10/10 [with explanation]

Rating: 10/10 (28 November 2004)

(Caution: May contain spoilers) My Rating: 10/10
And most deservedly.
I shall take this opportunity to comment mainly on Return of the King, though also on the LotR trilogy as a whole.
Return of the King is a stunning close to the Lord of the Rings trilogy [directed by Peter Jackson]. Having to continue a plot is difficult, but, as with Star Wars Episodes V and VI, it was pulled off brilliantly. The plot exploded with action, adventure, battles, and romance, with touching and poignant moments along the way. Return of the King involves the watcher, and speaks to everyone with a theme that shows the ups and downs of people and life, good and evil. It highlights friendship and love, loyalty and honor, courage and perseverance. It is a message of hope which is well-received.
The actors and actresses are well-chosen and play their parts splendidly; in fact, I do not have anything bad to say about any of them! Those that especially pop out to me are John Noble (Denethor), Andy Serkis (Gollum), Sean Astin (Sam), Miranda Otto (Eowyn), John Rhys-Davies (Gimli), Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), Sir Ian McKellan (Gandalf), and David Wenham (Faramir).
You notice that I named most of the cast right there...
The special effects, unlike in Attack of the Clones and other such movies, do not overwhelm the film; they provide just enough magic to make it believable. Taking a world of miniatures and turning it into Middle Earth complete with cultures, battles, creatures, awesome stunts, and fantastic explosions and the like is a enormous task, but PJ and crew pulled through better than I could have ever imagined, from walking trees to the destruction of Mordor to large fighting beasts.
As aforementioned, the movie not only displays epic battle sequences but also emotional moments as well--scenes that make you clap, chuckle, cry, or make you smile because of the simple message and depth of character. I'm not adequately able to describe these moments, but I'll try. The movie grabs you in the beginning, so that you are already involved with the characters and story. Thus, one heart-wrenching death feels like you yourself have lost a loved one. A deed done as a loyal friend warms you, and cold acts of greed and selfishness tend to anger or hurt the viewer. Poignant lines or desperate courage go right to the heart in a way not many movies can. [For example: '...but I can carry you!'; the entire 'end of all things' scene; Faramir's suicide ride.]
The score for Return of the King [and for the entire trilogy] adds to the already compelling scenes with mellow tunes for softer moments and uplifting 'charge' music for battles and victories. Into the West [the credits song and last tune in the movie] really closes the trilogy and the theme and is perfect for those last scenes at the Havens. The entire score is classic, fitting so perfectly into Tolkien's world.
I have only a few complaints, and those are minor. One--the ending. It was 20 minutes long and almost dragged after the coronation, though, upon further review, it was absolutely necessary. Just maybe a little condensing or something might have helped. Also, well...heh, I can't think of an also...guess that's it!
All in all, Return of the King is a wonderful finish to a wonderful trilogy and, in my opinion, will remain recognized as one of the best movies of all time for many years to come. Enjoy.
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