The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) - Peter Jackson

Synopsis:

Aragorn and company lead the world of man to one last stand against Sauron's forces to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom.

Rightfully grabbing hold of every Oscar for which it was nominated, The Return of the King caps off the most epic adventure saga in cinema history. Instead of "mere" adventure, the Lord of the Rings has evolved into an all out war film. Even with this development it still holds true to the beautifully poetic soul that has run through the entire series. It's one of those films where you can't help but get butterflies in your stomach throughout, as the journey that has captured the hearts of all comes to an end.

Rating:
★★★★★

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) - Peter Jackson

Synopsis:

With the fellowship broken, the Hobbits, Frodo and Sam continue their journey to Mordor with help from the creature Gollum. Meanwhile Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli's journey has lead them into Rohan and conflict against Saruman.

With the fellowship divided you would think the appeal of the original film would all be but lost. What Peter Jackson has done however is simply double up the story depth and send it off in two different directions. The incredible stories of companionship are even stronger than before, but both are appealing in different ways. Where one group courageously fight alongside each other as one last stand against an army bread for the extermination of man, the other tells a story of both trust, perseverance and fear with introduction of the Gollum character. Legolas and Gimli also provide a subtle comedy relief which is more than welcome during these times of war.

Rating:

★★★★★