The Lord of the rings: the return of the king

Final part of Peter Jacksons iconic adaptation of J R R Tolkien’s fantasy epic, “The Lord of the rings” trilogy sees the interleaved narrative threads of parts one and two drawn to closure. As per the other instalments (filmed simultaneously), Jackson goes to meticulous lengths to bring Tolkien’s fantastical vision to the screen by building extensive sets in his native New Zealand and by employing a slew of gifted special effects artists. Still divided, the fellowship continue their separate quests; Frodo and Sam head towards Mount Doom led by the duplicitous Gollum; Aragon, Legolas and Gimli fight numerous battles and engage the services of a ghost army; Merry and Pippin drift in and out of trouble. With unrivalled flourish, Jackson invokes all the necessary thrills of an adventure picture, with his awesome CGI wizardry and stupendous set pieces. But whilst the ambitious battle scenes are masterful, the film lacks satisfying arcs (as part 3, perhaps by necessity, its all climaxes) and is let down by an interminable ending. Nevertheless Jackson creates a grand spectacle, setting superior standards for the capturing of epic grandeur and he garnered eleven Academy Awards (2004) including Best director.