Whether Peter Jackson rightfully receives Oscar notoriety and glamour due him after completing his The Lord of the Rings trilogy with a rousing and heartfelt finale now remains irrelevant. The Academy crapshoot often shuns the most deserving work, and another snub would only give movie critics additional fodder to illustrate Oscar's obtuseness. Even the often pretentious New York Film Critics Circle named The Return of the King as the best film of 2003, so it's time to deliver the accolades.

In the spirit of Tolkien, who also never intended to divide his manuscript into three separate books, Jackson has created one 9 hour-twenty-minute film (or 11+ hours for the extended versions) that unites the trilogy better than anyone had dreamed. Only a fool's hope and New Line's early commitment of 300 million began the journey three years ago, and Jackson confidently marches into Mordor with eye-popping battle waves and courage that make this a film for the ages. To describe the state of cinematic art for the early 21st century, go no further than The Return of the King.

Purists can continue to bury their heads in Tolkien's ponderous, repetitive prose if they want. Peter Jackson will forever be linked with the Oxford professor for his role in translating this "unfilmable" fantasy into an entertaining film that creates a world as real as docu-dramas like Gone with the Wind and far more believable than anything Oliver Stone has ever done! Combining the energetic pluckiness of Merry and Pippin, the courage of Frodo and the Fellowship, the steadfast loyalty of Samwise, the wisdom of Gandalf, and the leadership of Aragorn, Peter Jackson emerges from the mind boggling project as a master collaborator. No other director could have created such a satisfying cinematic The Lord of the Rings, and any flaws are due more from respecting Tolkien's meandering text than to Jackson's creativity.

By necessity a few details have been changed for dramatic purposes, but Tolkien himself kept modifying the narrative as he wrote—that's why he inserted so many repetitive flashbacks throughout the trilogy. After immersing himself in Tolkien's prose and listening to numerous Tolkien geeks during the creation process, Jackson tightens the narrative considerably, but remains true to the essential spirit of the source material throughout. The environmental message dominating The Two Towers remains as backdrop as it parallels the contest between good and evil, but overriding the awe-inspiring scenes of the ultimate battle to end all battles in The Return of the King are the "small" moments that center on the human heart. Just like real war, these bonds provide the real motivation behind each character.

Without being shackled with the exposition required in Fellowship of the Rings or the three separate plotlines that complicated The Two Towers, Jackson is able to bring all the threads together in a rousing finale. Certainly the fate of Middle Earth lies in the balance, but no matter how many battles that Aragorn and friends win, unending waves of Uruk-hai and Orc armies will continue to flow from Mordor's Black Gates unless Frodo can destroy the Ring of power. And despite Frodo's personal resolve and growing awareness the weightiness of his mission, no way does he come close to fulfilling his destiny without Sam (directly paralleling the way Tolkien viewed the relationship between a military officer and his loyal staff). Likewise, neither Legolas nor Gimli could face the enemy with as much resolve had they not forged a strong friendship with Aragorn.

Such male bonding naturally occurs in the wartime situations that Tolkien experienced in real life, but The Return of the King contains seminal moments with additional nuances: Faramir's (David Wenham) suicidal counter-attack to win the approval of his father and Eowyn's (Miranda Otto) spectacular defense of her fallen uncle, Theoden—a moment that inspires audiences to spontaneously gasp and cheer. Be sure to bring the Kleenex for numerous scenes that tug at the heart, especially intensifying as the two hobbits get closer and closer to the fires on Mt. Doom. That such intimate moments play so well against a stunning set design and amazing special effects is due to a combination of a well scripted screenplay, sensitive cinematography, and some fine acting pulled off by the well cast ensemble.

Such a complex production still bears the marks of Peter Jackson's architecture, and he's at his best when his creativity runs wild. The Orcs become even uglier and crustier, the trolls more numerous and threatening, fantastic ghost armies overwhelm the opposition, and chopped heads pay appropriate homage to the campy horror flicks that began Jackson's career. Acquiring more taste for human flesh, the Nazgul's Fell beasts (flying dragons) become even more terrifying, and just when you think our heroes have achieved victory, suddenly a line of heavily armored Oliphants advances, much like the spectacular “elephant” vehicles that tore into the rebel alliance in The Empire Strikes Back. Holding Shelob back until the third film makes perfect sense, and the suspense created by her creepy cobwebbed lair pays off in a huge way!

At long last, Tolkien fans can relax. Peter Jackson has juggled a myriad of elements to create the definitive film version of The Lord of the Rings, crowned with the strongest of its three chapters to finish off the operatic epic. Since the trio form the whole, it would be nonsensical to begin The Return of the King without first watching the first two films. Just the opening where Andy Serkis (sans Gollum's CGI cloak) provides Smeagol's treacherous backstory would completely confuse neophytes to the trilogy. However, in context with the previous "chapter" it prepares the way for a less conflicted Smeagol—one single-mindedly determined to outsmart his hobbit comrades for the "Precious."

After getting to know these characters so well during the first two films, anticipation for the third film has been higher than anything since . . . Star Wars (as evidenced by an all time record box office receipts for an opening day). Both fantasy worlds are based on archetypes and use state of the art special effects; however, Jackson actively breathes such life and humanity into Tolkien's characters that his film actually surpasses Lucas' universe. Credit Tolkien for creating more complex literary nuances, yet Jackson takes Tolkien's narrative to new heights.

Jackson's virtuosity in handling the myriad challenges of such an epic production places him as the Cecil B. DeMille of the new millennium, but his skills in coordinating mass ensembles, complicated special effects, and finely nuanced CGI characters only scratch the surface. Jackson demonstrates that he's equally adept at directing small poignant character driven moments in The Return of the King without sinking too far into sentimentality. For evidence, look no farther than Pippin's plaintive song for Faramir over the gluttonous indulgences of Faramir's father or Sam's unflappable loyalty on the upper reaches of Mt. Doom. These are only two of many heartfelt moments that brings out the tissues. Thus, Peter Jackson makes his mark on cinematic history, as the chief architect of the greatest fantasy film ever created—mesmerizing in its operatic scale, yet intimate enough to thrust a wee hobbit to center stage its heart.

The main quibble you'll hear will refer to the ending (or endings, as some term it), but these are short sighted when considering the entire journey. I'll take Jackson's relatively brief visual denouement any day over the fifty odd additional pages that Tolkien uses to tie up loose ends. Besides, after all these heroes have gone through, they are due the bows, curtain calls, and lingering farewells. Should you run into any of the filmmakers in real life, give them a tearful hug for me as well. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King is an overwhelming achievement for which we are all truly blessed. The three-hour-twenty minute film works on all cylinders as well as any film in recent memory, and the only way it could be improved we'll see in a few months in its extended form, where Christopher Lee also gets his final due. A true film for the ages, this visually rich film contains enough layers to warrant multiple viewings.