My review of the movie...
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
In every trilogy in cinema history the third film is never the best, this is evident in the Terminator, Back to the Future and Star Wars trilogies, amongst many others. Return of the King, the third film in Peter Jacksons wildly popular Lord of the Rings trilogy, finally manages to break this trend. Why it succeeds is due in part, to its ability to fuse the emotion and character of the Fellowship with the epic battles and action of The Two Towers.
Perhaps the best place to start reviewing are the spectacle elements of the film. In this regard its some of best youll ever have the fortune to see. The epic scale of the Battle of the Pelennor Fields is unprecedented, with hundreds of thousands of combatants, and it will certainly be considered one of the greatest on screen battles of all time.
The introduction of the city of Minas Tirith is simply breathtaking. The birds eye view of Gandalf riding up the seven circles of Minas Tirith helps the audience to comprehend the sheer size and beauty of the city. New creatures such as the Oliphaunts, the Dead Army and Shelob are all wonderfully realised, and old favourites like the Nazgul, Cave Trolls and Orcs come back in slightly refashioned forms.
Of course, special effects alone dont make a movie, and Return of the King, unlike many epic blockbusters, excels in all other regards.
In terms of acting Sean Astin, Andy Serkis, Ian McKellan, in particular, are all brilliant. Astin has been competent throughout the first two films, but this is where he truly shines. In particular, the scene where Frodo tells Sam to go home and the one where Sam mourns Frodos death are truly heart-breaking moments. Andy Serkis continues to prove that Gollum/Smeagol is the greatest CGI character ever and Ian McKellan returns to the Gandalf we all know and love from the Fellowship (as the opposed to the rather distant Gandalf in The Two Towers).
All other cast members are at the very least decent (Orlando Bloom), but most are great. Merry, Pippin and Gimli also add welcome dashes of humour.
The music of Howard Shore adds emotional depth in the scenes with Sam and Frodo and makes the epic battles, well, more epic. Music for Shelobs lair is also a highlight, adding tension and complementing the creepy feel of the scene with its frantic string section.
As with all films that come close to perfection, there are always minor flaws. Gandalf beating Denethor with his staff seems inappropriate and out of place. Mordor is not given enough screen time, and Sam and Frodos arduous trek through the desolate wastes of Mordor seems to have taken less than a day (in the book, it takes weeks). Some may also complain about the length of the film (although not me), in particular the epilogue with its multiple endings. While most who find it too long are willing to tolerate this, it was clear when I watched it that some people were irritated.
Also, the recurrence of fake deaths and deus ex machina victories starts to become a problem. Frodo, Gandalf, and Aragorn have all died in the first two films, and when Frodo dies yet again in the third film, the audience isnt convinced and tend to question whether any main character can be killed, which in turn destroys any sense of tension when a character dies. The dead army, just like Gandalf and the Rohirrim, save the day when all seems lost and the eagles pop out of nowhere and save Frodo and Sam.
Overall, what makes these films unique is their ability to satisfy such a wide spectrum of film-goers, from mainstream audiences to the critics to the avid Tolkien fans. Most of the flaws (which tend to be nitpicky anyways) in Return of the King are easily forgotten and swept away by the sheer weight of its strengths. The Lord of the Rings is to this generation of film-goers what Star Wars was to its, and it will undoubtably be considered one of the greatest cinematic achievements of all time.
9.5/10