Third-Hobbit, Third-Wizard, Third-Cinematic-Genius... makes one of the Greatest Cinematic "Thirds"...

Rating: 10/10 (4 December 2016)

I can't talk about the film as much as I want, I'm afraid I wouldn't get the name rights, the locations or the characters who weren't there from the start, I'm even afraid some events or scenes escaped my attention, but I know I love poetry, and the last twenty minutes reminded of these words from Du Bellay.
"Happy the man who, journeying far and wide As Jason or Ulysses did, can then Turn homeward, seasoned in the ways of men, And claim his own, and there in peace abide!"
This is one of the most famous verses of French Renaissance and I can't think of a movie that captures the innermost joy and relief of homecoming as the third and final installment of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy did. Even the title carries this regal glory and satisfyingly conclusive nature.
And through this "Return of the King", Aragorn, to name him, also ends the journey of Frodo, Sam, Gandalf, Gimli, Legolas, Gollum and so many names that, two years earlier, could only -no pun intended- ring a bell among Tolkien's readers. I know they were many of them as we're talking of the most outstanding work of fiction from the second half the 20th century, but I suspect Peter Jackson multiplied the number of fans by a two-digit number, with a cinematic wizardry of Gandalfian proportions. Extending my statement about Jackson in the first film's review, there's indeed more than a hobbit within the New Zealand director.
But for honesty's sake, and not to spoil my enthusiasm, I must confess I never read Tolkien's books, I've never been into medieval and Fantasy world anyway, although I know the story wasn't intended to venture in the realm of magic and fantasy alone. I enjoyed the first movie because it pushed me into a world daringly unique and imaginative, but so obsessed with its own reality that it almost confined to realism. More than the plot, I cared for the characters, because they seemed "to have a story before the story", they were not cardboard heroes or villains; they were archetypal but never at the expense of depth and obscurity.
Despite these strengths, I welcomed the second film with perplexity because the surprise was gone and the entertaining value was inevitably hanging on the set-ups from the first film and the expectation of the third, situations that were no-more or that were yet-to-come. Unlike its two predecessors, the final film is great on its own. Everything has been said about the visual imagery and on that level, with the magnificent shots, battle sequences and that defining image of Gandalf the Grey arriving at Minas Tirith, Jackson really pushed the envelope and broke new grounds in the field of special effects, CGI wouldn't be a curse word anymore. But all the sets of skills in the world wouldn't amount to anything without a story.
Indeed, I was surprised by how moving the final act was. The last thirty minutes of "The Return of the King" provided some of the most emotional moments of the last twenty years, something whose resonance transcends the limits of the Fantasy genre. And that's an even greater achievement than special effects, Jackson had created characters who had their own special effect, built over the course of two movies, that equals the lengths of three actually, allowed us to get emotionally involved with them. I compared Gandalf with Obi-Wan in the first opus' review but he doesn't deserve any comparison, he's in a class of his own. The bravery of Aragorn, the relationship between Gimli and Legolas, the torment of Gollum and of course, the friendship between Sam and Frodo could finally culminate.
And in this glorious gallery, Sam is perhaps the unsung hero of the film because he suffered no fear or hesitation, he was Frodo's guardian angel with unshakable loyalty from beginning to end, and never let his ego trespass in his sense of duty. Of all the characters, this is the one I had a soft spot on, and from the ending, I have the feeling, this is what the long epilogue was trying to convey as without him, all the battles and desperate efforts would have lead to nowhere and forget about the ring, his smile and satisfaction in the end, is perhaps the true emotional reward. Indeed, the Ring was only a plot-driver, the film is about people, who overcome the adversity and come full circle with their own personalities, who seek for the peace of the world, for their own peace's sake.
And what a price for peace! What a magnificent journey coming to an end, and what a satisfying ending! The first two films ended with interrogation marks, with an urge to see more, there was excitement, but an excitement pending over the reception of the next opus, undermined by the uncertainty. This film closes the chapter and leaves with overwhelming emotions and inner satisfaction; it is a "The End" in the tradition of Hollywood epics. And this glorious finale redeems all the flaws or the little imprecision from the first, all the removed chapters or cut sections.
Speaking of Hollywood, the film is also known for being the third to get eleven Oscars (including Best Picture) with other classics like "Ben Hur" and "Titanic" I guess it is the reward of the whole trilogy, whose last opus was the apotheosis, something that proved that cinema had this unique capability to transport you into a world where imagination and reality made one. And Peter Jackson is one name to be chanted by the bards of the "Lord of the Rings" Pantheon, for he ensured the popularity of the saga, by translating it into a new language, a new medium. This was a Herculean task that the third hobbit, third wizard, third cinematic genius marvelously accomplished for one of the best cinematic thirds ever.