Reviews of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

A Little Precious

Posted : 1 month, 4 weeks ago on 11 September 2009 02:17 (A review of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)

A movie about a famous fantasy novel series that I've never read. And even though, I felt a bit lost through out certain plot elements, there was enough in this thickly layered tale of wizards, faeries, hobbits & bug-eyed emo moppets to allow me to loosely fill in the blanks to make at least, an over-all blanketed sense out of the whole damn thing.
And even though this was a great series, for me, this series suffered from what I always thought the problem would be of trying to condense such a full & detailed storyline into three movies. The story left the alot areas for the viewer to fill in, certain ideas seem to almost come out of nowhere since there was almost no room to introduce them & there was quite a lack of hatable villians in these movies (Gollum seem to come closest in this trilogy). Now don't get me wrong, they're kick-ass looking villians & their concepts are great, but because so much is trying to be fit in the limited space of the running times, it doesn't feel to me like anyone one can really jump up & down when the good guys ultimately beat 'em.
However, all of that is still just a minor quibble. Seeing dragons & giant spiders come to life in the manner that they were always meant to, magic being blasted with the power to awe, & giant sword & sorcery war scenes with a sweeping & mythological epic quality that used to be incomprehensible for the cinema in earlier years make up for any sacrifice that was made in order to be able to fit all this stuff onto the silver screen.
Over-all, I was just really happy & satisfied that to finally see a series of the fantasy genre being adapted onto film with the respect & effort of the highest quality.



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A new generation of fantasy films and of cinema.

Posted : 11 months, 2 weeks ago on 29 November 2008 07:53 (A review of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)

Do you remember the Shire, Mr. Frodo? It'll be spring soon. And the orchards will be in blossom. And the birds will be nesting in the hazel thicket. And they'll be sowing the summer barley in the lower fields... and eating the first of the strawberries with cream. Do you remember the taste of strawberries?


Directed by: Peter Jackson

Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Andy Serkis

Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy/Thriller

Running time: 201 minutes



My review:

The former Fellowship of the Ring prepare for the final battle for Middle Earth, while Frodo & Sam approach Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring.


This is definitely one of the best films ever made. It is a film that sets different standards within pretty much all the genres there is because of its really clever story and very powerful script. Also because of the way it was filmed and what the characters were like. It doesnt so much help but it teaches other filmmakers that Lord Of The Rings has changed the world of cinema forever. What I really truly love about Lord Of The Rings is that they are obviously mythical stories but they are stories that are really believable and people can really imagine as being really realistic. It is a franchise of novels that I was probably thinking would turn out to be like the way the Batman films were. When I saw them, they are like a joint rival of greatest franchise of all time next to Star Wars (original trilogy) and The Godfather trilogy. Lord Of The Rings is the most powerful franchise that has ever been made which is why I have to say that Lord Of The Rings is the greatest franchise of all time. When I went to the cinema to see this film when I was 12 years old, I was shocked by how long it was on for and I thought to myself "How can a film by such a long running time not become a boring film but become a total masterpiece of work?" But when I did see it, I thought that Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King is the best of all three and is a real new cinematic experience that invents and creates new types of movies within the genres fantasy, action, suspense and even drama. Return Of The King is the most inspiring one of them all because it is a very emotional film with a lot of drastic twists and turns that occur with the characters and the events. Also, it is an inspiration because this is the one film from the trilogy that everyone has been waiting for because it is the one that determines the fate of the Ring, of Middle-Earth, of Frodo and Sam and also for the lost King of Gondor which is Aragorn. It all balances together even though it does take you into a different story with the different characters which is what The Two Towers does. Fellowship Of The Ring doesnt because they are all together. Like in Return Of The King, there are scenes involving Frodo, Sam and Gollum, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and King Theoden and also Gandalf, Merry and Pippin too. I know that this film is a sequel to The Two Towers just like that is to Fellowship Of The Ring but it never seems to loose its story nor its lust for the audiences attention. When I saw the end of Return Of The King, it is a feeling that I get that I want more of Lord Of The Rings but obviously cant because there are only three novels. Return Of The King is like Empire Strikes Back as far as classic trilogies are concerned especially comparing with Star Wars, Fellowship Of The Ring is like A New Hope and The Two Towers is like Return Of The Jedi. To me, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King is the greatest fantasy film of all time and is the greatest final film to a franchise ever made.

I thought the acting was really good from almost the whole cast in this one. Elijah Woods performance is a lot better in this one. Elijah truly shows his excellent talent at showing Frodos pain with the Ring but he doesnt show 100% that Frodo is a hero. He still does make Frodo a hero of course but not as much as I was hoping he would. I noticed that he cried a lot in this film where there are some scenes where he didnt really need to. Particularly the scene where he makes Sam go back to Hobbiton when they are half way up the Winding Stairs. When he said "Go home" to Sam. I noticed that was familiar with Elijah because when I saw the extended version of the film where there was a disc with interviews, making the film etc and they were doing try-outs of how Elijah can say those words. It would be either shouting at him or just ordering him but in a calm and more relaxed way. He sort of acts how Mark Hamill acts in the Star Wars trilogy. Ian McKellen never seems to disappoint me in any of the films he has been in. His performance as Gandalf is perfect once again just like in the previous two films. McKellen IS Gandalf and it is simple as that. He makes Gandalf like a really hard and really classic supporting character to other characters like Frodo in Fellowship Of The Ring, King Theoden in The Two Towers and Pippin in Return Of The King. Ian McKellen is definitely the best out of the whole trilogy. I cant wait to see him return as Gandalf in the two Hobbit films coming up. Viggo Mortsensen returns more heroic than ever in Return Of The King than the previous two films. Aragorn shows his true colours in this film by becoming King Elessar more than Aragorn. He is no random Ranger anymore. He is an heir to throne of Gondor of all places. He is a hero that everybody loves in the film because to me it is like revenge for Aragorn aswell as saving Middle-Earth because he is losing his love and he lost pretty much all his kin along time before. Sean Astins performance was very heartbreaking and was very emotional. It was a performance that I think was pretty much the same type of acting that was used in Fellowship Of The Ring and The Two Towers. I think this is one of the few films that have a very powerful supporting cast. Sam was a rather weeping character in this one compared to the previous films. It was a really good thing in that case because Sam was a very heroic character and a mentor to Frodo. Andy Serkis particularly in this one reveals one of the best film villains of all time that is Gollum. It is puzzling for me as I am sure it is for everyone who has watched the three Lord Of The Rings films whether Gollum was against Frodo and Sam all along because there was a loving Gollum in The Two Towers and when Frodo so-called betrayed Gollum he decided to kill them. And also in The Two Towers when Gollum was telling Frodo and Sam about the second way into Mordor when the stairs and tunnel. I think he knew that it was the lair of the giant spider that is Shelob. I think he was against them all along but just needed their trust for him to do what he wanted. He only wanted the Ring.

Peter Jacksons direction of the film creates a brand new standard of modern filmmaking. His directed angles were very far out and were very accurate particularly with the zooming out on Minas Tirith. I think Peter tries to show us the sceneries and make us feel the reality of the story. If Peter Jackson hadnt directed the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, they wouldnt be masterpieces. Peter Jacksons previous films in the past have been rather poor ones I have been told: Meet The Feebles and Braindead. Fierce Creatures is supposed to be pretty good. Peter Jackson has become a legendary filmmaker after only creating three films. I think he was a legend already after he only did Fellowship Of The Ring. King Kong is a bloody awesome film aswell. Better than the original version. I think of this century, Lord Of The Rings is like the original Star Wars trilogy of last years century. The script is probably the best that I have ever seen from a fantasy film. It is adapted to make it seem a bit like an ordinary drama film even though it is obviously a fantasy story.

It is such a realistic film and so is the rest of the trilogy because it is a story that can be believable and can be very imaginative. Also, because it is a story that maybe some people can believe can be the future of Earth. Particularly as far as the armies, terrorism and killings are concerned. It is a franchise that can sort of scare people because of its dark stories in all three films and also the very dark adapted style which is very new with any film in the whole world let alone Peter Jackson.

The chemistry between Frodo and Sam is very different because Frodo seems to trust Sam a lot less than he used to because he feels that Sam is beating Gollum up for no reason but it is for good reason because Gollum is a sinister character who is against them both not just Sam. Sam and Gollums relationship is complete hate coming from Sam because he knows that something is wrong of where Gollum is leading them. Gollum is acting all innocent and nice especially in front of Frodo but when either alone on his own or alone with Sam, he is a vile, sinister, two-faced little bastard. Frodo still thinks that Gollum is a really lovely heartwarming character. I think Frodo is fooled by Gollum is a basic sympathy way because of what happened to Gollum with the Ring where he was a Hobbit called Smeagol. Frodo tries to re live that by calling him Smeagol. Gandalf is a supporting character to Pippin because in the first one but not second one, he used to be a lazy, big mouthed yet friendly little Hobbit. Gandalf taught him lessons particularly of bravery and loyalty. Aragorn doesnt see his love Arwen very much at all in this film because she goes separate ways from him. But Eowyn tries to fight for Aragorns heart because she still is in love with him. When Aragorn discovers this, it is like a love triangle apart from that Arwen didnt ever know about Eowyn. On the extended version of Return Of The King, Aragorn holds the Palantir and confronts Sauron on it and talks to him and shows him the sword that killed him at the story until his revival.

The cinematography was good with very powerful and realistic photography used. The art direction was awesome too because it was a lot darker compared to the previous films. It has very dark colours with very new designs used for the realistic setting. The costume design was the same thing. The best design of costume are the costumes that the royals of Rohan and particularly Gondor wear. The sound effects are absolutely outstanding both mixing and editing. The visual effects were phenomenal too and very realistic mostly on the spider Shelob, the Dead ghosts and also the army epic action scenes.

This film won all 11 Academy Awards of its 11 nominations. It is a tie along with Ben-Hur and Titanic for most Academy Awards in only one film. It won: Best Sound Mixing, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Editing, Best Make-Up, Best Original Song (Into The West), Best Score, Best Visual Effects, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director (Peter Jackson) and Best Picture 2003. It became the first and only fantasy film to win Best Picture. It also won all 4 Golden Globe nominations it was nominated for: Best Director (Peter Jackson), Best Original Music Score, Best Original Song and Best Picture Drama.

Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King is in my opinion and maybe most peoples opinion the greatest fantasy film of all time. It is the best of the trilogy. It is the best of 2003. It is my favourite epic film too. Along with Sweeney Todd, The Dark Knight, The Pianist, Pans Labyrinth and Sin City, Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King is one of the best of the 2000 decade. There is a bigger word to describe Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King than masterpiece because it is so amazing!

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A new generation of fantasy films and of cinema.

Posted : 11 months, 2 weeks ago on 29 November 2008 07:27 (A review of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)

Do you remember the Shire, Mr. Frodo? It'll be spring soon. And the orchards will be in blossom. And the birds will be nesting in the hazel thicket. And they'll be sowing the summer barley in the lower fields... and eating the first of the strawberries with cream. Do you remember the taste of strawberries?

Directed by: Peter Jackson

Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Andy Serkis

Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy/Thriller

Running time: 201 minutes



My review:

The former Fellowship of the Ring prepare for the final battle for Middle Earth, while Frodo & Sam approach Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring.


This is definitely one of the best films ever made. It is a film that sets different standards within pretty much all the genres there is because of its really clever story and very powerful script. Also because of the way it was filmed and what the characters were like. It doesnt so much help but it teaches other filmmakers that Lord Of The Rings has changed the world of cinema forever. What I really truly love about Lord Of The Rings is that they are obviously mythical stories but they are stories that are really believable and people can really imagine as being really realistic. It is a franchise of novels that I was probably thinking would turn out to be like the way the Batman films were. When I saw them, they are like a joint rival of greatest franchise of all time next to Star Wars (original trilogy) and The Godfather trilogy. Lord Of The Rings is the most powerful franchise that has ever been made which is why I have to say that Lord Of The Rings is the greatest franchise of all time. When I went to the cinema to see this film when I was 12 years old, I was shocked by how long it was on for and I thought to myself ?How can a film by such a long running time not become a boring film but become a total masterpiece of work?? But when I did see it, I thought that Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King is the best of all three and is a real new cinematic experience that invents and creates new types of movies within the genres fantasy, action, suspense and even drama. Return Of The King is the most inspiring one of them all because it is a very emotional film with a lot of drastic twists and turns that occur with the characters and the events. Also, it is an inspiration because this is the one film from the trilogy that everyone has been waiting for because it is the one that determines the fate of the Ring, of Middle-Earth, of Frodo and Sam and also for the lost King of Gondor which is Aragorn. It all balances together even though it does take you into a different story with the different characters which is what The Two Towers does. Fellowship Of The Ring doesnt because they are all together. Like in Return Of The King, there are scenes involving Frodo, Sam and Gollum, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and King Theoden and also Gandalf, Merry and Pippin too. I know that this film is a sequel to The Two Towers just like that is to Fellowship Of The Ring but it never seems to loose its story nor its lust for the audiences attention. When I saw the end of Return Of The King, it is a feeling that I get that I want more of Lord Of The Rings but obviously cant because there are only three novels. Return Of The King is like Empire Strikes Back as far as classic trilogies are concerned especially comparing with Star Wars, Fellowship Of The Ring is like A New Hope and The Two Towers is like Return Of The Jedi. To me, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King is the greatest fantasy film of all time and is the greatest final film to a franchise ever made.

I thought the acting was really good from almost the whole cast in this one. Elijah Woods performance is a lot better in this one. Elijah truly shows his excellent talent at showing Frodos pain with the Ring but he doesnt show 100% that Frodo is a hero. He still does make Frodo a hero of course but not as much as I was hoping he would. I noticed that he cried a lot in this film where there are some scenes where he didnt really need to. Particularly the scene where he makes Sam go back to Hobbiton when they are half way up the Winding Stairs. When he said "Go home" to Sam. I noticed that was familiar with Elijah because when I saw the extended version of the film where there was a disc with interviews, making the film etc and they were doing try-outs of how Elijah can say those words. It would be either shouting at him or just ordering him but in a calm and more relaxed way. He sort of acts how Mark Hamill acts in the Star Wars trilogy. Ian McKellen never seems to disappoint me in any of the films he has been in. His performance as Gandalf is perfect once again just like in the previous two films. McKellen IS Gandalf and it is simple as that. He makes Gandalf like a really hard and really classic supporting character to other characters like Frodo in Fellowship Of The Ring, King Theoden in The Two Towers and Pippin in Return Of The King. Ian McKellen is definitely the best out of the whole trilogy. I cant wait to see him return as Gandalf in the two Hobbit films coming up. Viggo Mortsensen returns more heroic than ever in Return Of The King than the previous two films. Aragorn shows his true colours in this film by becoming King Elessar more than Aragorn. He is no random Ranger anymore. He is an heir to throne of Gondor of all places. He is a hero that everybody loves in the film because to me it is like revenge for Aragorn aswell as saving Middle-Earth because he is losing his love and he lost pretty much all his kin along time before. Sean Astins performance was very heartbreaking and was very emotional. It was a performance that I think was pretty much the same type of acting that was used in Fellowship Of The Ring and The Two Towers. I think this is one of the few films that have a very powerful supporting cast. Sam was a rather weeping character in this one compared to the previous films. It was a really good thing in that case because Sam was a very heroic character and a mentor to Frodo. Andy Serkis particularly in this one reveals one of the best film villains of all time that is Gollum. It is puzzling for me as I am sure it is for everyone who has watched the three Lord Of The Rings films whether Gollum was against Frodo and Sam all along because there was a loving Gollum in The Two Towers and when Frodo so-called betrayed Gollum he decided to kill them. And also in The Two Towers when Gollum was telling Frodo and Sam about the second way into Mordor when the stairs and tunnel. I think he knew that it was the lair of the giant spider that is Shelob. I think he was against them all along but just needed their trust for him to do what he wanted. He only wanted the Ring.

Peter Jacksons direction of the film creates a brand new standard of modern filmmaking. His directed angles were very far out and were very accurate particularly with the zooming out on Minas Tirith. I think Peter tries to show us the sceneries and make us feel the reality of the story. If Peter Jackson hadnt directed the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, they wouldnt be masterpieces. Peter Jacksons previous films in the past have been rather poor ones I have been told: Meet The Feebles and Braindead. Fierce Creatures is supposed to be pretty good. Peter Jackson has become a legendary filmmaker after only creating three films. I think he was a legend already after he only did Fellowship Of The Ring. King Kong is a bloody awesome film aswell. Better than the original version. I think of this century, Lord Of The Rings is like the original Star Wars trilogy of last years century. The script is probably the best that I have ever seen from a fantasy film. It is adapted to make it seem a bit like an ordinary drama film even though it is obviously a fantasy story.

It is such a realistic film and so is the rest of the trilogy because it is a story that can be believable and can be very imaginative. Also, because it is a story that maybe some people can believe can be the future of Earth. Particularly as far as the armies, terrorism and killings are concerned. It is a franchise that can sort of scare people because of its dark stories in all three films and also the very dark adapted style which is very new with any film in the whole world let alone Peter Jackson.

The chemistry between Frodo and Sam is very different because Frodo seems to trust Sam a lot less than he used to because he feels that Sam is beating Gollum up for no reason but it is for good reason because Gollum is a sinister character who is against them both not just Sam. Sam and Gollums relationship is complete hate coming from Sam because he knows that something is wrong of where Gollum is leading them. Gollum is acting all innocent and nice especially in front of Frodo but when either alone on his own or alone with Sam, he is a vile, sinister, two-faced little bastard. Frodo still thinks that Gollum is a really lovely heartwarming character. I think Frodo is fooled by Gollum is a basic sympathy way because of what happened to Gollum with the Ring where he was a Hobbit called Smeagol. Frodo tries to re live that by calling him Smeagol. Gandalf is a supporting character to Pippin because in the first one but not second one, he used to be a lazy, big mouthed yet friendly little Hobbit. Gandalf taught him lessons particularly of bravery and loyalty. Aragorn doesnt see his love Arwen very much at all in this film because she goes separate ways from him. But Eowyn tries to fight for Aragorns heart because she still is in love with him. When Aragorn discovers this, it is like a love triangle apart from that Arwen didnt ever know about Eowyn. On the extended version of Return Of The King, Aragorn holds the Palantir and confronts Sauron on it and talks to him and shows him the sword that killed him at the story until his revival.

The cinematography was good with very powerful and realistic photography used. The art direction was awesome too because it was a lot darker compared to the previous films. It has very dark colours with very new designs used for the realistic setting. The costume design was the same thing. The best design of costume are the costumes that the royals of Rohan and particularly Gondor wear. The sound effects are absolutely outstanding both mixing and editing. The visual effects were phenomenal too and very realistic mostly on the spider Shelob, the Dead ghosts and also the army epic action scenes.

This film won all 11 Academy Awards of its 11 nominations. It is a tie along with Ben-Hur and Titanic for most Academy Awards in only one film. It won: Best Sound Mixing, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Editing, Best Make-Up, Best Original Song (Into The West), Best Score, Best Visual Effects, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director (Peter Jackson) and Best Picture 2003. It became the first and only fantasy film to win Best Picture. It also won all 4 Golden Globe nominations it was nominated for: Best Director (Peter Jackson), Best Original Music Score, Best Original Song and Best Picture Drama.

Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King is in my opinion and maybe most peoples opinion the greatest fantasy film of all time. It is the best of the trilogy. It is the best of 2003. It is my favourite epic film too. Along with Sweeney Todd, The Dark Knight, The Pianist, Pans Labyrinth and Sin City, Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King is one of the best of the 2000 decade. There is a bigger word to describe Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King than masterpiece because it is so amazing!

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King of the Ring.

Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 17 August 2008 03:59 (A review of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)

''The man who can wield the power of this sword can summon to him an army more deadly than any that walks this earth. Put aside the ranger. Become who you were born to be. Take the Dimholt Road.''

[In Elvish]

''I give hope to men. I keep none for myself.''

The former Fellowship of the Ring prepare for the final battle for Middle Earth, while Frodo & Sam approach Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring.

Viggo Mortensen: Aragorn

Return of the King asserts itself as the final and best of the Rings Trilogy. I recall seeing it at the cinema and despite my disappointment at Saruman being cut from the theatrical version and others, including certain Witch King scenes plus The Mouth Of Sauron at the Black Gate which I loved in the book. Despite these missing the film had me glued for it's three hour duration from start to finish.

The Mouth of Sauron: My master, Sauron the Great, bids thee welcome. Is there any in this rabble with authority to treat with me?
Gandalf: We do not come to treat with Sauron, faithless and accursed. Tell your master this: the armies of Mordor must disband. He is to depart these lands, never to return.

Be it the the amazing conversation between Elrond and Aragorn where he gives him the sword. Although in the book his sword is remade and given to him in Fellowship nevertheless I admit this scene is great cinema and really sells the pure adrenaline and emotion of Aragorn's beginning transformation into a King through his impending fight against Evil, against Sauron.

Like Two Towers we are treated to separated characters, on one side it flicks to Sam, Frodo and Smeagol as they approach Mordor and Mount Doom then back to Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas trekking towards the Paths of the Dead and preparing for battle. But King really is faceted because then we also have all these other pivotal characters Gandalf and Pippin at the White City in all it's magnificence with the maddened Denethor. Theoden and Eomer preparing to help Gondor from the descending armies of darkness. The secretive Eowyn with Merry going to fight even thought they are not permitted too. Return Of the King gives so much detail and luscious fantasy and story before we even come to the battle scenes its a great film. Chuck in the battle at the White City, the final climactic onslaught at the Black Gate and the powerful scene where Sam carries Frodo up Mount Doom showing the powerful bond of friendship and vigor, bravery and compassion, then what you have is not only a film which is great but one that is the definition of what can only be described as close to perfection.

''Courage, Merry, courage for our friends.''

The musical score retains its beauty, elegance and power. The special effects, notably Gollum again, are nothing less than breathtaking, and simply move the story along. The battles are monumentally huge and exciting. There are some liberties taken with the story, especially during the end with the homecoming, and yet, everything that needed to be covered regarding the main characters was handled. After the greatest moment of the series resolves itself, the story provided a breather. And gives a good-bye to friends seen on screen for the last three years. It was truly a bittersweet feeling in realizing that there will be no''Rings" movie for 2004. I will miss this talented group and magical escape.

At this point everyone has come to know and love all of the characters, and the stakes have become tremendously high. Kingdoms are at their knees, and the only two characters who can save the day are getting weaker and weaker. The tension was very high in this episode and I can honestly say that out of all 3 this was the only one that had me on the edge of my seat. There were many memorable scenes (one of my favourites including the part with the giant spider)that made this the classic that it is sure to stay for decades to come.

''Sauron will not have forgotten the sword of Elendil. The blade that was broken shall return to Minas Tirith.''

This is the longest of the series, mostly because of the ending that seems to last a while, albeit slightly warped from the book(The Book had a Shire incident with Saruman at its peak). This was a good ending, and we can see why Frodo did what he chose to do effectively. He, and us the audience, have gone through an incredible ordeal and I think we needed that 20 minute linger. When the battle is over, and the celebrations have ended, there is a sad emptiness felt. The films spanned over 3 years, there have been the extended cuts of course, but after that, it's all over. Peter Jackson gave us an ending that was both appropriate and admirable.

Much to my satisfaction the Extended Version of Return of the King capitalizes on the already perfect theatrical version and dressing it with details sadly missing previously. What we then have are the scenes with Saruman, the Witch King parts and the Mouth of Sauron back in which I mentioned were missing. Also more material from the book to do with Faramir and Pippin, Sam and Frodo's mishaps in Mordor and their disguises as Orcs and Aragorn looking finally into the Palantir to make himself known and seen to Sauron is particularly captivating and effective.

''That's for Frodo! And for the Shire! And that's for my old Gaffer!''

For me a film can never be too long or too short, and rarely when you get a film as incredible as King do you want it to end. I know I didn't, it's magical and mesmerising, be it a moving scene with Ian Mckellan and Billy Boyd preparing for fighting at Minas Tirith or Elijah Wood and Sean Astin struggling with the Ring's evil resonance, this film is pardon the pun very precious.

A true masterpiece from Peter Jackson and his crew and cast fulfill his vision, Howard Shore utilizes the Score and adds to the beauty that is Return of the King.

Sam: There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale by Bilbo Baggins, and The Lord of the Rings by Frodo Baggins. You finished it.
Frodo: Not quite. There's room for a little more.

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An unprecedented cinematic triumph...

Posted : 1 year, 4 months ago on 17 June 2008 01:27 (A review of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)

"The battle of Helm's Deep is over; the battle for Middle Earth is about to begin..."

Through my eyes, Peter Jackson's much-anticipated and much-glorified The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the paradigmatic example of a perfect movie. The cinematic journey that initiated on Boxing Day 2001 and quickly received worldwide acclaim ultimately came to a conclusion with this final instalment. Personally, my passion for the Lord of the Rings trilogy never ceased and to this day I continue to view them frequently.

Just like its two precursors, The Return of the King was met with a congregation of positive reviews and of course recognition from the Oscar committee. I was ecstatic during the Oscar season at the beginning of 2004 when I discovered that the film was recognised with 11 Oscar nominations. Needless to say, I was even more ecstatic when Peter Jackson and his crew walked away with all 11 in their possession. The Return of the King won literally hundreds of awards worldwide and above all it accomplished a Box Office landmark: breaking the $1 billion milestone and becoming just the second film in history to do so. With this film walking away after sweeping the Oscars and sitting at a convincing second on the worldwide box office (as of mid-2008), this is indeed a rare event when it comes to a film offering of the fantasy genre. The technical proficiency is purely the finest that money can buy. Jackson's team at WETA workshop single-handedly created and rendered all special effects shots using software they had designed themselves.

This is by far the longest instalment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy; however it never feels too long. While many will complain (endlessly complain) about the length, I see the film in a completely different light. The way I see it the length is necessary to maintain a sense of fidelity to the novel and to successfully wrap everything up. If anything, I hate it when filmmakers rush things and end up with a missed opportunity on their hands. Peter Jackson had a modest budget and some astronomically amazing special effects on his side, so the work in every other department had to be top notch. Jackson's supreme gift is that of total immersion; the breathtaking lands of Middle Earth remain vibrantly alive. The film's pace may be reasonably slow for some, but the beauty soars with opulent layers of architecture, geography and complex storytelling.

Just like both entries thus far in the trilogy, The Return of the King reinvents the word "epic" completely. Many of the battles throughout the film display rich texture, and awe-inspiring showcases of visual effects. The action is emphatically extravagant and brought to life on an exorbitantly impressive scale! But what separates this from most fantasy epics is the heart at its core. Whenever there's a battle, you'll always find a satisfying serving of emotionally-charged moments featuring intimate scenes with the central protagonists. This coupling of visceral special effects and moving moments that display deep camaraderie is absolutely spellbinding!

This third and final instalment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy starts off almost exactly where The Two Towers ended. One must remember that all three of Tolkien's novels were written to plainly be one enormous piece of literature, and it was his publisher that insisted the novel should be split up the three shorter, more convenient components. In essence, all three additions to the cinematic Lord of the Rings trilogy can be edited together and the transitions would be seamless. The films are identical to the situation with Tolkien's novels: one big chunk of storytelling that's separated into three parts. You can never watch The Return of the King without first watching the initial two parts as this was never meant to be a standalone movie.

The first section of the plot here is concerned with Frodo (Wood), Sam (Astin) and the creature Gollum (a digital character played by Andy Serkis). As they move closer to the dark lands of Mordor, towards the fire of Mount Doom where the One Ring must be destroyed, the ring is becoming a heavier burden for the troubled young Frodo. As the quest perseveres, Frodo is becoming severely tested. Faith has been placed in Gollum to lead the Hobbits to Mount Doom despite the constant mistrust that Sam holds for the former Hobbit. On the outside this seems like a simple physically straining journey, but it's also an emotionally tiring journey on the inside for the three companions. While this story unfolds, the focus also alters to the remainder of the original fellowship. Sauron's eye has shifted to the city of Minas Tirith, the capital of Gondor, as the next target for his rampaging army. The fall of Gondor will mean the end of Men and the completion of his objective to clean Middle Earth of the species. A portion of the original fellowship, along with a horde of newer characters, move to the city of Minas Tirith to help build up defence for the impending attack and possible destruction of the White City. We find Aragorn (Mortensen), Legolas (Bloom) and Gimli (Rhys-Davis) through their more diverse journey into the cursed mountains to summon the legendary Army of the Dead.

This brief synopsis barely breaks the surface of this grandiose, all-round extremely satisfying epic film.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is an unprecedented milestone of contemporary moviemaking. If The Two Towers raised the bar with its epic battles, then The Return of the King knocks the bar cleanly out of the ground! This is so much more than just a simple fantasy epic, in fact this is multi-faceted tale about the strength of character, friendship, loyalty and love. Each shot is sizzling with visual elegance...the special effects are nothing short of breathtaking! Every battle is truly monumental in its sheer scale, as well as exciting and intense. Previously, I briefly touched on the emotionally-straining moments that this film has to offer. The cast pull off these moments beautifully and I was extremely close to tears more than once during the movie. There are several truly moving moments that still give me goose bumps at the simple thought of them. These moments are fuelled by not only the motivating performances, but the score courtesy of composer Howard Shore. The composer was recognised with an Oscar and I plainly cannot quibble with this decision. The music retains the elegance of the visuals, and even makes the epic battles look even grander.

There are only a few new additions to the cast that are introduced here, the most notable being Australian actor John Noble as Denethor who rules Minas Tirith with an iron fist. The Oscar committee barely gave any recognition to the actors (only awarding Ian McKellen with a nomination for Fellowship). I guess with so many people in the cast it'd be impossible to choose one or two for a nomination. Andy Serkis is one member of the cast that deserves particular credit. He's hidden behind digital make-up, but each line he delivers is potent and really hits home. The acting from Elijah Wood is truly a triumph to behold. His performance required a great degree of emotion to portray the ring's power to corrupt. His performance was critical in order to display the ring's influence, which needless to say is absolute. Each character has their own personal demon to confront, and each undergoes their own inner journey. Every cast member does their job stunningly.

The Return of the King has of course been filmed in Peter Jackson's homeland of New Zealand. The Kiwi landscape is vast and beautiful. Whenever one views the film we're taking a step inside the gorgeous land of Middle Earth. Peter Jackson is a visionary, and like all the preceding films the attention and care to every conceivable detail is incredible.

The Fellowship of the Ring is a build up with an even share of action and exposition. The Two Towers is more exposition and build up followed by some action. With The Return of the King, the build up is definitely worth it...every second. The exposition has already been established in the other films, so this film is short on exposition and instead stocks a great supply of action scenes that are truly a cinematic marvel. The battles are lengthy but never suffer from over-length...each second is as intense as the one preceding it. Then the conclusion to the film is wholly satisfying. Some people complain about "too many endings". Okay, so there were many instances when the film could have ended but instead moved onto something else. Fair enough, but I mean this trilogy has already gone for like 9 hours...they can't wrap everything up in a hurry and leave plot holes or stories that haven't been concluded. Instead of rushing everything, each second is lovingly created in all aspects: filming, editing, colour scheme, special effects, acting, scripting, etc. The best part is that this end remains faithful to Tolkien's original novel. Thus the fans needn't worry...for the novel has been properly transferred to the medium of film.

There are far too many pointless and vain arguments between the haters and the lovers of the trilogy. The bottom line is that we're all entitled to our own opinion, and we can't all agree. Thus labelling Peter Jackson's masterpiece as "overrated" only proves that you are too narrow-minded to accept the fact that you are just a component of the minority that disagrees with the majority.

Overall, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the crowning achievement of the fantasy genre. In terms of a conventional fantasy with wizards, magic and mythical creatures, this is as good as a fantasy film can get! Since 2003 this film has been my favourite of all time. In the number of years since the first time I saw it, I have never seen a film that can top the quality and escapism of this masterpiece. All three Lord of the Rings films score top marks from me, which is a rarity when it comes to a trilogy or series. All three films are truly an unfathomably excellent work of art. J.R.R. Tolkien's legacy that was preserved on pages is now preserved on film for the audiences of the contemporary age. The Return of the King is one of the most finely tuned and cinematically perfect films ever made. Winner of 11 Oscars including Best Picture 2003, Best Director, Best Visual Effects, Best Makeup, Best Score among others. Also available in an extended edition that adds 50 minutes to the experience.

10.0/10

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Bored of the Rings

Posted : 1 year, 11 months ago on 16 November 2007 05:30 (A review of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)

This film kept my interest longer than the other two, but it was still the same cut and paste formuula of individual struggle followed by EPIC battle, followed by a display of humanities resolve. One thing that annoyed me more than anything else about this entire trilogy is that Peter Jackson, as a director, hasn't seemed to bring much to the forefront in terms of imagination, individuality or ingenuity.

I honestly feel that you could give the average joe on the street the lord of the rings book trilogy, a gazillion pound budget and the right cast and crew and he'd come up with something exactly the same as this. PJ is a director who should be making the films special and memorable in his own style, I think he's just transformed book to film and then rubbed his hands and watched the money roll in. Granted he produced some epic battles and has given the trilogy some grand scope, but then again with a hundred men and the right budget, so could anybody.

I didn't even think the music was anything special. It just goes to show that the second and third films only have a higher rating because of the huge battle scenes in them. The rest of the story is as mundane as it gets on the big screen. What was the deal with the ending of this film too? It had about 5 perfect places to stop in a row. But carried on. I've never understood the fanatacism that follows the trilogy.

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Great Movie!

Posted : 2 years, 1 month ago on 18 September 2007 03:34 (A review of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)

It still doesnt beat the second movie in this trilogy, but its right up there in my favourite movies. It is well cast with a great story line, and I will say again that The Lord of the Rings is one of the best fantasy series out there.

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never able to read the Lord of the Rings

Posted : 2 years, 5 months ago on 24 May 2007 11:15 (A review of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)

Lord of the Rings 3: the Return of the King-2003 +Fellowship of the Ring & the Two Towers
“I remember reading “the Hobbit” when I was a kid and loving it, but try as I might I was never able to read the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I saw the cartoons, but just couldn’t get through the books. I’m so very glad that Peter Jackson gave us this translation of it. He made a trilogy that raises the bar because so far this is the greatest Fantasy Epic ever made. Easily better than any Star Wars movie. The extended DVD’s are well worth watching, but the theatrical versions just might have a better flow to them. I highly recommend either or both versions.”


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Extended Version!

Posted : 2 years, 6 months ago on 20 April 2007 05:14 (A review of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)

First let me say that if you haven't watched the extended edition DVD, then you haven't seen the whole story. There are many crucial and really big holes in the theatrical version. The EE DVD fills in most of those holes and provides continuity for the story line and for character development, e.g., Eomer (Karl Urban), Eowyn (Miranda Otto), Boromir (Sean Bean), Faramir (David Wenham), Denethor (John Noble) and Grima Wormtongue (Brad Dourif). The Mouth of Sauron (Bruce Spence) is a particularly intriguing (and ghastly) character who is left entirely out of the theatrical version. Secondly, this is the only flick that I've ever dusted off and watched so many times that I can't count them. I'm talking about the entire trilogy, of course. The unfortunate thing about such an epic motion picture is that some of the actors may spend the rest of their lives making themselves believable in other roles. Karl Urban won't be one of those, however. His role in The Bourne Supremacy was very believable...and of course he had an entirely different look, which helps immensely. I'll close by saying that I think that one of the most inspiring sequences in the trilogy is when Aragorn prepares and dresses for battle at Helm's Deep. Two of the saddest scenes are when Boromir dies close to the end of Fellowship while acknowledging Aragorn as his brother, his captain, his king...and when Haldir (Craig Parker) dies at Helm's Deep while fleetingly surveying his Elven Dead on the battlements.

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Extended version!

Posted : 2 years, 6 months ago on 20 April 2007 05:12 (A review of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)

First let me say that if you haven't watched the extended edition DVD, then you haven't seen the whole story. There are many crucial and really big holes in the theatrical version. The EE DVD fills in most of those holes and provides continuity for the story line and for character development, e.g., Eomer (Karl Urban), Eowyn (Miranda Otto), Boromir (Sean Bean), Faramir (David Wenham), Denethor (John Noble) and Grima Wormtongue (Brad Dourif). The Mouth of Sauron (Bruce Spence) is a particularly intriguing (and ghastly) character who is left entirely out of the theatrical version. Secondly, this is the only flick that I've ever dusted off and watched so many times that I can't count them. I'm talking about the entire trilogy, of course. The unfortunate thing about such an epic motion picture is that some of the actors may spend the rest of their lives making themselves believable in other roles. Karl Urban won't be one of those, however. His role in The Bourne Supremacy was very believable...and of course he had an entirely different look, which helps immensely. I'll close by saying that I think that one of the most inspiring sequences in the trilogy is when Aragorn prepares and dresses for battle at Helm's Deep. Two of the saddest scenes are when Boromir dies close to the end of Fellowship while acknowledging Aragorn as his brother, his captain, his king...and when Haldir (Craig Parker) dies at Helm's Deep while fleetingly surveying his Elven Dead on the battlements.

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