“Return of the King”, arguably, features the best battle ever put on film. I sat stunned and breathless – awestruck, really - doing my best to absorb some of the most spectacular images I have ever witnessed. As amazing and epic as ROTK is, the battle sequences are not why I love these movies. Somehow, in a fantasy world where wondrous things can happen, Jackson and his team have based a reality that thrives on universal themes as relevant in our own world as they are in war-torn Middle Earth. “Lord of the Rings” has not been about subtleties and ironies, although they are there if you care to look. It proudly wears its emotions on its sleeve, displaying themes of courage, friendship, loyalty, valor and heroism, and you do not need to understand the origins of Tolkien’s Middle Earth or be well-acquainted with the fanciful locales and cultures to grasp them. At its base, this is a simple story, told in bold, passionate strokes by Jackson, who conjures forth an entire world beyond our imagination, and then makes it real in ways we could not have imagined.

In fact, my love of “Lord of the Rings” seems to be epitomized here in one major performance: Sean Astin as Samwise Gamgee, faithful friend to Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood). Guided by Gollum (Andy Serkis), the two hobbits find themselves on their final leg to Mordor, where the ring of power must be cast into Mount Doom and destroyed in order to save all Middle Earth. Astin truly comes into his own in ROTK, with a performance that is, in turns, heartbreaking, heroic, and unforgettably touching. The character is not terribly complex in a way that usually attracts Oscar attention – Sam’s singular purpose is to offer Frodo loyalty and protection – but Astin plays it so well that he emerges the true hero of the story: the hobbit with a heart bigger than the lure of the ring, and all the evils in Mordor.

Elsewhere, the great wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) rides to the towering white city of Minas Tirith, which is on the brink of war. In tow is the ever-inquisitive hobbit Pippin (Billy Boyd), who pledges allegiance to the lord and steward of Gondor, Denethor (John Noble). Having lost his favorite son Boromir (Sean Bean) in battle, Denethor has since gone slightly batty, sending remaining son Faramir (David Wenham) on a hopeless mission to retake a fallen city, and prevent thousands of orcs to cross the river on their way to Minas Tirith to mount, as Gandalf says, “the great battle of our time”.

Heir-to-the-throne Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) are summoned to the aid of Gondor, and ride with King Theoden (Bernard Hill) and the men of Rohan. But not all are men; among them is courageous shield maiden Eowyn (Miranda Otto) and hobbit Merry (Dominic Monaghan), who want to fight for their honor, but more than anything for their friends in battle.

The Siege of Gondor/Battle of Pelennor Fields is an awesomely staged spectacle, with trolls firing catapults, huge towers lurching forward, flaming battering rams, charging oliphaunts sweeping horses and their riders into the air, and the screeching Ringwraiths circling the city from above on fell beasts. Everyone was dishing out hyperbole about the battle of Helm’s Deep in “The Two Towers” (which was indeed incredible), but they spoke too soon. The cavalry charge on Pelennor Fields, in particular, is one of the most awe-inspiring things I have ever seen in a movie. Most importantly, not one character is compromised, and unlike Helm’s Deep, there are many moments on the battlefield here given a true human face. Moments like Gandalf, the wise old wizard, speaking the wisest of words to Pippin; to not fear what may seem like the end, because there is light beyond the shadow, and life after death.

“The Return of the King” may be the most conventional, and least fantastical, of these three films, but once again there is such energy, passion and poetry to Jackson’s vision that almost every frame springs to vibrant life. It’s certainly the busiest of the trilogy - at some points, it even feels abbreviated, despite a 200-minute running length. There are a few plodding bits (mostly early on), but once it gets rolling, the film is like a fell beast out of hell. Criticisms from Tolkien purists regarding the faithfulness of the adaptation (by Jackson, Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens) now seem almost irrelevant. After a few liberties taken with “The Two Towers”, Jackson and his creative team honor Tolkien’s tale in a way no other filmmaker would have. Some of the excised material (Saruman at Isengard, the houses of healing) is missed, but will be restored for the Extended Edition DVD - which will undoubtedly be the final masterstroke of this series. Truth be told, I love Christopher Lee, but I forgot that the Saruman edit was even made five minutes after the fact, and so will everyone else who uselessly bitched, moaned and signed online petitions.

The level of intricate visual effects work in ROTK is difficult to fathom. You can’t really prepare yourself for what you are about to see, even with film 1 and 2 under your belt. From the ethereal, sickly green luminescence of Minas Morgul, to a terrifying giant insect attack and armies of hundreds of thousands marshaled before the walls of Minas Tirith, the film sets new technical standards all around. WETA Digital’s greatest triumph, however, is still Smeagol/Gollum, who – startlingly – looks even more convincingly lifelike here than he did in “The Two Towers”. Combined with Serkis’ astonishing performance, Gollum has already risen to the ranks of legendary cinematic creation, and deservedly so. Major props also to Howard Shore, who has lived up to the immense challenge of finding a proper musical representation for Middle Earth, with orchestrations both moving and rousing.

It’s fitting that the two best performances of ROTK come from Astin and Elijah Wood, because this aspect of the film is the one that matters most. Frodo and Sam’s final trek up Mount Doom is as emotionally grueling as cinema gets, and Jackson masterfully intercuts the action there with a final stand at the Black Gates of Mordor, wisely opting to dwell little on that enormous skirmish and instead focus on the struggle of the two little hobbits. What Jackson does with the other hobbits, Merry and Pippin, is equally wonderful; they become more than mere comic foils (Boyd especially) and are transplanted into the action and drama as real pint-sized heroes. Ian McKellen commands the screen as Gandalf the White, with the same authority and conviction that seems to have also possessed Jackson and his team in their unenviable quest to make Middle Earth a place that lives and breathes. Bernard Hill turns King Theoden into a tragic figure, who takes on his true mantle as leader, in a grand performance plucked straight from Shakespeare. Even those with less screen time manage to make an impact (Wenham and Noble share some very nice moments). If there is a slight disappointment among the cast, it’s the returning King himself. Mortensen’s performance throughout these three films has been a revelation, but here his rise to that kingship isn’t fully felt. Hopefully the DVD will address these issues.

In a word, “The Return of the King” is major. But Jackson balances the enormity of the epic scale with an intimacy that most blockbusters lack entirely. The ending that everyone is talking about? Yes, it’s long. It’s also beautifully poignant and bittersweet, not to mention necessary, as it concludes a giant 10-hour movie. Much has been said about “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy... about how it represents one of the most towering achievements in cinema history. These accolades are justified. Are they models of perfection? No; few things are. But, for me, they have provided a reason to love movies more than any other movie in my lifetime. “The Return of the King” may signal the end of the series, but I’ll treasure these films forever.

Thank you Peter Jackson.