rating:
(out of
4 stars)New Zealand, United States; 2003
Directed by Peter Jackson; produced by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Barrie M. Osborne; screenplay by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens
Starring Viggo Mortensen, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean, Billy Boyd, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, Hugo Weaving, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Dominic Monaghan, Sean Astin, Miranda Otto, Bernard Hill, Karl Urban
'The Fellowship of the Ring' will stay the best in the trilogy, it is the most complete film, but 'The Return of the King' is the most entertaining. You do have to forget about the last twenty minutes or so, the film has ten endings, but director Peter Jackson shows himself to be an entertainer almost as good as Steven Spielberg. I am glad the trilogy found its way again after the disappointing 'The Two Towers'.
Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) continue their journey to Mordor with the help of Gollum (Andy Serkis), Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) are reunited with the others after the battle of Isengard, and the others including Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), Theoden (Bernard Hill), Eomer (Karl Urban) and Eowyn (Miranda Otto) prepare for their next battle, the battle of Minas Tirith. We also see what happens with the elves Elrond (Hugo Weaving) and Arwen (Liv Tyler), and her love for Aragorn. The story, although the epic feeling around it does help, is not the main reason to see this film.
That is, in my opinion, the way it looks, how it is brought to screen. 'The Fellowship of the Ring' introduced this great visual style, 'The Two Towers' did not disappoint in that area and in Gollum gave us the most human special effect-creature since E.T., and now 'The Return of the King' brings all the highpoint together. The battles belong to the best, especially in the moments around individual characters (watch Legolas climb that olyphant - which means a very large elephant), Gollum is still there in the spider Shelob, the CGI-masters has created the most impressing creature I have seen since, well, Gollum.
I had some trouble with the hobbits in the first two films, and again I think it is one of the flaws in 'The Return of the King'. Elijah Wood is good enough, but the other three act somewhere between funny and annoying, without a real balance. I could have done without them if this film was not based on that beloved book. The most annoying part here is the already mentioned ending. I guess it is pretty hard to let go the achievement of a lifetime, and so Peter Jackson keeps the film going, ending after ending. Too bad, because all members of the audience realised this was too much.
Now the trilogy is complete it is hard to deny it is some kind of masterpiece. At least when you form this opinion on production values. The second film keeps it from being something it could have been, which is the greatest trilogy next to the original 'Star Wars'-trilogy. Still, it is hard to imagine much greater entertainment. Although I already thought so, now many people will think the new Peter Jackson-film is something to look forward to.