"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" does not disappoint even the most ardent fans of the book. Few books survive the transition into films, but the movie "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" does not fall into this category. Whereever the movie incorporates new elements, they merge seamlessly with the plot.

The plot, centred on the ultimate fight for good against evil, comprises of two intertwining strands. One follows the fortunes of Frodo (Elijah Wood), the bearer of the dark and mysterious ring, and his loyal companion Sam, through the final stages of their journey. They have been deputed to destroy the evil ring by throwing it back into the place of its origin, The Cracks of Doom. Gollum, who is only intent on reclaiming his "precious" ring, acts as their guide.

Another thread of the movie follows Aragorn, (Viggo Mortensen) the noble warrior, and his companions, as they battle the massive forces of the dark Lord Sauron. It is up to Aragorn to answer the call of his heritage. The true heir of Isildur enters the White Mountains to seek the help of the 'Dead Men'.

With the final battle joined and the legions of darkness gathering, Gandalf (Ian McKellen) urgently tries to rally Gondor's broken army to action. He is aided by Rohan's King Theoden (Bernard Hill), who unites his warriors for the ultimate battle against the Dark Lord. Yet, even with their courage and passionate loyalty, they are no match for the enemies swarming against Gondor. In spite of this, they charge forward into the battle of their lifetimes, tied together by their common goal - to keep Sauron distracted and give the Ring Bearer a chance to complete his quest.The characters already formed in the viewers' mind through the first two movies, stand out in this final sequel. Gandalf is enigmatic and majestic as ever and Sam, portrayed as the epitome of loyalty and devotion, is almost the hero of the story. The adorable hobbits Merry and Pippin finally come into their own after having been comic foils in the earlier movies. All the actors have made impressive contributions to this magic piece which is so finely woven together, that the action is kept moving at a very fast pace.

The visual effects progress as in the earlier movies, a tapestry needle holding the plot together without overshadowing it. One of the visual treats is the scene where Sam manages to save Frodo from Shelob, the giant spider. The aerial attacks of the Nazgul and the battle sequences with the Oliphaunt attack are spectacular, to say the least.

There are a few almost imperceptible flaws in the movie, like the opening sequence of Gollum killing his best friend Deagol which seems out of place in this movie. The ending comes as a disappointment only because it is not as powerful as the finale of the book which keeps you thinking long after you've put it down. On the whole, the movie does succeed in keeping the feel and the true spirit and of the book alive.

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