This is what filmmaking is all about...

Rating: 10/10 (20 December 2003)

What can I say about this movie that hasn't already been said? I want to write a review about this masterpiece while it is still fresh in my mind, although I probably should let myself settle down and think about the movie more first. This is a fantastic climax to the greatest trilogy in the history of cinema. More so than any other movie, you can really feel that you are watching an epic, a part of cinema history, while sat in the cinema watching any "Lord Of The Rings" movie, "The Return Of The King" in particular. As all three movies began, I got goosebumps as the title appeared on the screen. It's a shame that this is probably the last time I will have such a unique feeling in the cinema.
I don't really know where to begin. Perhaps I should start with what really makes this trilogy tick. No, it's not the epic battles, nor the special effects, although they are very important, and will be discussed later. No, the key element of "The Return Of The King" is the performances by the perfectly chosen cast. Every single actor has become their character. You don't think you're watching actors - you actually start to believe these are real people.
"The Return Of The King" has a three-pronged narrative thread. The most important story is Frodo's ongoing journey to Mount Doom, where he must go to finally destroy the Ring. Big-time plaudits must go to all three of the actors involved in this part of the story. Elijah Wood has really matured as an actor as this series has progressed. He began as a wide-eyed idealist, but by this movie he is a mere shadow of his former self. It is heartbreaking to watch his body and mind slowly lose their battle with The Ring. But it is Sean Astin who really must be given praise, as when Frodo's spirit fails, it is Sam who steps in as the film's true hero, and really shows his worth. His performance is almost powerful enough to invoke tears. I think a Best Supporting Actor nomination should be a given. And, of course, Andy Serkis works hard to steal the show once again as Gollum. The evolution of the character is fantastic. In "The Two Towers", Gollum became a tragic, sympathetic character that a lot of the audience developed a soft spot for, but in this film, Peter Jackson works hard to make him as vile and hateable as possible as he shows his true backstabbing, devious nature.
The second narrative strand focuses on the city of Gondor, the stronghold of the kingdom of Men. This is where we find Gandalf and Pippin for most of the film. Gandalf is simply amazing in this movie. Ian McKellan deserves all the praise he has gotten and more, and he certainly deserved that Supporting Actor Oscar he was nominated for (but didn't win!) a couple of years back. Gandalf just has such a presence in the film, whenever he walks into a scene he immediately becomes the focus. The highly satisfying moment where he takes control of the forces of Gondor (I won't tell you how - but I loved it!) leads to some awesome moments of Gandalf actually fighting - and what a fighter he is! He is thrusting and stabbing with his sword while simultaneously spinning his cane around like it was a kendo stick. And I'm sure I could see Ian McKellan's face during this fighting, so I don't even think it was a stuntman - well done Sir McKellan! As for Pippin, who was merely comic relief in the first film, Billy Boyd really shows off his acting skills (and his singing skills!) in a truly heartbreaking scene of him attending to Denethor at the dinner table while Faramir heads out to battle. Speaking of Faramir and Denethor, both David Wenham and John Noble do very well in their respective roles. While Wenham came across as slightly bland in the last film, he delivers a superior performance this time in a role which is admittedly smaller than it was in the book. Noble plays a fantastic Denethor, even though rather than slowly descending into madness like in the books, he is on full-on boo-hiss mode from the first moment you see him.
The final main strand of the story is the titular "Return of The King". This is referring to Aragorn, and is actually a question. Will Aragorn rise to his destiny, and accept his role as king of Gondor? Well, we don't actually see much of Aragorn in the first hour of the film, as he stays camped in Rohan. After really letting loose in "The Two Towers", Viggo Mortensen seems almost subdued this time round, back to the apparent secondary status that he had in "The Fellowship Of The Ring". But as the movie progresses, this proves not to be the case. The arrival of his sword Anduril, forged from the shards of Narsuil, the blade that defeated Sauron before, seems to bring the character to life, and we can see the transformation from ranger to king. Once Aragorn is decked out in his armour and red cape, he gains even more presence than he had before. But despite this rise in status, the excellent Mortensen still manages to maintain the human side of the character. This human side focuses on the love triangle between Aragorn, Arwen and Eowyn. Miranda Otto really comes into her own as Eowyn this time round. She is a lively, determined heroine, and I think she would have been a much better choice for Aragorn than the comparitively bland Arwen. Speaking of Arwen, like in "The Two Towers", her appearances are the closest the film comes to boring. But on a more positive note, both Dominic Monaghan and Bernard Hill continue to impress as Merry and Theoden respectively, as both set out to aid Gondor in battle.
Well that's the performances - so hat about those battles and special effects? The battles are quite simply out of this world. The Battle of Minas Tirith is amazing - blowing The Battle Of Helm's Deep out of the water. You can feel the desperation of the humans even more this time round as they face a far larger number of orcs. I'd say this battle is superior to "The Matrix Revolutions"' Zion invasion because you actually care about the characters. Unlike with The Matrix series, the characters that are only introduced in the second installment of "The Lord Of The Rings" are developed well enough so that you actually care whether they live or die. As previously mentioned, during this battle, Gandalf simply kicks ass. And the prime ass-kicker on the side of evil is The Witch-King Of Angmar - quite possibly the Darth Maul of the "Lord Of The Rings" series - you know what I mean, villain with a small part who will become a cult favourite. There was a simple formula to the creation of this character. Take a cool menace - The Ringwraiths. Take one of them out individually and develop him more as a character, and give him a cool costume to make him stand out from his Nazgul buddies. You have the Witch-King. Shame they cut out his encounter with Gandalf in the theatrical cut, but we'll see it in the Extended Version. The battle of Pelennor Fields isn't quite as good, perhaps because its so short. Or maybe because it intercuts with the Mount Doom finale, which is even more exciting. Having said that, the moment just before the fight begins, where Aragorn looks to his men and says "For Frodo" is pure cinema genius.
As for the special-effects, the crowning achievement in that ares has to be Shelob. With Shelob, WETA has created a truly terrifying movie monster, in a tense, frightening scene.
The film's main weakness is the editing. You wouldn't think that a film that is three and a half hours long could seem too short, but it does in places. The aformentioned final battle's shortness can probably be attributed to the lack of time. I was really looking forward to the encounter with The Mouth Of Sauron, which precedes this battle. However that was also cut. However, the unkindest cut is the removal of Saruman from the story. For the last two movies, the legendary Christopher Lee has provided as Saruman what Sauron couldn't: a tangible, physical threat who can act as a mastermind to various evil-doings. He has taken this small part and made it into one of the highlights of the series, giving himself a career renaissance in the process. So I feel it is poor reward to not give him a good sending-off. Same goes for Brad Dourif's brilliantly slimy Grima Wormtongue. Sure, their last stand will be on the DVD, but I don't think that's the same.
Some people have criticised the ending for being slow, and yes perhaps it was, but that was necessary to really tie up all the loose ends to a satisfying degree. And the ending was much longer and slower paced in the book. I'm actually glad of the slow wind-down to the end, as I really didn't want this thing to finish. I'm so glad that this movie had a decent ending, without too much ambiguity and weirdness, like the lame cheat of a finale that The Matrix series provided. While the "Matrix" trilogy (or at least parts 2 and 3) failed to reach my high expectations, "The Lord Of The Rings" not only matched, but exceeded them.
I can't stop ranting about how much I loved this movie. I'd have to say that the best part of the film for me is the sequence at Mount Doom. You can really feel that the end is nigh, and the performances are so touching, so intense, that by the end you are as emotionally spent as the heroes.
In closing (at last!), I have to say that this comment relates to "The Lord Of The Rings" as a whole rather than just "The Return Of The King" which is arguably the best film in the trilogy (the 3rd film in the trilogy being the best - a feat even Star Wars and The Godfather couldn't pull off!). "The Lord Of The Rings" is what filmmaking is all about. Every movie has one scene that makes you realise that. In "The Fellowship Of The Ring" it is the race through the Mines Of Moria to the bridge of Khazak-Dum, and Gandalf's subsequent confrontation with The Balrog. In "The Two Towers" it's the flash of lightning revealing the huge army of Urak-Hai marching towards Helm's Deep. And here, in "The Return Of The King", it is the aformentioned Mount Doom finale. This trilogy has made December a month to look forward to for more than Christmas for the last three years, and things won't be the same without it.
To Peter Jackson, and all the cast and crew of "The Lord Of The Rings" - Thank you.