Whether you're a fan of The Lord of the Rings movies or not, you must realize that any filmmaker who has spent the last seven years making three movies out of one story deserves praise. Peter Jackson's trilogy, painstakingly mirroring the 1954 literary work of  J. R. R. Tolkien, is miraculously delivered with incredibly talented actors, imaginative sets, elaborate costumes, engaging sound and masterful editing. It's a cinematic masterpiece.

About writing, directing and producing the trilogy, Jackson said, "It has been an exhausting journey, not unlike that of our fictional protagonists, Frodo and Sam; there has not been much sleep, no time for a normal life and there were days when we all wondered if we would make it to the end. Each stage of the process of making these films has presented unique challenges; I remember asking myself, whenever things got particularly hard, would I rather be doing something other than making The Lord of the Rings? And the answer was always no." 

The Return of the King begins where The Two Towers left off and brings back all the exciting characters: the great wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen), the hobbits Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin), the warrior Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), the Elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom) the Dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), and who could forget the amusing and beguiling Gollum. Each character captures our attention by plunging us so deep into this fantasy story that a restroom break is unthinkable -- even in a three-hour film.

Aragorn has long struggled with his own belief that he might not be the one to become the next king. The dashing Mortensen never lets his audience down in his representation of this rugged warrior, a leader of men who endure one battle after another, testing not only their valor but also their very existence.

Joining the battles against everyone and everything from the Orcs to great beasts, Orlando Bloom brings a quiet and steely resolve to his Legolas role, reminding viewers that many battles are not won at the end of a sword. John Rhys-Davies is as delightful as always playing the Dwarf Gimli, a quick-witted life-force who adds a light touch to the story yet never fails to uphold his loyalty to the throne.

Watching the incredibly talented Ian McKellen in any role is mesmerizing, but as the great wizard Gandalf, he has created a character so appealing and believable -- no other can touch him.

Frodo and Sam make their way to deposit the ring back in the lake of fire, and fill many exciting moments in the film as Sam and Gollum battle for Frodo's trust. Both Astin and Wood are terrific in their performances -- so good, one almost hates to bid them farewell. And happily, there is an end to the story, for it's here I found the only fault with this film -- one too many endings. More than once people stood to leave, only to sit again as the movie went on.

Extra credit goes to Jackson for the battle sequences in the final episode. In the previous two films, battles seemed to go on too long, but this time around key moments from all the other stories appear in cut-away segments during the battle scenes, leaving viewers glued to their seats so they won't miss a thing.

Giving credit to all the artisans who contributed in one way or another to the two years of pre-production, followed by 274 days of principal production, which in turn have been followed by three years of post-production, would be impossible.

Although the drama in The Return of the King is outstanding, the intrigue contagious, and the performances terrific, the most amazing aspect of the film involves (once again) its not-to-be-missed production elements -- the sets, designs, and special effects. A safe prediction? These incredible feats won't be missed by Oscar.

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