One movie to rule them all

Rating: 9/10 (23 December 2003)

ROTK is in so many words the best epic fantasy movie I have seen in my entire life, with Fellowship of the Ring as close second. I did not like TTT as much as the other 2 but still found it good enough to earn a solid 8 (TTT extended DVD gets a 9 esp. for the Faramir scenes). Now, ROTK...
When I go watch movies I can get irritatingly picky when it comes to details and the general flow of the movie. That flow can be disturbed by just one word from a line of a character. The flow of ROTK was first disrupted for me when I heard Smeagol call Deagol "My love" and secondly in the schizo-dialogue of Gollum/Smeagol this time as water-reflection - also a bad idea to copy yourself I thought instantly when I saw the scene, esp. since the schizo-dialogue scene in TTT was ultimately more powerful. Anyway, these are very small things one can easily forgive. However, I winced everytime Arwen was on screen and for me it was once again just confirmation that Liv Tyler is a total miscast and one can only be thankful that her screentime has been cut to the very minimum in ROTK. Esp. the schoolgirl giggling at the crowning ceremony made me moan. Oh well, I endured her. I am sure there are lots of people who think she was well cast (there's always one) but eventually even PJ must have realized what poo poo he got himself into by casting her (cut cut cut).
Apart from weak Smeagol/Deagol dialogue and the Arwen scenes there is just one more significant criticism: "Saruman" or lack of thereof. I read all about why and how it came to the cutting of those 7 minutes at the beginning of the movie. Now, having seen the movie I can to some extent understand why it is detrimental to (re)introduce a character for just 7 minutes, kill him off and then start with the actual topic of the movie. Still, since we are treated with an Isengard scene (palantir) it is highly unsettling NOT to have the voice duel scene in there and it is also highly unsatisfactory to blank cut from Isengard directly to the Halls of Rohan. How the hell did they get there so fast? Ok, they all rode on Shadowfax... But even this is forgiven, with the comforting assuredness of an Extended DVD Version offering all that is "missing".
For a "cinematic" version it "failed" in that respect that it was too long. Some of the scene could be trimmed a little more and the movie could be a good 20 minutes shorter without any "non fan" noticing any difference. Since PJ redefined the term "cinematic release" I thought we would be treated with a specially cut short version this time. It was not so and I for one am glad for it. Professional Critics might differ and call it a failure with too many endings, but we not listening... we says go away and never come back! ;)
In closing my "review" I must speak of the "epic" character of this picture. The "epic" scenes are so powerful that they make you "feel" the sheer power, the might, the desperation, fatality, sadness and beauty. They touch your soul, they move you in a way not many movies succeed to do, esp. not in this genre. The grace of Gandalf riding to the rescue of Faramir, the charging of the Rohirim into certain death, the kingly end of a father in the arms of his daughter... "Eowyn". So many moments that have you on the edge of your seat, make you gnaw your nails, make you feel exhausted, overrun and leave you totally empty, it is not the End of a Quest you simply happen to watch, it is *your* Quest, the quest of the audience as well and it too comes to an end this christmas... only until Nov 2004 when ROTK EE will enchant us once more.
My recommendation: This movie is best seen twice to gain its full impact.
9/10 DVD EE +1 = 10/10