Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, triumphantly completed by the 11-Oscar-winning The Return of the King, sets out to show that Tolkien's epic work, once derided as mere adolescent escapism, is not just fodder for the best mass entertainment spectacle ever seen on the big screen, but is also replete with emotionally satisfying meditations on the human condition. What is the nature of true friendship? What constitutes real courage? Why is it important for us to care about people living beyond our borders? What does it mean to live in harmony with the environment and what are the consequences when we do not? When is war justifiable and when is it not? What things are really worth fighting for? These are the questions that resonate with a contemporary audience: to see our current social and political concerns mirrored--and here finally resolved--in Middle-earth is to recognise that Jackson's Lord of the Rings is both a parable for our times and magical cinematic escapism.
As before, in this concluding part of the trilogy the spectacle never dwarfs (sic) the characters, even during Shelob the spider's pitiless assault, for example, or the unparalleled Battle of the Pelennor Fields, where the white towers of Minas Tirith come under ferocious attack from Troll-powered siege weapons and--in a sequence reminiscent of the Imperial Walkers in The Empire Strikes Back--Mammoth-like Mumakil. The people and their feelings always remain in focus, as emphasised by Jackson's sensitive small touches: Gandalf reassuring a terrified Pippin in the midst of battle that death is not to be feared; Frodo's blazing anger at Sam's apparent betrayal; Faramir's desire to win the approval of his megalomaniac father; Gollum's tragic cupidity and his final, heartbreaking glee. And at the very epicentre of the film is the pure heart of Samwise Gamgee--the real hero of the story.
At over three hours, there are almost inevitably some lulls, and the film still feels as if some key scenes are missing: a problem doubtless to be rectified in the extended DVD edition. But the end, when it does finally arrive--set to Howard Shore's Wagnerian music score--brings us full circle, leaving the departing audience to wonder if they will ever find within themselves even a fraction of the courage of a hobbit. --Mark Walker
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
SEND FORTH ALL LEGIONS........ Love this movie primarily for it's dark, brooding imagery, beautiful photography, stunning FX and make up and costume design, and ruthlessly executed battle scenes!
Sauron is well represented by The Mouth Of Sauron (EXTENDED CUT ONLY), The Witch King Of Angmar, and a battle hungry army of 200,000 plus Orcs, Easterlings and Harradrim warriors. Forget the boring Shire, Hobbits and Elves, it's the forces of Mordor that are the stars here!
Fantastic weapons abound; from the crude, handmade arms of... more info
Over-rated but still astonishingly good So this is it. Yet another cinematic trilogy draws to a close. Great things comes in threes : the Star Wars Trilogy. The Omen Trilogy. Indiana Jones. The Omen. The Godfather. The Matrix (er, maybe I should rethink this particular theory). And now this. The final four hours of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. But this isn't a trilogy, nor is it just a remake or a continuation (it's not The Lord Of The Rings 3-d : The Revenge, for example), simply the third and final part of the story. And my god,... more info
The Greatest Romance since Love Story ? I take no notice of the ridiculous negative reviews from people simply trying to bring some kind of attention from themselves and having just watched these 3 films back-to-back since they appeared on the big screen I enjoyed them just the same in the comfort of my own home. Superb acting,screenplay,direction,production - everything.Undoubtedly,Elijah Wood showed his true colours with his unrequited love interest Sean Astin which must surely go down as the greatest romance in cinema history since Ali McGraw... more info
Stunning Finale The stunning finale to the Lord of the Rings trilogy is simply mesmerizing. It simply awed me being transported into Middle earth in such a way.
. We can fully experience the danger and pathos experienced by Frodo (Elijah Woods) and Samwise (Sean Astin) as they travel through the depths of Mordor, needing to survive Orcs, the giant spider Shelob, and the scummy Gollum (Andy Serkis).
The movie actually begins with tracing the story of Gollum, the foul murder he commits to achieve the wring, and... more info
![The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Two Disc Theatrical Edition) [2003]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51AFAQJN7JL._SL160_.jpg)
