the battle of Helm's Deep. As the warriors learn of the coming battles, they grow more and more worried to the point of almost total hopelessness.
While this is happening, Frodo and Sam move closer to Mount Doom. The ever-treacherous Gollum is plotting all the while and trying to set Frodo against Sam. This represents a slight deviation from the Tolkien text, but an appropriate one for building all three characters. Frodo and then Sam come to battle a giant spider named Shelob. The special effects are perfect and the true nature of the hobbits becomes the focus of the remainder of the film.
The great battles between men and orcs don't require a play-by-play, suffice to say that they are epic without being overwhelming - a line that Peter Jackson and the team of filmmakers have been walking since "The Two Towers". A few new enemies show up for the battle, and some unexpected allies. The orcs have enslaved more trolls and created more siege weapons - a combination that puts fear in the heart of the now-connected audience as well as the men of Gondor.
One aspect of this movie that was particularly moving, even more so than in its predecessors, was the score. Solos from hobbits and men accentuate an absolutely perfect musical accompaniment to the heroic bravery of the human warriors and the emotional tenderness of the hobbits. Whereas the score seemed to be along for the ride in the first two films, it commanded as much sensory output as the visual elements at many crucial moments.
As the three-film story comes to its climax, the attention of the audience is more and more on Frodo and Sam, as it was in the first film. The friendship that was an afterthought in the other films becomes the focus of the movie as wills are tested in the final minutes of the quest to destroy the ring.
The acting performances that stood out were by Sean Astin as Sam and John Noble as the Denethor. Astin pours his heart into the eyes and ears of the audience as he struggles to keep Frodo moving. The best execution of all came from Noble, who played the barely-sane Steward of Gondor. Denethor, not heroic like Aragorn but not evil like Saruman, represents the most difficult role in the film and the best performance by a cast member.
This film will surely be a success not only among fans of the novel but also with anyone who appreciates a great film. "The Fellowship of the Ring" tended to be emotional and "The Two Towers" was a movie about war, but "The Return of the King" achieves both and successfully intertwines them in the mind of the audience.