The film assumes familiarity with the premise and the story and begins, getting better and better from then on, with a pleasing prologue flashback scene depicting how the happy, hobbit-like member of the Riverfolk, Smeagol (Andy Serkis), gets consumed with murderous madness when his brother Deagol (Thomas Robins) inadvertently uncovers a certain Ring nearly buried in riverine mud. Smeagol, influenced by the taint of his ill-gotten "precious," gradually degenerates into Gollum, the remarkable CGI alteration of actor Andy Serkis' tour de force performance in the role of the now sniveling, duplicitous, schizoid, emaciated yet wiry wretch who discovered -- and later lost -- the Ring so many decades past.

Gollum presently accompanies as guide, heroic, small-statured, hobbit protagonists Frodo (Elijah Wood), currently the Ring-bearer, and his best friend Sam (Sean Astin) -- desperate to make their way through Mordor, the most dangerous territory in Middle Earth, to throw the Ring into the volcanic flames of Mount Doom, the sole locale and method whereby this malignly seductive, magical object can be destroyed.

This goal can be reached and accomplished by traveling through secret paths only Gollum knows, if he can be trusted. The daunting task must be done without discovery because the vile, albeit incorporeal Lord Sauron (only his terrifying Eye manifests on the top of Barad-Dur tower), marshals his armies for an apocalyptic campaign to conquer the Middle Earth citizens not yet under his thrall. Having lost in battle ages ago, his potent, corrupting Ring of power, prevents Sauron's ambitions from easy fulfillment while regaining the golden circlet means unstoppable invincibility.

The Return of the King also adroitly follows other plot threads concerning the remaining members of the Fellowship: Gandalf the wizard (Ian McKellen); Legolas the "stud muffin" Elf (Orlando Bloom), Gimli the Dwarf (John Rhys-Davies); and the human Aragorn (heart-throb Viggo Mortensen), the eponymous ruler in question soon to assume his mantle of responsibility. They combine their efforts to bolster the defenses of Minas Tirith, the fortress-city, capital of the land of Gondor at the border of Mordor and the last redoubt remaining to defend against Sauron and his minions overwhelming Middle Earth. Frodo and Sam's beloved hobbit companions Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin ( Billy Boyd), separated for a while, get reunited with the above-mentioned protagonists and with each other when every principal person comes together at Minas Tirith. There these two halflings will be crucially important in the saving of their world.

Filling up the above bare framework summation so that 3 1/2 hours fly by with the viewer mesmerized, The Return of the King deftly balances massive battle scenes and suspenseful thrills with character-driven emotional involvement bolstered by subtexts rich in allegorical and spiritual resonances. The meaning of the heroism; the nature of good and evil; the realization that there can be no victory without great sacrifice and loss; the value of all life no matter how seemingly insignificant; the incomparable worth of friendship - are all themes underlying the narrative.

The film comes packed with engrossing set pieces, though Tolkien purists may quibble at certain literary bits getting excised or altered for the sake of director Jackson's sense of dramatic expediency. Memorable sequences, set against perfectly chosen New Zealand locations that make ideal backgrounds and with state-of-the-art CGI flawlessly blended with live-action, most notably include: Gollum, of course, appearing, moving, and emoting more believably than ever; the intimidating, digital, dragon-like, winged fell-beasts of Sauron; imposing and fierce, armored trolls; the humongous, elephantine "mumakil" battling convincingly against the human warriors of Minas Tirith and the horsemen of Rohan and Legolas' amazing, solo, take-down of one of these creatures; Aragorn's recruitment of and subsequent alliance with the Dead Men of Dunharrow; Frodo and Sam's struggle against Shelob, a giant spider so scary that it leaves Arachnophobia and Eight-Legged Freaks foundering in the dust; Gollum's hand-to-hand set-to with the invisible Frodo at Mount Doom; the spectacular, climactic clashes of armies on the Plains of Pelennor; and the astonishing implosion of the mighty tower of Barad-Dur with the Eye of Sauron trapped on its summit, the Eye itself also quite a presence in telling moments here and there throughout the entire story.

Many gripping character moments abound amidst the eye-popping SPFX: Frodo's heroic efforts to bring the Ring to Mount Doom, the journey growing more and more harrowing the closer he gets; Sam's unwavering loyalty and pluck despite hopeless odds; and the Steward of Minas Tirith, tormented, resentful Denethor (John Noble), who mourns for his favored, slain older offspring, Boromir and slights his surviving, devoted son Faramir (David Wenham). Then we have: the pivotal sequence when, to save her shrewd, noble and loving uncle King Theoden of Rohan (Bernard Hill) and incidentally everyone else, his niece Eowyn (Miranda Otto), a fine amazon, aided by Merry, duels with the Witch King (Lawrence Makoare); and the romance between Aragorn and Arwen (Liv Tyler), the Elven princess who gave up immortality to wed a mortal rather than sail to the Undying Lands with the rest of her kindred.

Gandalf's dignity, warmth and inner strength; Gimli's stalwart resolve and humor; elegant Elf King Elrond's (Hugo Weaving) quiet determination -- all added so immeasurably to the human interest of the tale that one wishes their roles could have been larger. Ditto for regally serene, wise Elf Queen Galadriel (Cate Blanchett); handsome, brave Eomer (Karl Urban), leader of the Horsemen of Rohan; and most sadly, for wizard-gone-bad Saruman (Christopher Lee) entirely off-stage and only referred to in passing. The missing Saruman; the absence of a depiction of the Scouring of the Shire; people of color barely to be seen except as antagonistic extras; and the protracted closure being the most noticeable albeit minor flaws in The Return of the King, means this production comes very close to perfection, with Howard Shore's magnificent score helping a great deal.

Awesome visuals -- exquisite sets, costumes, props and expert make-up, excellent cinematography and brilliant SPFX -- plus glorious music and fine acting makes The Return of the King a masterpiece of fantasy cinema that raises the bar for any genre picture henceforth. Peter Jackson's magnum opus deserves to win every possible award for he has certainly made a classic that, alongside its literary inspiration, will stand the test of time. Now if only the director and writer's next project, a remake concerning a certain famous Giant Ape of the silver screen, could be followed by The Hobbit. Now there's something to dream about, my precious!