Best Fantasy Epic of All Time

Rating: 10/10 (31 August 2005)

As a child growing up in the mid to late 8o's and early 90's, my family never had a great deal of money to spend on extravagant toys and such, but I was given plenty of books to let my childish mind go wild. I grew up with dreams of becoming Beowulf, or Arthur and his knights, or Odysseus the Greek hero. Bt it was not until my mid teenage years that I picked up the Lord of the Rings trilogy. After that, I was set for life. I always wondered what a film version of these classic tales would be like; however I thought that it would be impossible to film these and make them live up to the expectations of movie-goers and fans alike. I have never been happier to be so stubborn. Under the guidance/direction of Peter Jackson, the Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, has given a gift to the audiences of the world. That gift lies deep within the pages of the original story about friendship, loyalty, courage in the face of great evil, and hope in your fellow man. This film embodies these timeless themes and gives them a new voice for us to hear in our present day lives. The direction is beautiful; the adapted screenplay is purely golden; the actors live up to the expectations placed on them and succeed in every moment of the film; the sets and visual effects are flawless, and the score composed by Howard Shore is brilliant. Together, these elements conjured an extraordinary fantasy epic that sweep audiences away and took them to a place that few movies have dared to go, the heart. The final installment of this epic trilogy captured not only the true essence of the books, but gave the audience things to believe in. It is only then that a film deserves as much recognition as this film has been given. I give this film my highest recommendation and hope you treat yourself to one of the greatest achievements in cinema history.