“The end is come,” says Elrond (Hugo Weaving) in <i>The Return of the King</i>, the final part of Peter Jackson’s <i>Lord of the Rings</i> trilogy. Unfortunately, he’s right. The Quest is completed, the journey over. And what a journey it’s been.

<i>ROTK</i> picks up where <i>The Two Towers</i> left off. Frodo and Sam (Elijah Wood and Sean Astin) are picking their way to Mordor, guided by Gollum (Andy Serkis). Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and their companions are in the kingdom of Rohan. Middle-earth is poised on a knife-edge, as the forces of the Dark Lord Sauron gather to confront the Free Peoples.

As in the two earlier instalments, the most remarkable thing about <i>ROTK</i> is the way in which director Peter Jackson and his talented crew have combined amazing special effects with characters you care about. Neither detracts from the other. And the effects are incredible – sweeping shots of the beleaguered city of Minas Tirith take your breath away; the major battle is astonishing.

But the characters are what really matter, and it is hard to pick out anyone in this ensemble cast who does not deliver. McKellen <i>is</i> Gandalf, saying so much with one look from those deep, wise eyes. With Aragorn, Mortensen gives us a very human hero, a leader shouldering responsibility he does not really want.

The other members of the Fellowship come into their own, too, in this final part. Billy Boyd in particular does a fine job as the foolish young hobbit Pippin, growing from a boy to a man.

Meanwhile, Wood and Astin, stumbling through the wasteland of Mordor on their hopeless errand, are wholly believable. This story strand would not be the same, though, without the incredible work of Andy Serkis as Gollum. Though computer animated, Gollum is indubitably Serkis, as we see in an early flashback sequence.

Accentuating the performances is the usual stunning background of New Zealand as Middle-earth. Jackson’s signature aerial scenes of mountains and plains and dry, dusty desert are used to stunning effect, but he is equally at home focusing in close on the emotions in the eyes of his actors. The film looks beautiful, from the rich colours of Rohan to the bleached white coldness of Minas Tirith. Costumes, makeup, armour – all are flawless.

<i>ROTK</i> is not a perfect film. In places it feels rushed, as we jump from scene to scene to catch up with what some of the characters are doing. A few lines are delivered with aching slowness. There is the odd continuity error (what happen to the horses before the final battle?)

But these are small flaws in a film which rightly deserves the description of “epic”. It delivers on all levels: an action adventure film with touches of fantasy and horror, as well as being character-driven and packed with true emotion and passion. With it, Peter Jackson has ended his <i>LOTR</i> trilogy on a high, and provided audiences with one of the greatest cinematic experiences ever. Arm yourself with a handkerchief, and go and see it!

© Joanne Harris 2002