The best film of the year (well, that's a given)

Rating: 10/10 (18 December 2003)

I would like to start out by saying that I am a hardcore, die-hard junkie of Lord of the Rings. I've watched both The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers at least fifty times (combined). I continuously think about the movies where ever I am, and I dream...yes, dream about them also. This may seem a little strange and dramatic coming from a male, but these movies are just so damn good. I must warn you that my review may seem a little biased, but its only because I'm so obsessed with these films.
I can honestly say that I've been waiting for December 17th (ROTK opening day) ever since I saw the Fellowship of the Ring. This may seem unfair to some, considering I've never read the books (though I am in the process), that I am obsessed with these films. However, I think anyone who hasn't read the books has just as much potential for liking these movies than someone who has read them. Even if you don't like fantasy at all, I believe these movies can immediately draw you in. The beautiful vast setting, Howard Shore's fantastic score, and the adventurous plot of the films are absolutely magnificent. Every aspect of The Lord of the Rings, in my mind, is perfect.
The time where I felt most excited was when I bought The Two Towers theatrical DVD and saw The Return of the King preview on it. That preview literally gave me goosebumps....seeing Frodo's expressions as he tries to climb up the mountain, the battle, the setting...it made me want to see it right then. But I knew I'd have to wait another month. From November 25 to December 17 I was so anxious that I found myself ALWAYS thinking about Return of the King and how good it was going to be.
And damn, was it good. Before Two Towers even came out on DVD, I was sending e-mails to my friends asking if they wanted to go with me to Return of the King opening night. By the time December 17 came around, I had gathered up a group of about 10 friends, all Lord of the Rings fans. We went into the theater, took up one whole role, and didn't say a word the entire time. I became totally immersed in the film as soon as it started. I had been waiting for that moment for over a year, and it was finally here.
The Return of the King is a grandly-made movie in every aspect. The acting was awesome from all the characters, and the settings were once again totally sweet. I was a tiny bit disappointed at the lack of great music, but I can't blame Howard Shore. I know composers who couldn't accomplish half of what he did for Fellowship alone in a lifetime of music making. Fellowship of the Ring earns my best music award, but the new music in Return of the King was also very good. Some old themes from the first two movies pop up once and a while in the film, including a faster, altered version of the Rohan theme. The Minas Tirith and overall theme of the movie was the best score of the film.
The acting in this movie is better than both the first movies, that's for sure. Wood and Astin's performances as Frodo and Sam are astonishingly well acted, especially for actors as young as they are. Elijah Wood's depiction of Frodo's gradual deterioration are astounding, and Sam's reaction to Frodo's suffering is also brilliant. Girls and sensitive guys be warned: the film is heavy and will make you cry. I had to try hard to hold back tears within the last 45 minutes of the film.
The battle of Minis Tirith is quite different than the battle of Helm's Deep from The Two Towers. In Return of the King, the battle lasts for about two thirds of the film instead of about a fourth, and begins much earlier in the film. There are 200,000+ orcs in this film's battle, and they've bought some "technological advances" that help them in battle. Seeing this movie gives you the combined power of both the emotions of the characters and the intensity of the battles (just as the first two did).
The theatrical release of The Return of the King is much longer than that of the first two films, but with good reason. Just when you think the movie's over, there is more to be explained. The ending of Return of the King is almost a fifth of the movie itself because it ends on so many levels. It's also very powerful. The ending of The Fellowship of the Ring was one of the best endings I have ever seen. It shows how the journey of the Fellowship is nowhere near complete, and gets you psyched up for the next film. The ending of The Two Towers was a slight disappointment, as it just left me hanging and wasn't as complete as Fellowship's ending. The Return of the King's ending, however, is quite different than the endings of the other films in that IT ENDS. Everything is explained and everything is ended. This was the major cause of my sadness leaving the theater, knowing that it was over. I had been looking forward to it for so very long, and now it was over. Part of me is happy, because it was such a great series of films, but part of me is sad, because I don't want it to end. That's what made the Return of the King's ending so powerful to me, but as Peter Jackson said: everybody is affected in a different way. The Return of the King's ending was indeed powerful, as well as the rest of the film. I strongly encourage anyone to see it. Now I must wait another 11 months for the Return of the King Extended Edition...then I can see even more.

"For Frodo...."