Stupendous. Simply and utterly stupendous.

Rating: 10/10 (28 December 2003)

First, no storyline description is needed for this movie, seeing as how the majority of the known universe has seen it. Second, I have read the books, thoroughly and repeatedly, so I may offer my humble opinions on the film's comparable continuity.
In short, this movie cannot be topped. By anything. Ever. Period.
But since this section is meant for me to voice my opinions, I will justify my judgment. Peter Jackson had his work cut out for him when he took up this task with New Line as his backer, mainly because it is a presold product. The LOTR books have a following second to none, and failure on Jackson's part would likely have led to his assassination by an overzealous Tolkienite. However, he has performed admirably, and has managed to stay as close to the literate plot as possible. There are several jagged details which cause me to cringe every time I encounter them on the silver screen, but as a whole, I remain nonetheless satisfied. The most obvious of these is the romantic subplot. While I am by no means sexist, I believe that this subplot was added simply to keep female viewers who had not read the books interested. Arwen and Eowyn's romantic involvement with Aragorn in the books is no more than a passing mention, if that. There are no long dialogues between Aragorn and Arwen, and there are no dreamlike telepathic connections. In this matter, Peter Jackson certainly took some creative liberties, but I suppose it did help romanticize the plot slightly. But only slightly. I have several other small complaints about altered plots and over-dramatization, but I will continue to annoy my friends and relatives with these, instead of subjecting the worldwide audience to my extremist scrutiny.
The CGI effects of this movie are mindblowing. The Battle of the Pelennor Fields will stand out in cinematic history as the crowning jewel of combat sequences. It will be many years, and many failed attempts before this battle will be paralleled, nonetheless succeeded of it's title. Also, no doubt through the aid and constant vigil of the Official LOTR Fanclub (who always had Jackson's ear) I often found myself thinking "that was exactly how I imagined it", and was very pleased and even surprised by how accurate he had done his craft. As for Gollum, what can I say, but that he was a continuation of perfection from The Two Towers. I especially enjoyed how it further explained Smeagol's past, and his finding of The One Ring.
Now some quick ratings. Some of these may spoil their appearance in the movie for some, so be warned.
Gollum: A
Siege of Minas Tirith: A+
The Oathbreakers (Ghost Army): A+
Death of the Witch King: A-
Arwen: C
Frodo and Sam's "relationship": B
Film length: A (will be explained)

That is one matter I feel I should address. These books were written in a time when it was completely acceptable for one man to say to another that he loved him, strictly in a platonic way. Leave your homophobic inhibitions outside the theatre, and please do not say lewd comments during what should be rather emotional scenes.
The other major source of much moaning and groaning in the theatre is the length of the film. Yes, it is three and a half hours. Yes, that is a long movie. Yes, you knew how long it was when you bought the ticket. No, other people do not want to hear you moan about how long it is. And finally, yes, Peter Jackson stayed as close to the books as possible. The storyline does drag on near the end of the books, so by making the movie similar to the books, Peter Jackson was simply doing his directorial duty. These books mean a lot to a lot of people, and if he had sold them short on what (for many people) are the most influential novels of their lives, he would not be a very good film maker would he. Peter Jackson had an enormous task ahead of him, and he most likely had two main challenges on his mind during production. First, to satisfy the already obsessed LOTR fanbase; second, to captivate the part of the audience who do not live and breathe LOTR. There is a fantastic volume of story to be told on those pages, and much of it has been left out from the movies, leaving only the core events and their inspired emotions. Had Jackson not trimmed them down to where they are now, each movie would easily surpass twelve hours. Easily. It is a minor miracle that Jackson was able to convert such a literary masterpiece from pages to picture, and the audience should be pleased by its creation, not moan every fifteen seconds waiting for it to end.
All in all, Return of the King was a flawless finale to a fantastic trilogy. Few trilogies can boast the numbers that LOTR can, and still remain captivating when it comes to it's end. Return of the King is a shoe-in for Best Picture at the Oscars, and will likely sweep the globe in a flurry of well-known and not-so well-known awards. Despite my gripes over minor details and plot alterations (Where's good ol' Tom Bombadil and the Barrow Downs?), I know cinematic perfection when I see it. That is why I gave this film a ten.