ROTK reviews

[Elessar]

There have been some reviews circulating around the internet of people who have seen ROTK... here are the ones I've seen, and I'll try to update it with others that may come up.

All of these three come from Ain't it Cool News:

"I went to see The Return of the King tonight and it had an effect on me. It made my coffee taste better.

I loved Fellowship, but it didn’t add up to the book. I loved The Two Towers, and it tied the book. But Return of the King is a genuine improvement on the original book. Not that Jackson added things that rivaled the genius of Tolkien, but he went through the book with a highlighter and streamlined the epic so that the emotions come through clearer and it hit me over the head like a Dwarven hammer.

Return has a brilliant way of contrasting innocence and beauty with overt power and truly ugly acts. The theme is set up with a beautiful documentation of Smeagol’s brutal journey beginning with a fishing trip with Deagol. Jackson sets up this premise with simple whimsical country folk who go from fishing on a lush pond to brutal murder.

But unlike other movies that house awful brutality, Return contextualizes it in a way that makes it in no way gratuitous. I contrast this film with steaming turds of post-modernity like Kill Bill and Matrix Revolutions. All three films are loaded with battles, heroes and darkness, but Return gives them something real to fight for friendship, family and the meek who confound the intelligent elite who corner the market on overt power. All of my movie-lovin’ friends drooled over Kill Bill, and Return will embarrass anyone who attributed any post Pulp Fiction greatness to Tarantino. The curtain of Matrix Revolutions is pulled back and we find out that Neo may not even exist. Sthingy-bending and questioning reality is not the things heroes are made of.

Folks, we are in trouble. We have been blinded by low craftsmanship, low expectations and the ultimate dumbing down of the audience that the studios more than willingly are happy to underestimate. But Return could only be made by a 20th century devout Catholic who devoured Latin, Norse mythology, participated in WW1 and watched the horror of WW2 unfold before his eyes. Don’t look for moral-relativism in Return, it ain’t there. We see “good” men try to negotiate, understand or bargain with evil, and they are crushed and despised even more than the Orcs who may not have had a choice in the matter.

I can’t describe the joy of watching a Hobbit and his gardener dismantle the arrogant evil of their times. Sam, Frodo, Pippin, Merry, Eowyn and Strider the hippy turned King are the heroes of this story. These are all types of good people who do not live up to their potential and must go through the fires of Mordor before they are refined into humble but even more powerful warriors capable of destroying that which is seemingly impossible to destroy.

As a content creator in Hollywood, it was a joy to turn around and see the rest of the audience watching the screen WITH THEIR JAWS DROPPED OPEN (...) I saw Return of the King tonight and I was utterly humiliated. (...) All I can say is wait til’ you see The Passion.

After I saw Kill Bill, I had to take a shower. I poured myself a cup of coffee and it tasted worse. (...) Thank God Return came along at just the right time… a time that is hopefully, “The turning of the tide.”

I’m Dr. Ong"

Not sure that I agree that The Two Towers tied the book, but it's still an exciting review. I'll post the other reviews in seperate posts because it said that the post was too long.

[Elessar]

"Hey Harry --

Big fan of the site, never written before. On this of all days, I am thankful for many things. But what's really cause for thanksgiving is that I spent the afternoon watching The Return of the King at the DGA theater in Hollywood. After the disappointments of of the 2nd and 3rd Matrix (not to mention SW) and given all the expectation built into the capper of this trilogy, I leaned to my wife as the lights came down in the theater and said, I'm so nervous I could throw up. Thankfully, I kept the turkey, gravy and mashed taters down -- ROTK fulfills all expectations. I'm not sure exactly of the spoiler ettiquette here, so I'll just give overall thoughts...

The opening to the third movie is pretty different from that of the last two, but no less perfect for the story. It involves the origin of Gollum/Smeagol and a live performance by the brilliant Andy Serkis. Give that guy a special Oscar please. Ian McKellen is great again, and even though he gives his best performance in FOTR, still think he should get a statue. Merry and Pippen finally get to shine in this installment (even in the books I found the Treebeard story in Two Towers kind of yawn inducing) albeit in seperate ways. The battle for Minas Tirith is the centerpiece of the film -- it literally takes up at least an hour of the films 3 hour running time -- the highlight for me was Legolas single-handedly taking down one of those huge Oliphants. Seriously, this battle is so kick ass I wonder if Helm's Deep will now seem boring in comparison. It's probably not necessary to tell fans to watch the extended DVD of The Two Towers before seeing ROTK but the deleted Boromir-Faramir-Denethor sequence from that film really serves to enlighten one of ROTK's main plotlines. Shelob is great, wonderfully rendered, absolutely terrifying for those of us with arachnophobia. Loved the Eowyn story (how great are the females in these movies -- Arwen and Galadriel too). I guess my favorite part of the whole movie was finally getting to see Frodo and Sam make it to Mount Doom (I guess we did see a flashback in FOTR with Isildur and Elrond, but...) and the ensuing struggle to fulfil the quest.

Most importantly, this is the end of a nine hour cinematic journey, and that ending is completely satisfying, and also heartbreaking. It's silly, but I feel exactly how I felt when I finished the books -- I actually miss Frodo and Sam and the rest of the characters that are now so close to my heart.

My only real complaint about the film -- the lack of closure to the Saruman story. After all, he's the main bad guy for the first two films, and he only shows for a few short seconds. It's a hole that I hope will be filled by the extended cut, but I can't help but think that the deletion was a mistake. I guess we'll see next November. Also, as I was leaving the theater I heard some folks complain that it was one of those films that had six endings. My feeling is, at least all six were good. I've been through nine hours with these characters -- I want to see it wrapped up well. In fact if Jackson wanted to take an extra ten minutes to scoure The Shire, that'd've been alright with me.

But I can't complain, from Tolkien's incredibly detailed, laborious novels, Jackson's created faithful and fascinating cinema, and in my mind, the first truly seamless film trilogy in terms of quality. I'm gonna spend the rest of my life visiting Middle-Earth again and again. This was a great Thanksgiving.

If you use this, call me Jerry Aldini"

[Elessar]

"Hey Harry,

So yesterday got to see the new LOTR flick at the DGA, usually I see a lot of screenings with Mr. Beaks, and not to inflate his ego, but one of the main reasons I stopped writing is I think he does at least an average job....okay he can review flicks pretty well. But with Beaks currently traveling the country on a secret mission....otherwise known as Thansgiving, I decided to take a crack at what I just saw. Except rather than a full fledged review, I guess it turned into something else.

Frosty Skywalker

The journey has ended. As happy as I was to voyage back to the land of middle earth this morning, all I have left is sadness. Gone is my wonder and excitement of how this story will end. How is Frodo going to do this task? What will happen to Gandalf? Or the bigger issue in my mind, who will die? In case you cannot tell, I have not read the books. After watching The Fellowship of the Ring I knew I would read them, but after watching the films. Hearing my friends complain about what has been changed or left out, I decided to give Peter Jackson a chance to let him tell the story as a movie, and not let the books get in the way of my enjoyment. No film can do a book justice, and the inability for fans and critics who sometimes forget this basic fact is always quite frustrating. Now about me not reading ! the books, well this was quite possibly the best decision I have ever made. Over the past few winters I have entered a world that I did not know existed, outside of some friends who used to tell me what I was missing, I cared not for the land of Middle Earth, or for the plight of Frodo and his quest to destroy the ring. Now I feel like I was a simple Shire folk who never ventured out to see what was beyond my door.

I really want to thank Peter Jackson. No film as an adult has brought me back to the sense of wonder and enchantment that I remember feeling as a child. No film has made me forget about my troubles and worries, or really made me feel like I had traveled to a place that I could touch or feel. When I was a kid I had Star Wars, and while those films and the new prequels have an extremely special place in my heart, I now have a new favorite land. While watching Frodo finish his quest, I forgot about time, I forgot about hunger and I forgot about everything else based in reality. The great thing is I was not alone. Not a soul moved in the theater around me. No cell phone went off, no one was fidgeting in their seat. In fact in a three hour and twenty minute film I did not see one person stand up to use the bathroom. That fact alone should tell you how captivated everyone was.

How does a director manage to create a brilliant commercial vehicle that pleases your average filmgoer, yet to someone knowledgeable about how film really works, someone who knows that films are sometimes just happy accidents, how can they show the same film and please the critics and hard core fans? No matter if you cherish or despise the world of The Lord of the Rings, you have to take a moment and congratulate Peter Jackson and the work of all the people who clearly gave the blood and soul to a project that might never be equaled in our lifetime. If the Boston Red Sox cannot win a world series in over 80 years, how can we assume that in our modern age of big business and bottom line decisions, we will be able to recreate another story that can cause everyone, from the young and old, and all around the world, to fall in love in a fantasy universe.

I feel like I have traveled with Frodo on the quest, like I was the other member of the fellowship, and while my friend who watched the movie with me tonight felt that the ending carried on, I knew what I needed to see. When you become close to characters, when you have spent over 10 hours watching an epic unfold, you cannot just accomplish the mission and expect to close the curtains and get up and walk out of the theater. When the journey began we found Frodo and the Shire, we were painted a slow picture of Middle Earth and the surroundings, and at the end, we slowly leave our old friends to begin anew.

Things that really stood out today were of course a new Legolas drop your jaw I just did not see that moment. Legolas thought it would be a good idea to climb an elephant, with people riding in that top piece, and just go to town on the poor beast as it attacked. If you thought that moment of him climbing onto the moving horse with Gimli was coolÖ.you have seen nothing yet. The whole elephant attack was unreal, with people flying to and fro as the tusks dug into everyone. The attack on Gondor was an hour or so (lost track of all time) of blistering action and amazing effects that we have all come to expect from these films. Something I found unintentionally amusing was the Orc leader might have been Slothís brother from The Goonies, something to look for when watching. I really do not want to give away anything more, almost everyone who reads this s! ite is planning on visiting a movie theater opening weekend, and this is honestly a journey that everyone should take. While talking to someone tonight at dinner I told him how the film ends and he said that it is really close to the same as the book, outside of a few things, most notably Sauraman having control of the Shire.

I usually can see a film and immediately tell you what was wrong, or what could be better. In fact I know most of us can. With the film today I just do not know. Could things have been done better? Was the pacing at the beginning a little off? Did it take about forty five minutes or so to find the groove? Or were my expectations so high that I would need to see god in the theater to be happy. Probably. The truth is this is a movie, and a great one at that. I guess there is a lot of buildup with everyone, including myself, who really want to see the film win Best Picture, and get all the mainstream recognition that the trilogy truly deserves. Is this film Best Picture material? I think that is the one question I was asked at dinner more than anything else. My unbiased answer is yes, especially the way the first film was robbed by A Garbage Mind. But the academy is a weird bunch, and while this ! might be the best film of the year (who really can say what is the best picture), with the previous two and the fact that this is a really great movie, it will probably win based on the combination of the three. I really cannot say until I see the other big guns in the next few weeks. As it stands right now, Best Picture is New Lines, but I am still a little nervous.

Passion. True passion comes from the heart. When we see art from a painting to a sculpture, from an actor working for the work, or a volunteer giving because they want to, passion in what you do shines like the sun breaking through a rainy day. The Lord of the Rings displays a passion that I have not seen in possibly my entire life of watching films. Mind you there are many brilliant directors who each have a passion to share, but this is quite different. The passion that I see from the smallest detail to the largest miniature might never be reached again. Hatís off to everyone who made these movies. I love them, and I want to thank you for making them as good as they are.

Frosty"

[Arwen Evenstar]

Oh, those were wonderful! Thanks for posting them! Although, I think it made me more anxious to see RotK, if that's even possible!

[Brannwen]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Elessar for those reviews. I liked the first one the most I think because of how it talked about other movies. I so agree about the LotR hero/Matrix hero part. Although I do like the Matrix, in LotR the heros and reasons for everything were SOOOO much better. Could you give me the link for that first review please? (if you still have it) Thanks again.

[Elessar]

No problem! I'll actually PM the link to you if you still want it, if that's ok, as I'm not sure the full review is entirely "board friendly," especially the part where users can respond to the review, which has some pretty bad language.

Here's another Ain't it Cool review:

Harry~

This is my first time EVER writing a review. Here goes...

I saw the DG screening of RotK yesterday and I would like to give you one female's perspective. If you haven't read the books be forewarned - I do give some things away.

I loved the movie. It was a satisfying end to the trilogy. Gandalf is impressive, the king returns, Merry and Pippin are separated and each have a chance at valor, Legolas is studly in battle, Sam gives another moving performance, Gimli is great comic releif, you get to see Bilbo again, etc. I literally jumped in my seat several times - even though I knew what was coming. The cinematography, the music, the acting...all in keeping with the epic scope of this story. PJ does an excellent job, once again, of bringing it to life.

The movie is largely faithful to the book...except there's a line in the movie that claims that Arwen's fate is somehow linked to the fate of the ring - i.e. she'll die if the ring isn't destroyed - which I don't remember in the book - am I wrong here? Also I think the movie puts too much emphasis on the help of "the dead" in the battle at Minas Tirith - I realize the battle could not have been won without them, just as it couln't have been won without the riders of Rohan or the Eagles, but the movie makes it seem like "the dead" could have won the battle on their own – that doesn't ring true to me. Overall, VERY minor things.

Indeed, after viewing the second movie, the Two Towers, for the first time, I was amazed at what a good job Jackson did in editing this massive and seemingly convoluted book down to something that could be enthusiastically followed by most moviegoers. Obviously cuts were necessary but the way he made the heart of the story come to life really surprised me. In my opinion that was perhaps his greatest feat of the trilogy- Fellowship is easier to grasp on its own, and RotK is the climax so it has that going for it. The second part of any trilogy is the hardest in some respects.

Now let's get specific...

The opening sequence with Gollum's history is very satisfying for those who have read the book, however it does not necessarily make him more sympathetic, indeed he is less sympathetic in this movie than he was in the last. The part he ultimately plays in the end is well portrayed, but, even after all the build up in the second movie about his possible role, once it happens it is never revisited. Just a simple "Well, looks like Gollum did play a part after all," would have been enough - instead it was almost as if he had never existed.

I agree with Aldini the ommission of Saruman's demise is disappointing. When evil is defeated in the end it is not quite as rewarding as it could be because it is this nameless faceless evil and not a flesh and blood character that is destroyed. Indeed, the fall of the evil eye almost seems comic...you decide.

There was one battle between good and evil that was entirely satifying - the one between Eowyn and the Lord of the Nazgul. She defeats the evil creature in a marvelous show of bravery. Then the event is completely forgotten for the rest of the movie! Here is a bad guy the audience loves to hate – everyone cheered when he fell. So Saruman is ommitted...here is a chance to really enjoy the defeat of evil. Good. And yet it isn't mentioned again! You don't even see Eowyn again until the very end and even then she neither speaks nor is spoken to.

Frankly, there was another deletion that I felt hurt the movie - the union of Faramir and Eowyn. They are standing together at the end of the movie - a quick nod towards those who have read the books, but for those who have not it is meaningless. The joining of the kingdoms of Gondor and Rohan is nothing to overlook. And after all these two characters have suffered, the audience deserves to see them happy. Bad call. I hope there is something in the extended cut - does anyone know? If you haven't seen the extended cut of Two Towers DO! After viewing it I felt the terrible gaps in Faramir's story were definitely filled in.

There ARE half a dozen endings too this movie but it isn't like there is one twist after another - Aldini's statement could have been misinterpretted this way. The ending is just in keeping with Tolkein's style. One farewell speech after another as the members of the Fellowship go their separate ways. Closure upon closure upon closure - it is, after all, a very long story.

Overall, very good, definitely deserves Oscar consideration. I am glad this collosal and magnificent story was finally made accessible for the masses. The books are still amazing.

Call me Elle Woods.

[Laurewen Undomiel]

What?! Faramir...not...with...Eowyn.........

-_-
Thanks for the reviews though. Makes me more impatient for the day to arrive!

[Elessar]

Hopefully that will be in the EE!

From the same site:

Hi Harry,

I was fortunate enough to see a media screening of ROTK last night at The Lowe's Kips Bay theater in New York City. I've never sent you a review before but after reading the reviews you posted so far I felt I needed to. Although ultimately positive, most of these reviews have felt underwhelming. If anyone were to ask my opinion (which I know they are not) I was expecting to see movie history made with ROTK. I was expecting to see the movie event of the past 10 years. I was expecting to be blown away so to speak. These are probably the highest expectations I've ever placed on a film before. It would seem that I was setting myself up for disappointment. Ever since the Phantom Menace I've had to adjust (lower) my expectations for films. But I couldn't do that this time. I had to go in with my emotions at full throttle. These films have meant too much. And almost unbelievably, ROTK fulfilled all of my expectations and then some.

ROTK is an exquisite film. By far the best of its genre. By far the best film of the year so far. It is absolutely incredible. It's mindblowing, exhilirating, moving, and exhausting (in a good way). The scope of the film is massive and yet the character moments are intimate. The film is such an accomplishment on so many different levels, I will be shocked if it doesnt clean up at the Oscars. Whew! Ok, let me get a hold of myself again.

When I walked out of TTT a year or so ago, the first things that came out of my mouth were the problems I had with the film: Sam and Frodo not having enough screentime, Shelob being moved to ROTK, Faramir's character not being fleshed out enough (they should not have cut the flashback of Faramir, Boromir, and Denethor). But when my buddies and I walked out of the theater last night we walked in quiet awe for a few minutes. Then one of my friends looked at me and asked "what was your favorite moment?" What followed was an hour long conversation of all of our favorite moments in the film. They were so many great moments in the that we couldn't recall them all. I remembered seeing something great in the film and thinking I'm gonna talk about that later and then not being able to recall what it was. It really is that overwhelming.

Before I get into spoilers I just want to say that the most important aspect of the film for me was that, like the books, ROTK really centered on the hobbits. They all get there time to shine and rightly so. The story is after all about the smallest person being able to to make the biggest difference.

Ok, onto spoilers. I know some of you need spoilers like Gollum needs the ring, so here goes...

Scenes and moments that I loved: The opening scene and transformation of smeagol to gollum is great, please give andy serkis a nod academy. Pippen stealing the palantir from an ever watchful gandalf-the wizard sleeps with his eyes open. Gandalfs arrival in Minas Tirith with trumpets blaring- Minas tirith is something to see. Pippen singing to Denethor while Faramir leads a doomed charge towards Osgiliath. PJ's nod to The Goonie's Sloth (you'll know it when you see it). Gollum turning Frodo against Sam by tossing the rest of their food away-Sams response to Frodo's order here should get Sean Astin nominated. If there is a clear actor nomination for Return it is Sean Astin. Gandalf knocking out Denethor-"RETREEEEEAT!!"-THUNK!.

I warned you about spoilers-I'm going deep now. Gandalf going nuts wth his staff and sword to protect Pippen. The charge of the Rohirrm agaist the standing army. Their second charge agaist the oliphaunts-suicidal stuff. Ok, onto the great stuff- The witch king knocking the hell out of Theoden. Everyone flees and the only one who stands their ground is Eowyn. It is one of the most powerful moments. The slow pan down the witchking's giant mace-killer stuff. I almost thought PJ screwed up when Frodo seemingly got out of Shelob's den alive. It is set up perfectly though. Shelobs sneak attack had people gasping, and Sams battle with the spider is awesome. Once again you will be cheering for Sam throughout. You will hear everyone talk about Legolas singlehandedly taking out an Oliphaunt and yes its quite a site to see. Gimli's line afterwards makes it even better. Denethor's descent in flames. A surprisingly moving moment is Gandalf's explanation of the Life after death to Pippen-and it happens in the middle of a huge battle. The return of Aragorn and the army of the dead cleaning up the walls of Minas Tirith. Sam deciding that he can't carry his master's burden but he can carry him up the slopes of mount doom. Gollum's joy and dancing when he finally gets the ring back- he truly dies a happy gollum. The destruction of the eye.

And the most powerful moment in the movie for me came near the end: So good I dont want to spoil it: A line that Aragorn speaks to the 4 hobbits-once again you'll know it. A lot will be said to the length of the film's ending. It is quite long. I'm not sure if we needed to see Sam getting married but it didnt bother me. Remember we are wrapping up 3 films here.

Ok I've got to get back to work but I'm glad I got that out there. I hope other people enjoy the film as much as I did. I can't believe I have to wait 2 and a half weeks to see it again.

Thanks Harry, You can call me T-gun.

[Brannwen]

arg...that review made me more impatient than ever. (but in a good way.

[Elessar]

Return of the King a spectacular triumph
08 December 2003

The Lord Of The Rings trilogy of films is brought to a rousing end with The Return Of The King.


To quote Gandalf, after The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers the board is set and the pieces in motion. In just over three hours New Zealand director Peter Jackson ties up the loose ends of J R R Tolkien's fantasy classic in a sweeping, epic movie.

Where Return Of the King succeeds is by following in Tolkien's footsteps and telling the story of huge events through the perspective of the smallest participants - in this case, hobbits.

In the astonishing battle scene at the heart of the film Jackson frequently swerves from the grand view to that of Merry (Dominic Monaghan) or Pippin (Billy Boyd), hence heightening the effect of the crowd shots.

The first hour of Return Of The King sets the scene for the battle of Pelennor Fields.

Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen) and Pippin arrive at Minas Tirith - a towering city, much of which was actually built for the film, with the remainder being filmed using a 1/72nd scale model - to witness the slow mental disintegration of its guardian Denethor, played with relish by Australian theatre veteran David Noble.

Gandalf is forced to take command of the city, a situation which allows McKellen the chance to bring a new dimension to a character he has played wonderfully well in each of the three films.

Meanwhile, the forces of Rohan are gathering to ride to Gondor's aid. However, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) chooses to find Gondor aid in a different direction, trekking the Paths of the Dead to raise a ghostly force reminiscent of some of the effects in Jackson's previous film, The Frighteners.

When the three forces collide with the armies of Mordor, the tour de force of the three films is played out.

The Battle of Pelennor Fields completely dwarfs in scale and ambition the other major battles in The Lord Of The Rings, and like Saving Private Ryan before it will set a standard for conflict on celluloid few movies will match.

The initial siege of Minas Tirith is exciting enough, with huge boulders raining down on the city and smashing masonry and citizenry. However, once the cavalry of Rohan arrives the battle is turned.

The massed charge of the horse soldiers has almost as big an impact on the audience as it does on the orcs, with it feeling as if the onrushing army will burst out of the screen and into the audience.

Mordor has cavalry of its own though, and the arrival of its war elephants is a marvellous digital effect which - like much of the computer-generated trickery in the three films fits seamlessly alongside live action.

Gondor's triumph is much against the odds, which the film makes abundantly clear. It also doesn't shirk away from the terrors of war - which is where the hobbits' perspective of the battle is so effective.

While Pippin and Merry are coping with their fears, their fellow Shire-folk Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) are marching into Mordor with only the tricky Gollum (Andy Serkis) for company.

Their story poses Jackson the same trouble as it posed Tolkien - how to weave it into events happening on the other side of Ephel Duath. An additional problem Jackson has is that much of Frodo and Sam's journey involved painful tramping, which doesn't make for gripping cinema.

While their journey to Mount Doom may feel truncated, Astin and Wood make up for it with outstanding performances which readily translate the agony of the march to Mordor. They are particularly outstanding during their duel with the giant spider Shelob - a truly terrifying creation set to become one of the classic movie monsters.

The final moments on the slopes of Mount Doom are well played out, bringing the trilogy to a suitably emotional finish.

As with the first two films, there will be moments Tolkien devotees will earnestly debate, with some sections of the books omitted or altered.

Many will regret Jackson's decision to omit the scouring of the Shire from the Return Of The King – although including it would have made for a film much longer than studio executives would have permitted.

The demise of Saruman (Christopher Lee) was also allegedly cut due to time constraints, but having been a central figure in the first two films it is unfortunate he shuffles off-stage unseen.

However, for having tackled the allegedly impossible task of bringing Middle Earth's many fantastic sights and citizens to life so successfully, most will forgive Jackson such decisions. It is now possible to view the three films as one movie, and the three combined are a spectacular triumph.

The devotion of cast and crew to Tolkien's work shines through, and through their dedication movie history has been made.

[Elessar]

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (review)
By Claire Harvey
December 08, 2003
After seven years of speculation, the final secrets of the film version of Lord of the Rings can today be revealed.

The strict embargo signed in hobbit's blood by all journalists who have seen The Return of the King lifts this morning, ending the agony for fantasy nuts who have been digging for the details of director Peter Jackson's trilogy since he began work in 1996.

The good news is that this film, the third instalment in the trilogy, is staggeringly impressive. It does everything bigger, and most things better, than the first two movies.

It's worth seeing even if you hate fantasy-fiction, even if you got stuck on page five of The Hobbit, even if you thought Bilbo was an endangered chocolate marsupial.

The battles roar from the cinema speakers, medieval in their bloodlust, tightly paced and choreographed.

One thrilling war scene, where the Rohan cavalry gallops across Middle Earth, swords and shields glinting in the sunlight, is simply beautiful.

New Zealand's stunning mountain tops glow above the clouds in another scene, as a string of flaming beacons is lit across Middle Earth to call the forces of good to battle.

The performances of actors such as Sean Astin, playing the hobbit Samwise Gamgee, are so touching that even a cinema of hardened hacks was snuffling before the 200 minutes were up.

Australian stars shine in this film, including David Wenham as the ranger Faramir, and Miranda Otto, whose character Eowyn becomes an Orc-slaying action heroine.

The Australian contingent is led by veteran Adelaide theatre actor and producer John Noble, who hopes audiences do not simply loathe his character, the tortured villain Denethor, twisted by desire for the enchanted Ring.

"I worked my arse off to make him a real person," Noble said. "On screen (he) appears to be a fairly vile man, but I understand him totally. I felt every pain that that man felt."

There is romance, too; the bond between Liv Tyler's elf princess Arwen and the warrior Aragorn, played by Viggo Mortensen, develops to make this film far more complete than the first two pictures.

Special effects creator Richard Taylor has crafted a world that looks astonishingly real.

One of the film's best shots is wizard Gandalf, played by Ian McKellen, charging on horseback through the steep, narrow, cobbled streets of the fortified city Minas Tirith.

"He's been to the osteopath," Sir Ian said of Gandalf, who takes on the fight against evil with new energy.

On screen it looks like the producers must have actually constructed a city with the proportions of Dubrovnik, but in fact, when The Australian visited the Rings set in June, Minas Tirith was a polystyrene miniature about 3m high, being painted by two tousle-haired Kiwis in jeans.

It is cinematic alchemy; as if the film-makers have taken a few paddle-pop sticks and a disposable Esky and created the Death Star.

Of course there are flaws; some appallingly corny dialogue and the odd silly stunt.

But this movie is satisfying and great fun, and among the occasionally cheesy dialogue are some memorable lines.

"A day may come when the courage of men fails," warrior-king Aragorn tells his massed army as it prepares for an attack that seems impossible. "It is not this day. This day, we fight."


"appalingly corny"?? But still a positive review.  

[Elessar]

The Return of the King: Jackson's crowning glory

08.12.2003 With its sense of spectacle and its dramatic depth, 'The Return of the King' confirms Peter Jackson's 'The Lord of the Rings' as the greatest movie trilogy of all time, writes RUSSELL BAILLIE.
(Herald rating: * * * * * )

We come to it at last, the great film of our time. The film which makes the heart leap, the tears flow, the adrenaline race like never before.

The film which makes you laugh out loud, cower in fear, feel dizzy with vertigo, and at the end - and be warned, it sure does takes its time to finish - feel exhausted, dazed and slightly thankful it's all over. At least, until those compulsory further viewings.

It's the one that makes you wonder: how did we get so hooked up in this imaginary world with its labyrinthine legends and its allusions to everything from The Bible to British history, its creatures great and small, its grand scheme of things.

Well, if memory serves, there were two films before this - in my book, one brilliant, one not quite so, in that order - and a certain hefty work of fiction before that.

So far as his history-making adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's book goes, Peter Jackson and his crew have saved the best and the boldest for last. And that's despite the final third of Tolkien's original work being where his story unravels.

Performance-wise, many of Jackson's cast - some of whom were previously sideline characters - shine like never before.

Among them Sean Astin as Frodo's companion Sam, whose character becomes something much more than the loyal simpleton of earlier episodes.

Likewise, Billy Boyd as Pippin gains in stature and sings a couple of songs while he's at it. Also outstanding is Bernard Hill as King Theoden, whose character has transformed from a wizened Lear to a heroic Henry V. He also delivers one of the great speeches to the troops ever committed to celluloid.

Some characters do fall by the wayside: Liv Tyler's Arwen becomes a passive near-sleeping beauty, while Eowyn (Miranda Otto), her rival for Aragorn's affections, gets to swing a very big sword.

There are more deeper, darker Shakespearean overtones to this, as Middle-earth politics, loyalties and blood ties become more complex.

That resonates especially in the sub-plot involving the Steward of Gondor, Denethor (John Noble) and Faramir (David Wenham), the son he wished were dead rather than his slain brother Boromir.

The Return of the King may be following several strands of story - part of the slight undoing of the previous film, The Two Towers - but here it interweaves them with deft precision, using what it needs from the previous books and pacing most of its long running time in exact swings of tension and release.

That's right from the opening sequence, in which we meet Smeagol in his pre-Gollum days and are reminded of the devastating power of the ring, as well as seeing a little more of where actor Andy Serkis ends and the magic of Weta Digital begins.

We are every stumbling step of the way with Frodo, Sam and Gollum as they head towards Mt Doom. We're also there, with the rest of the scattered fellowship, preparing for the showdown against the mounting might of Sauron.

"We come to it at last, the great battle of our time," says McKellen's Gandalf as he sees the forces mount on the vertiginous city of Minas Tirith. It is a great battle. It makes The Return of the King a great war movie - the thrill of the horse charge of the Rohan warriors, the chill caused by the devastating stomp of the elephant-like Mumakils as they counter-attack.

It takes a certain matinee idol elf to bring one down in an eye-popping action sequence. It's topped off with a priceless one-liner by his short mate Gimli.

The Battle of Pelennor fields also comes with troll-powered catapults, and pterodactyl-like beasts piloted by Nazgul led by the Witch-king Angmar, the baddest of the Lord of the Rings baddies yet, though he has some competition from Orc captain Gothmog whose visage seems a tribute to the Elephant Man.

Both are played by Lawrence Makoare who played orc Lurtz in the first film. If there's a prize for most makeup-tolerant actor, he deserves it.

If it's a great war movie, it's quite a horror film, too. First there's the Army of the Dead who are summoned by the man who would be king, Aragorn, for the final showdown. Some business to do with an old curse apparently, but they are a visually arresting bunch whose special effects hark back to Jackson's The Frighteners.

Then there's Shelob, the giant spider into whose lair Frodo is led by the treacherous Gollum. It could have gone all very B-movie at this point, but with the combination of creature and choreography, it's something more akin to Alien.

But there are visual moments that are arresting for their simple beauty, such as the lighting of the beacons - mountain-top bonfires which presumably used the Southern Alps as their backdrop and on screen look like a high-concept art piece.

As in the book, it does take a while to find its ending, even without including episodes such as the scouring of the Shire, which were discarded by Jackson and his co-writers.

If it takes a while to wrap up, then again it is the ending to what is effectively one very big movie. It should be allowed a few curtain calls.

If it takes its time to roll the end credits, for much of the film it is beyond exhilarating and certainly the best of the three, effectively elevating the series into the greatest trilogy in cinema history.

Peter Jackson started off filming a legend. Now he is one.

[Elessar]

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
Directed by Peter Jackson
Starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen

Well, it's back. The film event of the millennium — three superb films re-creating J.R.R. Tolkien's epic series of novels — reaches its climax with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. For the third December in a row, the year is capped with a robust cinematic retelling of the war of Middle-earth, as the hobbit Frodo (Wood) and his fellowship of humans, elves, dwarfs and the wizard Gandalf (McKellen) surge into battle against the dark power of Mordor's Lord Sauron.

The king in the story is the hunky human warrior Aragorn (Mortensen). But Jackson is the true lord of these Rings. The New Zealand auteur spent seven years on the trilogy, collaborating on the scripts with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. He chose and directed this perfect cast, orchestrated the smashing visual effects — Tolkien's bestiary on the march in fantastical realms. In Return, the giant trolls, four-tusked elephants and flying, screeching serpents of Mordor will amaze adults and may startle small children. The spider monster Shelob, creeping up on Frodo and mummifying him in a silken straitjacket, offers a delicious horror-movie frisson.

Viewers don't play this movie like a video game. They are seduced to live inside it. In one brilliant visualization, the hobbit Pippin (Billy Boyd) manages to light a bonfire at the top of Gondor to alert his distant comrades to a military victory. On a far hill, a second fire is lit, its flame echoed on farther mountaintops, on and on into the dawn. At last, it's wartime.

The Ring films, like Master and Commander, celebrate old-fashioned martial virtues: honor, duty, comradeship, sacrifice — soldiering on, under an immense, sapping burden. Though the trilogy percolates with bracing adventure, it is a testament to the long slog of any war. Pain streaks the faces of the film's stalwart warriors. They know the enormity of their foe and know that the child hobbit who bears the Ring is far from them — surely in peril, perhaps lost forever. At one point Aragorn asks Gandalf, "What does your heart tell you?" and in a little movie epiphany, the wizard's face briefly warms, brightens, and he says, "That Frodo is alive."

The boldly choreographed battles are really a diversion from the story's great drama: three little people — Frodo, his companion Sam (Sean Astin) and the ex-hobbit Gollum (Andy Serkis and a lot of CGI geniuses) on their way to Mount Doom with a mission to destroy the Ring. Cringing and crafty, Gollum is the rebellious servant, subverting Sam's selfless impulses, trying to twist allegiance of the pallid, ailing Frodo away from his friend. (So poignant are Gollum's turbid emotions, and so persuasively is this computer critter integrated with the live performers, that he deserves a special acting Oscar for Best ... Thing.) The devotion of Sam is inspiring. His plea to Frodo--"Don't go where I can't follow!"--makes him the film's real hero.

At 3 hr. 20 min., The Return of the King occasionally slows to a trot. There's a long middle passage where half a dozen characters in turn muse and fret at length. After the climax there's a plethora of meetings and farewells, most of them extended versions of the goodbyes in The Wizard of Oz. But Jackson is entitled. He surely felt that he and his companions of the Ring had waged their own hard, heroic battle and that sentimental adieus were earned.

They are, too. The second half of the film elevates all the story elements to Beethovenian crescendo. Here is an epic with literature's depth and opera's splendor — and one that could be achieved only in movies. What could be more terrific?

This: in some theaters, the Ring trilogy will be shown back to back to back. What a 9-hr. 17-min. trip — three huge installments, one supreme enthrallment. Ecstasy trumps exhaustion in the reliving of a great human quest, a cinematic triumph. --By Richard Corliss

[Elessar]

"Triumphant return
Des Partridge
08dec03

But wait, you have 3 hours 22 minutes of producer-director Peter Jackson's The Return of the King, the final instalment of his history-making "simulsequeling" of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books to get to Tolkien's famous conclusion.

"Simulsequeling"? That's the term being applied to Jackson's technique of making a nine-hour plus treatment of Tolkien's cult books during a 16-month continous shoot in New Zealand, before releasing three separate event movies 12 months apart.

There was The Fellowship of the Ring on Boxing Day, 2001; The Two Towers kept us enthralled last Boxing Day, and now the final movie of the three is almost upon us, also releasing throughout Australia this Boxing Day.

Roadshow Distributors report that the first film took $45 million across Australia, with Two Towers eclipsing that performance with $47 million passed across ticket boxes.

They're tipping a $50 million result for the final chapter, and who's to doubt their prediction?

This is the movie every Lord of the Rings fan, or moviegoer who has been converted to the fellowship by the first two films, has been waiting for, and, happily, it won't disappoint.

Tolkien's themes of courage and loyalty (and hope for the survival of the human race after global war, which initially inspired the author) are to the fore in a thoroughly satisfying movie, presuming you've kept up so far and seen the earlier instalments that set the ground for what happens here.

As with the earlier films, don't be deterred by the simple statistic of its length. Once again Jackson and his team absolutely transport you beyond concerns about its pacing, and you don't notice the hours, let alone the minutes, ticking by.

Jackson, who has emerged from relative obscurity as a Kiwi filmmaker with a weird sense of humour to strut the international stage as one of the most respected directors of our time, understands film.

He has a big story to wrap up, the characters are by now all familiar, so no wasted time with exposition on getting to know you, and he never for a moment lets the movie slow down. It unfolds with the majesty and power of all great movie experiences.

The result is we have an epic that sets a new benchmark for battle sequences – and these battle sequences set such a standard the producers of forthcoming historical epics such as Troy and Alexander the Great must be wondering how they're going to top them.

It's not only the battle sequences that make this film stand out. The final hour of The Return of the King is an emotional roller-coaster (as devoted readers of the books will know).

There's a big emotional scene, and if you believe that's the end of the journey, think again. This happens not once, but three or four times (and I can't really recall because I was drying my eyes much of the time).

Many tears are going to be shed before audiences hear Annie Lennox's haunting theme, Into the West that supports the hobbits' farewells – and the end of this remarkable series of films as a significant character sails into the west.

Despite the number of key characters involved in the final chapters of the saga, Jackson manages to provide time for all.

There is a notable part of the books relating to the Shire missing from the conclusion, but these and other missing elements that cult devotees may feel disappointed about are to be included in the extended DVD version (which will add an hour or more to the film's length).

Rather than simply carry on from where The Two Towers ended, Jackson and the writers (his partner, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens) spring a surprise at the beginning.

They return to Smeagol/Gollum (Andy Serkis) for a tranquil introduction, a fishing moment, that speedily turns dramatic.

The mission by the barefoot hobbit, Frodo (Elijah Wood) to dispose of the ring in the Dark Lord Sauron's fiery cauldron on Mt Doom in Mordor with help from the gardener Sam (Sean Astin, who gets much more of the limelight in this instalment) is full of incident.

Much of the tension involves the CGI (computer generated imagery) wizardry that has made Gollum, constantly desiring his "precious", such a remarkable feature of the series.

As forces rally across the wide screen to stave off Sauron's bid to wipe out the human kingdom in the Battle of Pelennor Fields, Jackson offers more than a war story spectacularly staged, although many of the speeches surely will remind audiences of Shakespeare's Henry V.

While the sequences involving hordes of digitally created ghostly figures as well as more recognisable human forms are spectacular (look out for the elephant-like mumakils, and an elephant-man giant), the action is balanced by the emotion necessary to understand what the fighting is about.

A haunting hobbit song (performed by Billy Boyd as Pippin) is cut into contrasting action sequences to great effect.

In this film, a couple of Australian talents are given opportunities to come to the fore.

David Wenham (Faramir) spends a lot of time unconscious, but Miranda Otto as the Joan of Arc-like Eowyn, trying to protect her uncle King Theoden (Bernard Hill), does womanhood proud as she takes on the despised Witch King, with hobbit Merry (Dominic Monaghan) a surprising companion.

Adelaide-based John Noble (the demented Steward of Gondor Denethor) draws on his years of stagecraft honed with the South Australian Theatre Company (he's a former director of the company) and should be hired immediately to play King Lear (a role that so far has eluded him).

As well as the mumakils providing Legolas (heart-throb Orlando Bloom) with opportunities for a bit of Indiana Jones action that allows him to draw on his archery skills, even more fantastic are the creations of Shelob the spider (held out of the second film) and the ferocious Fell beasts.

The realistic though giant-sized tunnel-web Shelob should ensure that arachnophobes don't enjoy the film experience, as the hungry spider does its best to devour the hapless Frodo, who really doesn't have a pleasant time at all on this excursion.

For love interest, there's the classic romance between the action-man Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) and the softly spoken elf princess Arwen (Liv Tyler), and Ian McKellen is majestic himself as the all-wise Gandalf.

She's only there fleetingly, but Cate Blanchett's Galadriel is as enchanting as ever, and Hugo Weaving (safely out of the boring Matrix mishmash) is stately as the elvin leader Elrond.

When it comes to funny lines, and dwarf jokes, you can as always rely on Gimli (John Rhys-Davies).

But the real stars of this sweeping finale are Jackson and his team of movie craftspeople from WETA digital effects in Wellington (such as the effects Oscar-winner Richard Taylor) whose vision has contributed a remarkable trio of films.

Howard Shore (who gained an Oscar for The Fellowship of the Ring score) again provides an eloquent score to complement the visual elements and enhance the screen experience.

I wouldn't have missed a second of this. Just find the biggest screen you can, and don't wait for the DVD."

[Elessar]

This review is from War of the Ring... I tried to post it here but it said that it was over the max length, so here's the address: www.warofthering.net/specialnewspages/rotkreview.php