Not Since "Godfather II"...

Rating: Null/10 (8 December 2003)

The list of sequels equal to or better than their predecessors has always been a short one, and every true movie buff can recite that list without even blinking. GODFATHER 2. ALIENS. TERMINATOR 2. STAR TREK 2. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, (although this last one has always been controversial.)
Now TTT can be added to that list, and I daresay that RETURN OF THE KING will probably follow it. Peter Jackson and his crew have not simply brought the once-considered unfilmable bulk of J.R.R. Tolkien's world from the printed page to the big screen. They have made their mark upon it for all time, as well as changing the face of moviemaking as we know it. Just looking at Gollum, I feel no need to justify this statement. It is simply a fact.
Ever since seeing FELLOWSHIP in the theater, then seeing the Extended Version on DVD, we swore we'd never again trust a theatrical version in this series, but simply wait for the DVD/EV release. I'm so glad we did.

Not having read the books all the way through, I can't say what Jackson, Fran Walsh and Phillippa Boyens kept or what they left out. But what was included, is the magnificent tale of good and evil, love and hatred, greed and sacrifice, the blackest despair and the utmost hope. And not to mention the truest meaning of humanity, displayed in the loyalty and undying friendship between the splintered Fellowship members, especially Frodo and Sam.
If nothing else at all about this film impresses you, simply sit back and marvel at the wonder of Andrew Lesnie's panoramic vistas. Lean, Kubrick, Ford, Kurosawa....they would all applaud what he, Peter Jackson and company have done to take the most breathtaking aspects of New Zealand, and transform them into Middle Earth.
And as consistently marvelous as all of the actors are, both old and new to the series, Andy Serkis must be singled out, for giving his all to a character that would never allow his face to be seen on camera. But without his performance, Gollum could never be as staggeringly real as he is, and without Gollum, the entire enterprise would be practically worthless. CGI character or not, once again the Academy stumbled and fell by failing to recognize one of the most spellbinding achievements in cinematic history.
TTT/EV runs at nearly four hours, and it's worth every minute. Any film or film series that causes people to run back to the bookstores and start reading again, is aces in my book, and I will be as sorry as anyone to see it all come to an end. But that said, RETURN OF THE KING cannot possibly get released fast enough!