An incredible film

Rating: 9/10 (24 May 2004)

I've rarely been in movie theaters, and never have I seen any film twice except on video -- but I went to Return of the King three times. It is one of my favorite movies, and I'm counting the days until the extended DVD release.
Every actor (with the exception of Liv Tyler and Hugo Weaving, who should never have been cast in their roles) does his or her best work. Gollum continues to be a tour de force, while Elijah Wood (Frodo) and Sean Astin (Samwise) are amazing. Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) really comes into his own, as does the character. Miranda Otto has one of the best sequences during the Battle of Pelennor Fields when she faces off with the Witch King of Angmar.
I really can only use superlatives to describe any aspect of RotK. As a Faramir fan I liked David Wenham's work better in RotK than in TTT. Billy Boyd (Pippin) and Dom Monaghan (Merry) stepped beyond "comic-relief" banter and gave touching, heartfelt performances (there's still humor, though :-) ). Orlando Bloom (Legolas) wasn't as good, but he and John Rhys-Davies (Gimli) had a really goo exchange near the end.
The editing is awesome. During the battle before the Black Gates, film gives us what Tolkien couldn't in establishing the relationship of events at Mount Doom and in the battle.
I'm so sorry that Sean Astin didn't get an Oscar for his performance. The ending is terrific; I've heard it called "slow" and "drawn-out" but it is compelling and quite a tear-jerker. A review called the ending some of the best filmaking ever done.
The only problem with the film is the Arwen-Aragorn relationship which is overplayed and poorly written. It resembles nothing that was ever conceived by Tolkien, and takes time that could have been given to the real romance in RotK -- that between Faramir and Eowyn. Hope some of that gets on the DVD!