On Dec. 17, New Line Cinema will release the final installment of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy to the public. “The Return of the King” is what loyal fans of the movies have been waiting for from the moment the second film, “The Two Towers,” ended, and director Peter Jackson promises that the final part “will not disappoint.” (As many “Matrix” fans know, a disappointing third movie can ultimately ruin the entire experience.)

I happen to be a huge “Lord of the Rings” fan, and have been pleasantly surprised to find many others here on campus who share that love. If this third movie doesn’t win an Oscar this year, it will undoubtedly prove to me that the Academy Awards are either rigged or extremely biased against science fiction/fantasy films. And seeing as no fantasy film has ever won Best Picture in all the years that the Oscars have been in existence, that notion might not be so farfetched.

“The Return of the King” promises to tie up all loose ends that the first two movies have left undone, including the journey of hobbits Frodo and Sam with the Ring of Power, the possible crowning of a king, the love triangle between Aragorn, Eowyn and elf-princess Arwen, and the battle for Middle Earth. With an all-star cast of Elijah Wood as ring-bearer Frodo, Sean Astin as his best friend Sam, Sir Ian McKellen as wizard Gandalf, Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, John Rhys-Davies as dwarf Gimli, Orlando Bloom as elf Legolas and Liv Tyler as Arwen, “The Return of the King” has set the stage to be the biggest film of the year.

So, what’s with all the hype, you ask? I guess a lot of people just don’t understand exactly why true Lord of the Rings (LOTR) fans have become so involved with the movies. Based on the books written by J.R.R. Tolkien, many fans have just been waiting for a brilliant director like Jackson to put onto the screen what so many have envisioned in their minds through the books. With amazing special effects, romance and plenty of action, Lord of the Rings has something for everyone. Shot in New Zealand over a span of four years, the movies contain huge shots of breathtaking landscapes that leave even the harshest critic in awe.

LOTR mania has swept the county and the world everywhere. Take for example; in New York City to celebrate the Nov. 18 DVD and VHS release of the special extended edition of “The Two Towers,” commuters were invited to ride the “Middle Earth Shuttle” (a.k.a. the Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle). The shuttle was decked out with Middle Earth creatures, vines and moss and carried commuters from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Or, for example, in Wellington, New Zealand at the premiere of “The Return of the King,” where over 100,000 fans stood 15 rows deep just to show their overwhelming support for the film.

Aside from my opinion of the films, I turned to a few friends to find out what it is exactly that people like and dislike about LOTR. My friend Shawn admitted that, “Most guys like the movies for the epic battles, while girls only like them for the good-looking guys that are in them.”

My other friend Stacey confirmed that point by saying that one of the main reasons she sees the movies is for none other than “Orlando Bloom, of course!”

Shawn went on to say that, “The fantasy world that Tolkien creates just seems so real and you are drawn into the battle of good versus evil.”

Others disagree, saying the movies only do well because of the enormous amount of money spent advertising them to the public, not because they are simply the best movie out there at the time. However, I think my sister Kelly put it best when she said, “There is nothing like ‘Lord of the Rings’ — absolutely nothing!”

Although competing with “Mona Lisa Smile” starring Julia Roberts, Julia Stiles and Kirsten Dunst opening on Dec. 19, “The Return of the King” has been predicted to set worldwide records at the box office. I know I’ll be contributing to that number by seeing the movie as soon as I possibly can, and if you’re still wondering what all the hype surrounding LOTR is, there’s only one way to find out — see you at the movies!

— Lauren Cataldo is a freshman journalism major.