Long, but excellent

Rating: 10/10 (12 January 2006)

Few films can approach "Return of the King" in terms of scope, awe and sheer emotional storytelling. The acting by the entire crew from Viggo Mortensen to Christopher Lee to Elijah Wood is top notch. I also believe what separates "Return of the King" (and the trilogy in general)from all films of its type is the use of a serious (almost intense) cinematic approach to the material. Science-fiction, action and fantasy films often are almost always tongue-in-cheek because of the implausibility of the storyline. However Jackson and crew approach the material with the correct amount of humor, visual style and tone to create a unique fantasy adventure, which truly honors Tolkien's vision. Peter Jackson creates a terrific conclusion to Tolkien's novel and in the process created a trilogy by which all action and fantasy films and epics will be judged by for years to come. A 10 out of 10.