LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING (12)...

Rating: 5/5... Peter Jackson's stunning piece of filmmaking reaches a fittingly spectacular climax with this third and final instalment of Tolkien's celebrated trilogy.

The director has definitely saved the best to last, which is really saying something bearing in mind what's gone before.

For sheer ambition, imagination and vision, this masterpiece will take some beating in my book and Return of the King deservedly swept the board at this year's Oscars, picking up best film and best director gongs along the way.

The action picks up where The Two Towers finished, with the aftermath of the extraordinary battle for Helm's Deep.

I was convinced Jackson couldn't top the memorable battle sequence from that movie, but they turn out to be a mere taster of what's to come.

Thanks to the magic of digital special effects, we are able to witness truly jaw-dropping scenes of carnage as the fragmented Fellowship seek to complete their mission and prevent Sauron from ruling the world.

The film's ensemble cast is without exception on top form, with Ian McKellen's Gandalf leading the fight to hold back Sauron's forces while Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) finally comes to terms with his fate and long-suffering hobbit Frodo (Elijah Wood) faces the final leg of his journey to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom.

As a prologue to the unfolding events, we also learn how the power of the ring overwhelmed Gollum, who continues to play a pivotal role in proceedings This epic trilogy was clearly a labour of love for Jackson and his team, who deserve all the plaudits going for taking filmmaking to a new level.

Entertainment in Video.

CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN (PG)...

Rating: 2/5... Anyone familiar with the trials and tribulations of family life will warm to this slender comedy starring Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt.

Martin plays Tom Baker, a father-of-12 who uproots his family to Chicago when the offer of coaching a top-flight college football team proves too good to resist.

But when his wife (Hunt) embarks on a nationwide promotional tour for her new book, Tom struggles to cope with juggling the needs of his offspring against the demands of his high-profile new job.

Baker's home life inevitably descends into utter chaos, leaving his despairing wife to pick up the pieces and bring the family closer together before it's too late.

Cheaper by the Dozen has its funny moments, notably the havoc wreaked at mealtimes, but too often the humour falls flat.

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

THE MOTHER (15) Momentum Pictures...

Rating: 2/5... This slender tale about a grandmother's sexual reawakening caused a stir on its cinema release for daring to tackle such a taboo subject.

The film does, admittedly, feature some fairly explicit sex scenes, but there's much more to The Mother than that.

As a study of the feelings of isolation and helplessness that anyone over a certain age can face after the sudden death of a close relative, it's a powerful and thought-provoking drama.

Anne Reid takes the title role and gives a terrific performance as the recently widowed May, who visits her grown-up children but soon finds herself getting under their feet.

Her one ray of sunshine is Darren, played by Daniel Craig, a builder renovating her son's house who's having an on-off fling with May's daughter Paula (Cathryn Bradshaw). The pair secretly embark on a passionate affair that eventually proves to be their downfall.