The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Review by Clint Morris

Peter Jackson is so much more the filmmaker than George Lucas.

Granted, Lucas used to be a good filmmaker – before he had money – but when you put Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy side by side with Lucas’s Star Wars prequel trilogy, the latter’s a mere pebble being skimmed across a raging river that the New Zealand filmmaker has crafted.

Whilst Lucas’s back-story of Anakin Skywalker has been just as highly anticipated, the end result is an inferior, rather lifeless series of films – unlike the original Star Wars trilogy, which incongruously resembles Jackson’s grand series.

There are some great special effects in the new Star Wars flicks, but other than that there’s nothing much else. Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy on the other hand is seemingly perfect.

Extremely well written with larger-than-life landscape, fantastically created sets and characters, as well as spot-on pacing, they are an immaculate bunch of films.

The third and final chapter in Jackson’s take on J.R.R Tolkien’s classic books, Return of the King, picks up where The Two Towers left off.

Frodo [Elijah Wood] and Sam [Sean Astin] are approaching Mount Doom to destroy the ever-so-threatening ‘Ring’.

As we discovered at the end of the last film though, Gollum [Andy Serkis] has plans to get the powerful jewel back on his digits, and begins to lead the duo – whose relationship is now highly strained – down the wrong path...

Meantime, the Fellowship aid Rohan and Gondor in a great battle in the Pelennor Fields, Minas Tirith and the Black Gates as the evil Sauron wages his last war against Middle-Earth, where heroes will rise in the most unexpected of forms.

You will be hard pressed looking for a flaw in Return of the King, as it’s an immaculate end to one of the best film trilogies ever. It’s extremely well structured, has some great characters and some wonderful moments, and at three hours in duration, you definitely get your money – and entertainment’s – worth.

There are some slow spots, but the only reason you’ll notice them is because – besides the fact that the movie runs quite long – there’s so many eventful moments. Any quieter, more chit-chattier moment is obviously going to stick out like a cow that offloads honey.

For instance, the last half of the movie doesn’t stop for breath.

There are some great battle scenes featuring a ghost army, larger-than-life elephants and villains of all shapes and sizes, as well as some remarkable final bows.

Sean Astin as Samwise Gamgee has some grand scenes towards the films finale, as does Miranda Otto as warrior princess Eowyn, that will tug at the heart strings and initiate a clap here and there.

A highlight of the series, though, has been the character of Gollum (aka Smeagol).

Whilst George Lucas made many a new enemy with his bothersome CGI creation, Jar Jar Binks, Andy Serkis’s diminutive computer conception is a delight. He’s amusing, appealing, very, very entertaining and the fine attention to detail helps remarkably.

Besides, the look of the film is guaranteed to keep anyone glued to the screen. It looks amazing. The sets are just outstanding, and the work that’s gone into these films is splashed across every angle of each frame.

In addition to the multiple endings that seem to occupy the last reel of the film (maybe Jackson found it hard to let go?), Return of the King is a masterful moment in cinema.

Jackson has created a film that’s deemed to be liked – even loved – by almost anyone of any age. It’s destined to become a classic series, but it’s difficult to say whether Lucas’s new Star Wars trilogy will do the same.

I tell you what though, I’m the Lord of my Ring, and I don’t know if I can stand putting it through another few hours like that. As great as it was, my rear end’s thankful it’s over.

5 out of 5

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Australian release: Friday December 26th
Cast: Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan, Liv Tyler, Miranda Otto, Hugh Weaving, David Wenham, Bernard Hill, Billy Boyd, Andy Serkis, Karl Urban, Dominic Monaghan, John Rhys-Davies, Ian Holm.
Director: Peter Jackson.
Website: Click here.