Epic with emotional and dramatic payoff

Rating: 10/10 (22 December 2003)

Magnificent and beautiful, the final film of The Lord Of The Rings is an astounding achievement in filmmaking. The hours spent with each character, including the two previous films, is used to bring you so much closer to people in horrible mortal danger. Peter Jackson and his amazing company of players and technicians have brought this huge storytelling to a nice and perfect ending, wrapping up loose ends and combining all the elements in a cinematic shot to the head. Probably not for anyone who hasn't seen the first two, and it's a good idea to refresh your memory by watching those films again. This is by no means a standalone movie, but as the final third of really huge movie, it has never been equalled. The direction is great, with many close up shots of the people and creatures we have gotten to know, offset by landscape sized shots that almost show entire nations in one shot. The effects are, of course, extremely cool, and the fights are fantastic. A must see.