The culmination of the greatest triple movie endeavor of all time.

Rating: 10/10 (25 November 2005)

By capturing the spirit of Tolkien's sweeping epic, previously considered "unfilmable", Peter Jackson produced a masterpiece beyond the powers of any other living director. This finale of the Lord of the Rings, especially in its extended DVD edition, interprets the book with astonishing detail, devotion, and delicacy. It fully deserves its clean-sweep of 11 Oscars. The production culture at Jackson's "Wellywood" studios represented something new for Hollywood. By empowering lovers of the film's source material, Jackson accepted the contributions of artists, sculptors, set designers, technicians, and actors who helped develop an organic approach to the film-making process. Jackson, although clear in his vision of the movie, proved himself the ultimate collaborator. By drawing together hundreds of talented individuals, he secured a quality of production previously unseen in regular studio settings where movie executives usually police the creative process. New Line are to be congratulated for taking a huge gamble that has given the world such a priceless legacy. Jackson is a genius and the love invested in Tolkien's work shines throughout the movie trilogy.