Worthy end to a worthy trilogy.

Rating: 10/10 (11 February 2004)

It's weird to think that this is the last Lord of the Rings film, when I remember so vividly seeing Fellowship of the Ring 2 years ago.

I was a bit worried on how I would take this film because I was slightly disappointed with The Two Towers. But RotK brings back what was lacking in The Two Towers, a sense of danger. Yes in this movie, the characters are constantly jumping out of frying pans and into the fire, only to jump out of that fire, into a bigger, hotter fire. Also gone is that unintentional humor that plagued The Two Towers and ruined the mood.
I've seen this movie three times in the theater, my reaction the first time seeing it was I was thankful I read the book, or this movie would seem to go on and on and on. For those who thought Fellowship had the never-ending plot...this movie would drive you nuts. This movie is overstuffed, battle sequence after battle sequence, obstacle after obstacle, ending after ending. But it's safe to assume if you're watching Return of the King, then you have seen the two previous movies, love the characters, and could watch them no matter how long the movie is.
The battle sequences are spectacular, just a mass chaos of a battle sequence, that blows the heck out of anything the Helms Deep battle had.
I think my only gripe with this movie is that it should have had more time to clean up its special effects. There are some impressive FX, but the vast majority I could spot, and point out to others. I think the praise to this movie's special effects is a bit undeserving...but the Ringnuts mob would argue otherwise.
Other than that, everything is here. The great acting, the great script, the great score, the mind-numbingly beautiful sets and costumes, which all add up to a great movie, a befitting end to the great trilogy that is Lord of the Rings.