The greatest movie ever made! Rounding off a perfect trilogy!

Rating: 10/10 (21 December 2003)

The final instalment in what has been the greatest cinematic feat that I can imagine. How Peter Jackson could have taken the reigns of such a titanic beast of three movies, of the same story, is beyond me. The sheer scale is flabbergasting. We have been enthralled since the Fellowship commenced their quest 2 years ago. It's so sad now that this has ended. The films of Tolkien's marvellous fable have given Christmas a new excitement for many who had lost any excitement over the Christmas period, that's certainly how I felt. For three years however LOTR has been an event for me and my family and friends. I love the LOTR. I love everything the film stands for, everything about these films. I love the way they combine the best of old fashioned skill and labour to build all the sets and every aspect of the mise en-scene. I love the fact that for the year of the photography of this movie, Hobbiton was built, and Theodon's town was built, and Gondors stronghold was built. I love the fact that this film is a labour of love, and that it shows. I love the fact that CGI is used alongside these old fashioned techniques and the scale of the film isn't entirely down to a computer like the Star wars prequels are. This is 300million dollars of blood and sweat on the screen, filmed lovingly and created lovingly by all involved, none more so than Peter Jackson, who has to get an academy award for this instalment, having missed out unfairly for the last two.
ROTK Is my favourite part, followed by the Fellowship, I just loved the beginning segment, but the final third is so amazing, it genuinely feels that as an audience member you have been on a really massive journey. It feels far more than the 9 and a half hours it has all been, It feels like we have been on a 3 year journey. This closing of the saga is jaw dropping, engrossing stuff. Everything that made the first 2 movies excellent is once again evident, but like Two Towers was compared to the first, there is a massive jump in scale. The scale of this movie, from the sets, to the effects is so huge it's scary at times, and Peter Jackson is an amazing director to have harnessed all of this together. It goes beyond my imagination to think how someone could direct all of this.
The cast once again are first rate, but this movie belongs to Viggo Mortenson and Sean Astin, who should both get Oscar nominations. All the actors involved have peaked with these movies, because they have on the most part risen to a level no one would have guessed of them before these movies. Viggo is a good example. He has never been a leading man, sad as it is because I have always thought he was a good actor, I only thought he was good though before this. Now I see him as an excellent actor and a leading man. LOTR is by far and away his finest work and his finest performances and he has now taken his place in the A-list. Sean Astin also really surprised me, he stepped it up to a level no one would have guessed, particularly in ROTK when his character is integral to the plot and he gets far more focus and depth and he rises to the challenge. The audience really feel endeared to Sam and that is down to Astin. Viggo Mortenson was great in the first two and became a lead in the Two Towers, and once again he is a lead in this one, but this is the most important movie in Aragon's saga and Mortenson is outstanding. He makes for a great action man, because he looks tough, he performs most of his own stunts but feels more like a true hero, which is what LOTR is all about, real heroes, true courage, the epitomy of which is the four Hobbits. Like I said Astin is excellent and steals the movie jointly with Viggo, but the other Hobbits are excellent and there are larger roles for Merry and Pippin played excellently by Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan. Billy Boyd is superb in this. The rest of the cast are all great. There's not one bad performance. Ian Mckellen is excellent as Gandalf but we already knew he was top class. Also more outstanding work from, Bernard Hill, John Rhys-Davies, Orlando Bloom, Elijah Wood, Miranda Otto, Liv Tyler, Hugo Weaving, Karl Urban, John Noble, Andy Serkis, and David Wenhem. Absolutely fantastic cast full of moving performances.
The action of the film is amazing. Massive battles that dwarf the previous films and also thrilling scenes with the Hobbits, including Frodo's encounter with the Shelob, a giant Spider intent on eating him. It's really just pure excitement and tension throughout, the tension of the battles, the tension that comes from Gollum's presence around Frodo and Sam. The Orc invasion of Gondor is amazing, particularly when the giant Elephants come into play.
The film also has the best score of the three, it is sweeping and massive and epic. Even more so than the first two. The key to this film is the likeable characters, who all seem real, all human with emotion and weakness but they still drive forward to help others and this film is really about what courage is. Courage isn't about Schwarzenegger taking on an army single handed, it's four little Hobbits out of their depth, in the face of real adversity who show real courage to carry on when all hope is lost. Real courage is about the tens of thousands of men who follow their leaders into battle knowing the are fighting a battle they have little chance of winning. That's why we love these people and this story, it touches everyone in some way, from people who have been in real life war situations feeling how the Hobbits felt, to people respecting the bravery these Hobbits show.
All in all it saddens me to be commenting on the final LOTR movie, I'll keep my fingers crossed for The Hobbit by Peter Jackson, but I get the feeling there will never be a series of movies like these again with such passion in them and such an epic scope, and such a fantastic group of characters. I hope to see a couple of re-launched careers going where they obviously should be, on the up. Particularly Viggo Mortenson, it's about time he had some more leading roles, and some juicier roles like this was. Also Sean Astin, who I only remember from films like The Goonies and California Man. I also expect good things from Elijah Wood as well. Things have already gone excellently for Orlando Bloom, who is the hottest property in Hollywood at the moment. Anyway, well done Mr Jackson, we all salute you! *****