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What better way to end the big
screen adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy than to cap it off with
filmmaker Peter Jackson’s magnificent send-off in the masterfully
compelling The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Inherently
grand, vibrant, inviting and whimsically overwhelming, Jackson packs an
urgent sense of vitality into this third installment that will certainly
amaze those who were attentive to the previous colorful two TLoTR epics
(The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers). Jackson has continuously
captured our immense appreciation and fascination for the manner in which
his animated storytelling methods are impeccably crafted.
This is an enriching story that uniquely highlights the on-going struggle
to maintain Middle-Earth and free it from the corruption of evil.
Artistically, the robust spirit that is pronounced in The Return of the
King is uniquely captivating and one will derive from this awesome
spectacle a sense of indescribable exorbitance. Jackson’s eye-popping
technical flourishes aren’t the only noticeable achievement; the passion
and emotional conviction behind his suspenseful and quirky-carved
characters are quite convincing. Suffice to say that King is the final
glorious chapter that only the envious handlers behind the Matrix and Star
Wars movie franchises can only dream about.
The Return of the King is purely magnetic as all its components are forced
to come together as one generous force of showy energy where might and
miracles systematically test their endurance in Tolkien’s inspired
narrative accompanied cinematically by Jackson’s magnanimous achieving
touch. This super-charged saga is gleefully saddled with the frothy
ingredients of noteworthy proportions: daring battles, beguiling human
conflict, mythical and thunderous beasts such as dragons, mountainous
elephants, charging horses and giant spiders, spirituality and its
death-ridden conclusions, etc. Of course all this clashes in the
courageous participation of Tolkien’s heroic hordes of humans, hobbits,
wizards, dwarves and elves that help contribute to this chaotic universe
of mind-blowing mysticism. The tale-weaving device that Jackson
effortlessly tosses about in mayhem and meditative strides is stimulating
and radical to say the least. Alas, Jackson’s pulsating project simply
takes off with an imaginative, endless bang.
There are various intriguing roadmaps to follow in King that will have the
weary viewer engrossed in several capacities. We find the pivotal
threesome of deceitful but fan favorite Gollum (played with a combo of
ragged flesh and CGI gusto by Andy Serkis) and hobbits Frodo (Elijah Wood)
and Sam (Sean Astin) as they make their way into Mordor (more specifically
heading toward Mount Doom). The mission in mind: the anticipation of
disposing the all-powerful purpose Ring once and for all. Gollum, it
appears, has been a naughty and creepy cad as of late. First, he slays his
cousin Deagol for obtaining the Ring of the vile Sauron (the heavy duty
know-all Evil Eye source of destruction) from the water. Later, Gollum
leads them into a nasty confrontation with an ominous-looking huge spider
but they all prevail thanks to Sam’s quick thinking heroics and ingenuity.
Plus, Gollum has been playing the sneaky role of instigator by trying to
subtly stir up conflict between pals Frodo and Sam during the calculating
course of their heated travels.
In the meanwhile, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) must muster up an impressive
“Army of the Dead” in his noble attempt to accomplish some unfinished
business. He must dismantle the wicked forces of Sauron from attacking
Gondor’s capital, Minas Tirith, and contend with the notion of reclaiming
the throne that he gallantly seeks out through the vengeance of combat.
Also, Aragorn must try to convince King Theoden of Rohan (Bernard Hill)
into siding with him in reference to the preservation of Gondor. Along
with trying to put the pieces together regarding Aragorn’s drawn out
intentions are sidekicks elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and dwarf Gimli (John
Rhys-Davies) that try to be persuasive in insisting that Theoden help out
in the defense of Minas Tirith. After all, it would be to the advantage of
all involved in this ploy. Wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) is asked to
oversee the battle of Minas Tirith and compensate for the reluctance of
acting leader Denethor (John Noble) to carry out his duties due to the
agonizing loss of his sons that linger on tainted Denethor’s clouded mind.
Assisting Gandalf with his responsibilities is willing hobbit ally Pippen
(Billy Boyd). Voluntarily, Theoden’s daughter Eowyn (Mirnada Otto) and her
hobbit hanger-on Merry (Dominic Monaghan) secretly join in the fight with
the Rohan army and are quite effective and resilient in what they
contribute to the combative cause.
The scope of Jackson’s flourishing fable is grandiose and compelling in
its active composition. The fighting sequences are plenty in nature and do
supreme justice to the folklore pertaining to Tolkien’s trilogy of unrest
and sacrificing need for resounding adventure. The Return of the King does
a marvelous job in delivering the descriptive battle for Minas Tirith.
Hence, it makes The Two Towers eye-popping scuffle at Helm’s Deep look
like a squabble between two old ladies arguing over purchasing a package
of well-priced pork chops in the middle of a supermarket aisle. The pacing
of the warring amongst these feuding fractions is simply spectacular in
King where catapults are manned by hideous specimens of trolls,
dragon-like dregs, nasty orcs, elephant-esque looking and beast-minded
Mumakils or any other oddball group fueling the grueling affair. Bottom
line: can our precious pair of hobnobbing hobbits Frodo and Sam, while on
an unpredictable journey to the fierce fires of Mt. Doom, eradicate the
potent Ring before the devious Lord Sauron eliminates every living species
in the vulnerable Middle-Earth?
The satiable script, courtesy of Jackson and his fellow writers Fran Walsh
and Philippa Boyens, is appropriately filled with the surge of wonderment
and whimsy that allows the film to flex profusely about its majestic
poignancy. This fantasy-based drama is immense and solely realized thanks
to the superb technical tactics and memorable suspense-driven
characterizations that give King its soulful and triumphant allure. The
fact that Jackson and his collaborators judiciously juggle the various
dimensions to the multi-layered themes that Tolkien’s encompassing
imagination spouts out in literary abundance is amazing because this vast
showcase could have been constructed in a convoluted and cockeyed bundle
of over-produced contrivances. Instead, an astute filmmaker such as
Jackson is able to control his brilliant and boisterous action-adventure
brand with a steady dose of charm and gasping bewilderment that entertains
with sheer ease and poise.
Not only is The Return of the King armed with a cinematic spark that is
breathtakingly mammoth in its set production, design, special effects and
musical score but the acting sticks out as a delightful footnote contained
in Jackson’s literate and spry Middle-Earth masterpiece. There’s a
smorgasbord of feelings and reactions that are so resonant in the
performers that strut around confidently in this extravagant exposition.
The participants add a comprehensive rainbow of wit, anxiety, bravery,
curiosity, romance, sorrow, disillusionment and despair to the proceedings
that are already joining the balancing act of the durable realm of pathos
being put forth.
Both Wood and Astin are the welcomed foundation that make tandem Frodo and
Sam the celebrated guide tours through Tolkien’s bountiful and frenetic
field trip. Serkis’s Gollum continues to steal the show as the conniving
cretin that lends a comical cynicism amid the juiced-up sideshow that’s
taking place. Mortensen is up to speed as a conflicted warrior and
would-be ruler looking to seize redemption at any cost. Rhys-Davies is
always fun and fanciful as the flippant Gimli and there are other
contributors that gamely push the comic relief chores that level off the
angst-ridden sentiments and turbulent excesses that abound. And McKellen’s
Gandalf provides the profound bits of funny and insightful remedies as the
wizard that pleases us with his passionate presence.
The 200 minute-plus The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
surprisingly holds its own in the marathon running time it’s allotted.
Somehow, we don’t seem to mind the long-winded presentation of Jackson’s
bombastic and high-spirited enterprise because this focused artist
understands the embellished intricacies of filmmaking and its ability to
whisk eager audiences away with a sumptuous product that appeals to their
cinema-induced psyches. Whether King was conceived as a scant diversion
with more disciplined editing or blessed with the lengthy legs it was
given in its apparent three-hour existence, Jackson has managed to
complete his end of the bargain by gift-wrapping a magnificent moviemaking
conclusion. Conversely, this movie series may very well go down as one of
filmdom’s cherished and dynamic trilogies ever to invade the celluloid
consciousness of energetic movie fans and Tolkien tongue-wagging
aficionados worldwide. Bravo.
With this assessment in mind, is it safe to say that we can all hail to
the King? Maybe an Oscar-gold plated crown can be fitted on mastermind
movie maven Peter Jackson’s pate for that matter? Ambitious, graceful and
uniquely monumental, The Return of the King is a stunning and absolute
treat for those that claim they digest great films with vigor and
distinction. |
