Review of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) by Andrew O — 29 Mar 2018

With the forces of Isengard defeated, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) and the armies of Rohan and Gondor prepare to face Sauron for the fate of Middle-Earth. Meanwhile as Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) move closer and closer towards Mordor, Gollum (Andy Serkis) now fully consumed by his evil side, plots to lead the two Hobbits into a fatal trap...

Although the last two films had their fair share of cool setpieces, a majority of scenes in those films were used for the worldbuilding of Middle-Earth and to establish characters.

With the final film however, Peter Jackson goes all out in filming some of the best battle sequences ever put to film, with the infamous Battle of the Pelennor Fields being a marvel in terms of spectacle and cinematography.

Although the butt-numbing running time of over four hours can be tiring for some, it's thankfully not boring as time is used to wrap up every character's arc beautifully. Frodo, Sam, Aragorn, Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Gollum and the rest of the cast are characters that the audience has grown to love, so in spite of the criticism of the numourous endings, they are essential in giving each of them the send-off they deserve.

Overall, with all these things said about it, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a triumphant conclusion to the epic story of The Ring and being the first fantasy film to win the Oscar for Best Picture, a crowning victory for fans of the much underappreciated genre. "The Road goes ever on" indeed...