As I prepare to write a review for the final installment of Lord of the Rings, I have to feel like I am ripping off a band-aid, like I am leaving old friends behind. Because, in effect, the characters have become our friends these past three years. They began with an innocence as fresh as our pre-9/11 days and ended with a true feel of the world, a feel that is free and young but still a bit cynical and wary. I went into the theater with high expectations and left with those expectations well-met. I was impressed by the raw emotion injected into the story -- especially moving was the performance given by Billy Boyd as Peregrine Took. The innocence in his eyes when he is separated from his best friend Merry; the pain and fear shown so poignantly in the face of battle; the open inquisitiveness of a child when in the presence of Gandalf -- all made my heart ache and my eyes sting. Pippin becomes a different kind of hero, one who is courageous yet naive, strong-willed yet childlike. And he retains that ingenuousness even as he ages with the knowledge that he may never see the Shire again. A startling, moving paradox. Sean Astin also has some very moving moments as Samwise Gamgee, and his performance was nothing short of extraordinary in lines and actions that would have been difficult or over-the-top for an actor of lesser caliber. Astin makes Sam into a courageous hero rather than just a trusting sidekick. His talent is phenomenal. And when Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn becomes who he was born to be, there is a particular tribute to our hobbit heroes that cannot be described by any words in my vocabulary -- it simply has to be seen to be believed, to be fully experienced. The scene is poignantly punctuated with a soundtrack composed by Howard Shore, making it one of the most unforgettable Goosebump Movie Moments of all time. All in all, this film is a straightforward story about hope, friendship, courage and the battle between good and evil. Of course, good triumphs in the end, our hearts are warmed, and our minds are set at ease. It's just too bad real life can't always end like a Tolkein novel or a Jackson film. 