Gandalf winter, they crossed "under" the mountains through the Mines of Moria, though only Gimli the Dwarf was enthusiastic about that route. In Moria, they discovered that the Dwarf colony established there earlier had been overrun by orcs. The Fellowship fought with the orcs and trolls of Moria and escaped them. At the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, they encountered "Durin's Bane", a fearsome Balrog from ancient times. Gandalf faced the Balrog to enable the others to escape. After a brief exchange of blows, Gandalf broke the bridge beneath the Balrog with his staff. As the Balrog fell, it wrapped its whip around
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King the trilogy would be in the region of $6 billion following an investment of $300 million ($426 million including marketing costs). "The Return of the King" holds an approval rating of 93% on the aggregate review site Rotten Tomatoes, based on 269 reviews, with an average rating of 8.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Visually breathtaking and emotionally powerful, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" is a moving and satisfying conclusion to a great trilogy". The film holds a weighted average score of 94 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 41 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".