The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Directed by Peter Jackson is the third and final instalment of the thrilling Lord of the Rings saga. It’s rated 93% on rotten tomatoes and 9/10 on IMDb and won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2004, a year after its release in 2003.

The film, without spoiling too much, is essentially the final battle between Frodo and the forces of Middle Earth and Sauron and his servants of evil. Of course, the CGI is stunning, and its practical effects and battles still amaze viewers to this day. I personally go back and watch some of the large scale battles from the film to this day.

However, what is especially fascinating not just about The Return of the King but all three of the Lord of the Rings films is that they were all shot… simultaneously. Over the course of a 2 years, Peter Jackson and the actors from each film would film scenes from all three movies all at once; one day the actors would shoot a scene from the first film and then the next they would move locations and do a scene from a completely different film. This was incredibly difficult and taxing for the actors and crew alike but judging by the films ratings and critical acclaim, it paid off.

All in all, the film is an excellent close to a beloved story and still holds up nearly 20 years later. I personally give it a 9.5/10 and would recommend anyone watch it (of course not before the other two).