So close...

Rating: 9/10 (12 July 2019)

For it to be a masterpiece for me and one of the best movies I've ever seen. That spot belongs to Lord Of The Rings The Two Towers. This movie has some of the best moments in cinema history but at the same time the biggest Deus Ex Machina of all cinema. So for me, this movie just doesn't feel like the best movie ever nor like the best in the trilogy.
So first we have Saruman's death scene which wasn't included in the theatrical release if I understand, but a scene that concluded this character's chapter and ended in a very cruel and deserving way. Next is a scene which is possibly the most epic scene ever put to screen. And that is ride of the Rohirim. Every single time I watch it it gives me goosebumps, makes me cry of excitement and it inspires me to just like the horsemen did, charge any difficult situation without fear. The entire battle although not on the same level of catharsis as the one from The Two Towers, is one of the greatest battle sequences of all time. The thing that I always hated about it was the intervention of that ghost army which in my opinion was just invented in this movie to give conclusion to a otherwise impossible-to-win battle or scenario. Sounds like a Deus Ex Machina already? Oh, wait and see what's next... The next awesome scene was the fight between Sam and She Lob. Man ,that was a scary, emotional and epic fight between a small hobbit and a big spider creature. That just showed how much the character of Sam evolved along the journey op these three movies. The next and last awesome scene in this movie literally ends with the greatest Deus Ex Machina of all time. An it is the battle at the gates of Mordor. The idea is brilliant and the battle, the speech, the charge are all epic. But then this happens... Not only that the eagles (who could have literally carried Frodo and Sam to the Mountain - since they carried back from it- but didn't because the plot of the trilogy didn't need them to) come and fight the nazguls but when Frodo and Smeagol fight and fall (another great scene, not to mention Frodo's turn to the Dark Side) the ring gets destroyed and then this happens: Literally everything that was part of Mordor dies or gets wiped out, but not only that even the earth beneath the gate appears to have a mind of its own and undermines exactly in the shape the orcs were when they were surrounding Aragorn and his army, in a circle shape and every man survives but almost every bad guy gets whipped out (and people complain about the Night King being killed with a dagger). It's just the biggest Deus Ex Machina ever because: 1. Nowhere in the trilogy was it ever established that through the power of the ring was Sauron created, or his army, or the land in Mordor or the tower and so on and so forth... 2. The ring was made to control other rings not to have like a God-like power over everything Mordor-related. and 3. It's the cheapest way to write yourself out of a tricky situation. Going onwards with the gripes I'll say that the ending was really long and stupid at the same time. Sure watching Gandalf and Bilbo depart was fine because their story was basically over, Frodo had no reason to leave and the lines he gives to motivate his departure are just cheap and hollow (not to mention extremely slow).
In conclusion, this is a movie that gives me very conflicting feelings. On one side has some of the greatest moments in cinema that I have ever seen, but on the other side has so big flaws and cheap writing in some scenes that just doesn't make it a fabulous movie or a masterpiece for me. Not to say I didn't like it... man I almost loved this movie but its problems cannot be denied. I know I won't...