A movie as epic as the first two installments.

Rating: 9/10 (17 December 2003)

The story begins with a flashback of Smeagol when he still looked like a halfling. This lets you in on his true nature.
The plot then picks up where it left off. Frodo, Sam, and Golum are still on their long journey. The rest of the gang is busy preparing as another great battle looms.
Although our heros get a majority of the screen time there are a few new and some old characters that were nicely developed. The visuals in this movie are breathtaking as anyone who has watched the first two films in the series should know. The battles were even more massive than in the second film.
I do a few minor gripes though. First most noticable is the extrodinarly long ending. Trust me you could leave the movie when it should have ended and not miss anything (you will know when it should have ended when you see it). Second, maybe this was just me, but the orc seemed to have a lot of strategy to their attacks instead of just bumrushing their outnumbered opponent. Third, this is somewhat related to the second, despite their strategic decisions they seem more easily defeated than in the second movie.
Finally, Aaragon's sword should have played a bigger role other than proving he is the king. Overall, this is a great film. Anyone who enjoys epics or action will surely enjoy this movie. 9/10