Easily the strongest of the trilogy

Rating: 9/10 (20 December 2003)

Let's start with my general perspective. I do not believe that The Lord of the Rings is one of the greatest works of literature ever created. I do not believe that either of the two previous films are among the greatest cinematic achievements of all time. If you haven't stormed off yet, then you're prepared for the rest of the review.
"Return of the King" is brilliant in almost every particular. It is not only the best of the three films, but almost certainly the greatest sword-and-sorcery film ever made (admittedly, that's faint praise when you consider its company). Now personally, I felt that "Fellowship" was a great fantasy film, though not quite deserving of the fan worship heaped upon it. I found "The Two Towers" rather ponderous and tedious (and like the book upon which it's based, plotless and motionless), and nowhere near deserving of the fan worship heaped upon it. But here, finally, we have a film that deserves very nearly every bit of fan worship which will no doubt be heaped upon it.
As with Tolkien's book, what makes "Return of the King" so much more effective than its predecessors is sheer momentum. With the end finally in sight, events pick up speed and urgency. Where "Towers" seemed simply to be a placeholder in the saga, here events are constantly evolving and developing, and the characters develop with them. The feel of the totality of the journey is particularly telling in the scenes with Frodo and Sam. Elijah Wood and Sean Astin do superb work in communicating their weariness and despair, as every step they take in the final act is agonizing to watch. Miranda Otto and Bernard Hill repeat the excellent work that almost single-handedly redeemed "The Two Towers". And what more can one say about Gollum? Jackson allows the story to scale back its sympathy for the character here, revealing his sordid origins, and skillfully turning the audience against him. While Andy Serkis and the effects team receive great praise for their work, and deservedly, attention must once again be turned to Wood and Astin; if not for their genuine performances in reacting to the character, he simply would not work.
The action sequences here are breathtaking; some of the best since "Raiders of the Lost Ark". Though some go gleefully over the top, these moments are hard-earned, and they work. The massive effects work is not entirely seamless, but the sheer ambition and scale of it all makes it forgivable.
Of course, it's rare that everything in a film works. Howard Shore's score again fails to do anything very new. His excellent work on "Fellowship" has simply been repeated and continued through "Towers" and "King", adding nothing very much to the mix. And then there are the endings...yes, one after another after another, as if the film-makers cannot bear to let go. While I'm sure that many ringies feel the same way, couldn't some of this have waited for the extended edition DVD? It almost starts being funny after a while.
Still, these problems detract only slightly from what is, after all, a truly monumental achievement. Jackson and company are to be commended for their perseverance in crafting one of the great film epics, both in this film as an individual, and series in general. Hopefully, this will jump-start filmed fantasy in the way that "Star Wars" jumped science fiction in the 70's and 80's. God knows fantasy can use the help.