The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

As with the first two chapters, Peter Jackson's rendition of the J. R. R. Tolkien classics is astonishing. Every detail is just right, and from the struggles of three very small creatures to stay alive as they scale sheer rock to the huge battles with hundreds of thousands of warriors, every moment is vivid, exciting, and moving. That means not just Middle earth citadels, a giant spider, and thousands of phantom combatants, but also smaller moments of equal power. Sam and Gollum each try to make Frodo mistrust the other. There are villains, grotesque and powerful, weak and greedy. And there are heroes, loyal, brave, devoted, honorable.

The tone is epic and majestic, the battles brilliantly staged, the vistas magnificently conceived. But it's still all about the story. Characters learn and deepen. Even little Pippin and Merry go from cute comic relief to genuine heroes. There is so much going on that some characters feel like not much more than cameo guest appearances, especially Arwen (Liv Tyler) and Galadriel (Cate Blanchette). And the post-ending endings, after more than three hours, may seem a bit too much. But this is still an epic to satisfy the most devoted Tolkien fans, and viewers who are new to Middle Earth. In its own way, it is as thrilling an adventure in story-telling on film as the quest it portrays.