In adapting J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy, director Peter Jackson saved the best for last. The journey that began in the hobbit's sleepy Shire in The Fellowship of the Ring and continued with the second installment, The Two Towers, ends with even more phenomenal action, magnificent scenery, and meaningful emotion. It's a fitting conclusion to a technical and artistic achievement that, cinematically speaking, gives new meaning to the term "epic."

Whether Middle-earth can endure beyond the portentous reckoning in The Return of the King depends on violent battles and individual acts of daring and sacrifice. Shrieking dragons, humongous elephants, and a giant spider are no match for the courage of hobbits, humans, elves and dwarves. Psychological and spiritual forces are also overcome. There's a Shakespearean quality to Tolkien's narrative and Jackson handles the fantasy element with such strenuous aplomb that spectacle and story are perfectly matched.

Here are some highlights: With the forces of Sauron attacking Minas Tirith, the capital of Gondor, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) enlists an army of the dead to help him reclaim the throne. For his part, the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) is forced to micromanage the battle of Minas Tirith because the acting leader, Denethor (John Noble), is too despondent over the death of his sons. With the hobbit Pippin's (Billy Boyd)help, Gandalf rallies the troops and signals for reinforcements from Rohan. A series of beacons are lit across craggy peaks in a beautifully simple, inspiring sequence. The ensuing confrontation makes the ferocious battle of Helm's Deep in part two look like a minor skirmish. Severed heads are flung on catapults, exotic creatures enter the fray, and stones crush the city walls and combatants on both sides. Although forbidden to fight with the Rohan forces, the hobbit Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and fair Eowyn (Miranda Otto) acquit themselves with surpassing courage, coming to her father’s defense against a dragon. 

Meanwhile the desiccated Gollum continues his treachery by sowing dissension between Sam (Sean Astin) and Frodo (Elijah Wood) as they approach Mordor to dispose of the ring. He leads them into an encounter with a spider, but Sam's heroic tenacity prevails.Weighed down by his responsibility, the ring bearer Frodo passes into an ethereal state, his eyes getting wider as his resolution wanes. Again, Sam -- maybe the greatest little hobbit of them all -- proves indispensable when the thee eventually reach the fiery mountain and the trilogy's climax.

Amazing how a plain gold band could wreak such magical havoc. Of course peace is achieved and Middle-earth is safe for the time being. The marathon movie takes its sweet time winding down, though viewers may welcome the chance to decompress. After a series of false endings, the saga doesn’t end on a mythical note. In tribute to his heroism, the last shot shows the front door to Sam's Shire cottage and represents Tolkien's salute to the common man: a regular little Englishman can be a savior. And a New Zealander with uncommon endurance and vision can transform Tolkien's literary masterpiece into monumental cinema. Tolkien owes Peter Jackson a debt of gratitude, and vice versa.

(Released by New Line Cinema and rated "PG-13" for intense epic battle sequences and frightening images.)