Synopsis: The final saga in the Lord of the Rings wraps up as Frodo and Sam continue their quest to destroy the ring, while the rest of the Fellowship fight for the very existence of man. 

Now for the Zone's Eye View:

By Michelle Snow

Director: Peter Jackson

Cast: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, Sean Astin, Liv Tyler, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Miranda Otto, Bernard Hill, Ian McKellen, John Rhys-Davies, David Wenham, Ian Holm, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Karl Urban, Sean Bean, Andy Serkis

Some movie series have a way of going on way too long, and quite often, each subsequent volume is nowhere near the quality of its predecessor. The Lord of the Rings is one of the few series of films where the opposite is true. The Fellowship of the Ring was a great film introduction to the series, and last year's The Two Towers further cemented the legendary status of this trilogy. But with the standards so high, I worried that maybe the final movie wouldn't be as good. After all, it's very rare that the third film outshines the rest of a film series.

The Return of the King met…nay, exceeded, my expectations. A majestic visually stunning work, this movie has irrevocably raised the bar in filmmaking. 

From the volcanic fields of Mordor to the stunning city of Minas Tirith, the special effects are so seamless that I rarely noticed they were there. Instead of standing out, they pulled you into the world of Middle Earth. Even Gollum seemed a little more polished. 

Gollum actually begins the movie, or rather, his alter ego Smeagol (Serkis) does. We learn how Smeagol came to be the creature that he is now. This lends more poignancy to Gollum's treachery later in the movie. Even though many moviegoers have read the books and are familiar with these events, director Peter Jackson realizes that it's important to include these little bits of information so that the non-book devotee can still grasp the concepts of the movie.

The movie then picks up at almost the same exact moment The Two Towers ended, as the principles at Helm's Deep ride to Isengard to pick up Pippin (Boyd) and Merry (Monaghan). Following an incident of "curiosity killed the cat" involving Pippin, the characters separate. Gandalf (McKellen) and Pippin ride for Gondor and the city of Minas Tirith, which is under siege from Sauron's minions. Aragorn (Mortensen), Legolas (Bloom) and Gimli (Rhys-Davies) stay in Rohan to try to persuade King Theoden (Hill) that he, too, must ride to the aid of Gondor. He refuses, at first, claiming why should he when Gondor did not help them at Helm's Deep.

Eventually Aragorn, with a little help from the trickery of Gandalf and Pippin, convinces Theoden that if he doesn't go to the battle, the battle will eventually come back to Rohan. When the warriors of Rohan--with Theoden's daughter Eowyn (Otto) and Merry hidden among them-ride towards Gondor, Aragorn detours to call for help from a long forgotten army. 

As the forces of Gondor and Rohan unite to try to defeat Sauron's armies at Pelennor Fields, in front of Minas Tirith, Frodo (Wood) and Sam (Astin) continue to follow Gollum through the back passageways of Mordor to destroy the ring.

But the closer Frodo gets to his final destination, the heavier his burden becomes and the more he must rely on Sam. Gollum -- and the Ring itself -- will test Frodo's allegiances and personal strengths.
The beauty of this film is that while there are so many threads of plot all culminating in the final moments of the story, Jackson expertly weaves them in such a way that all threads get equal time. You feel the urgency of the quests, the overwhelming nature of the battles and yet, you're never left wondering for too long as the focus shifts with a deft hand between the various threads.

I also feel Jackson pulls some amazing performances from his many leads. As Frodo draws near to the mountain, Elijah Wood effectively communicates the raging battle inside the Hobbit as he fights to ignore the call of the Ring and Sauron. When the conflict reaches it pinnacle, you can see the madness slip over Wood's icy blue eyes. Viggo Mortensen also gives a brilliantly subtle performance as the man who would be King, with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

There are some who will quibble over the increased roles of the women in the trilogy, especially once they see this film. But I feel it was necessary. In 1955, when Tolkien first imagined the world of Middle Earth, the role of women in society was not nearly on as equal a footing as it is today. If Tolkien were alive today, I think he would appreciate the leeway Jackson has taken with the women. Jackson has given these expanded roles a purpose in telling the story and after so many years of reading the books, I actually enjoyed the newness of these parts of the story. 

Then there are those who would complain about the length of the film. At almost three and a half hours, it is one of the longest films to be released in years. But with all the many plot threads, this time is needed to properly play out the story. And though I found myself wishing I hadn't had the large soda near the end, I never found myself looking at my watch. The pacing of this film really carries you along on the journey of this Fellowship. 

There are times, at the end, where it seems as though the film actually has several endings. But this, too, is necessary, to give closure to the many characters and interweaving storylines. 

The Return of the King is a powerful, moving film, full of heroics and loss. At the end of the screening I went to, there was hardly a dry eye in the house. This will be a film you will not only talk about for years to come, but one that will hold up to repeated viewings. 

If this film doesn't win the "Best Picture" Oscar, every member of the Academy that doesn't vote for it should just turn in his or her card immediately.

A solid 10 out of 10