The Return of the King debuts next Wednesday in the U.S. and the advance buzz is deafening. Variety says:
- A "King" that earns its crown, Peter Jackson's final installment in his monumental "The Lord of the Rings" represents that filmmaking rarity --- a third part of a trilogy that is decisively the best of the lot. With epic conflict, staggering battles, striking landscapes and effects, and resolved character arcs all leading to a dramatic conclusion to more than nine hours of masterful storytelling, "The Return of the King" is an urgently paced 200-minute film without an ounce of fat --- until unfortunate multiple endings that go on and on, as if Jackson couldn't bear to let go. Again unlike other trilogy finales, this one will rank with its predecessors at the box office, where the first two entries have generated $1.786 billion internationally.
....In a way new to the trilogy, the emotional momentum surges along with the physical action. After early ambivalence over his responsibility for the Ring, Frodo grows into the job; after long dodging his royal inheritance, Aragorn finally rises to the occasion; Sam, especially, emerges as a three-dimensional character of intense devotion to Frodo even after he has been tricked by the Iago-like Gollum and exiled by his closest friend; and the ineffectual Hobbits Pippin and Merry take on some size, figuratively if not literally.
....To greater effect than he has at any point in the three films, Jackson cuts among different sets of activity, the most spectacular being the battle and the most emotionally intense being Frodo's painful, inch-by-inch journey.
....The trip, which requires perilous climbing up slippery twisting stairs, is marked by the Gollum's frequent attempts to make off with the Ring and by the most frightening episode in the entire trilogy --- Frodo's and, subsequently, Sam's face-offs with an enormous Spider named Shelob. The incredibly detailed and life-like arachnid succeeds in stinging Frodo, and rapidly wraps him like a mummy. Sword-in-hand, Sam then engages the beast, and the angles at which the struggle is shot are enormously impactful and unusual for shots involving so many digital and special effects. Few will watch this scene without drawing back in the theater seat.
....The siege of Minas Tirith may well be the mother of all cinematic battles; certainly no pre-CGI war film ever featured a scene involving upwards of 200,000 soldiers. But that's how many Orcs maraud the city, and the details are extraordinary: the huge stones catapulted at the fortifications from mobile towers; the fire-breathing dragon battering ram that crashes through the main gates; the earth-shaking Mumakil that raze all before them with scythe-like tusks and carry dozens of men; the gradual movement of the battle from the ground to the upper levels of the exquisitely designed citadel. All of "The Lord of the Rings" has been building to this, and it delivers entirely.
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Article comments
1 - Natalie Davis
Oh, I can not wait to see this. Finally just saw The Two Towers, so I am soooo ready.
2 - Eric Olsen
I want to see the extended "Two Towers" before I see this, but as soon as the family gets into town for Christmas we'll be there.
3 - Jonathan
oh man.. It'd be GREAT if he made the Hobbit.
LOTR and the Hobbit were some of the first books I've read.
I really liked the first and second LOTR, and I have faith the third one will be great.
4 - Eric Olsen
I would love to see him make The Hobbit too, which in someways I like better than the whole trilogy as a story. Of course it is much smaller scale but it was where Tolkien introduced this amazing, magical world and the first taste is hard to shake. In some ways I also like Bilbo even better than Frodo as a central character, more fun.
RE the film series, it's easy to forget how great and epic a job Jackson had to do in order to win over the Tolkien fanatics, who for the most part have become the biggest fans of the films. Keep in mind this is often not the case, with the lovers of a given book rejecting the film adaptation. It's remarkable all the way around.
5 - Jonathan
I always liked Bilbo better than Frodo too. He was a bit more interesting, because he was supposed to be a typical hobbit, which is supposed to mean reclusive and scared of excitement but secretly he had a wild streak.
Frodo is a bit more.. I don't know.. easier?
He is supposed to have all sorts of inner conflict and such, but he's still a pretty boring character.
6 - Eric Olsen
Bilbo is certainly livelier, but remember he got to live a lot longer before the weight of the world was thrust upon him, and it was never thrust upon him the way it was on poor Frodo, who was so damaged by the journey he had to go away at the end. I hope Merry and Pippen are allowed to grow as much in the film as they did in the book.
7 - Jonathan
Even when Frodo is introduced he is a bit boring.
What growth I liked most in the story.. Was Sam. I loved that whole undying loyalty between friends thing, and Sam's determination to keep Frodo going. I thought that was great. They are making it a bit to 'wussy' for me in the movie however.
Pippin and Merry are growing a bit in the movie, they screw around alot less in the second one :)
8 - mATT
I hate to be bursting the collective bubble here, but i read me in the news that Tolkien's estate is unwilling to give up the rights to make "The Hobbit." Apparently Chris Tolkien has some problems with the current trilogy and some legal mumbo-jumbo is keeping Jackson within a safe distance of "The Hobbit"
9 - Eric Olsen
I'm sure those are the "complex rights issues" referred to in the story. I bet they'll be able to work it out - vast amounts of money, awards, critical acclaim, and the demands of the public have a way of moving these things along.
10 - jadester
it was also suggested, tho this might just have been in the "Tolkein bestiary" (a worhty investment if you can find it for less than the cover price), that the Ring afforded to Bilbo a slightly longer lifetime than the average hobbit - in fact relatives had started to notice he did not appear to age much, if at all, which was a part of his reasoning to leave for Rivendell.
The most unfortunate thing if there were to be a film of The Hobbit would be that i seriously doubt they could use that same guy, i forget his name, as Bilbo.
11 - Jonathan
I thought you understood the rings life preserving powers after LOTR. It kept Gollum alive and Bilbo..
But yeah they probably couldn't use the same guy, but that's no matter. I'm sure they'd find a suitable actor for the role.
12 - bside
why couldn't they use the same guy for bilbo? are we forgetting that biblo was pretty darn old when he went on his journy to the lonely mountain in the first place? so give the guy brown hair instead of white/grey and we're good to go!
13 - mark
Yeah they could definatley use the same actor, did you see the make-up job they did on Arnold in T3?
14 - Eric Olsen
The actor is Ian Holm, who is now 72. He will not be playing Bilbo, especially considering thta we are talking at least a few years before any of this would get underway. I would think an actor in his forties would be the range they are looking for.
15 - Jonathan
Youch! 72!
Isn't he also the guy in "From Hell" ?
16 - Eric Olsen
Yes, he was in "From Hell."
17 - jack e. jett
i attended a screening of lotr last night. i am not allowed to review it at this point. i will say that i have never been to such a security tight screening before. it was as if i were going to see the pope or one of the beatles. i will say there was a ton of sobbing going on at the end.
jack e. jett
the jack e. jett show
18 - Eric Olsen
I assume that's good.
19 - IRONDEITY
Jackson has to make "The Hobbit"
At this point we've seen all the movies and seen all the awards he has gained for his tireless efforts. Watching all the behind the scenes shots like "Helms Deep" ( and the extream fortitude it took to make it from the actors ), all the created items like armour, clothing, buildings, etc. its become something greater than anything anyone could have imagined. Will Mr. Jackson put his masterful talents at play for The Hobbit ? I say "How can he not ?"
Personal review: INCREDIBLE!!!
Mr. Jackson you have my personal thanks.