Stars: Viggo Mortenson, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellan, Orlando Bloom
Director: Peter Jackson
Released: 12/2003
Rating: 4 stars
The year of Hugo (as in Hugo Weaving, who starred in the two Matrix sequels as Agent Smith and in The Return of the King as Elrond in 2003) climaxes with the third and final installment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The first two films in the series (The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers) have been astonishing successes at the box office and hailed universally by critics. The final film surpasses them all.
The story resumes with Sam and Frodo following Gollum through the moutains, trying to get secretly into Mordor, and Gandalf, Aragorn, and the rest recouperating after the battle of Helm's Deep. Gandalf accidentally discovers Sauron's next move, which will be to attack the kingdom of Gondor and its capital Minas Tirith. Though the Steward of Gondor is warned, he does little to prepare for the coming battle. After Sauron's orc army overruns Gondor's outer defenses, the stage is set for the battle of Pellenor Fields, which makes Helm's Deep look like a minor skirmish.
The King referenced in the title is Aragorn, the heir to the long vacant throne of Gondor. After years of wandering the wilderness as a Ranger, Aragorn must now take up the mantle of the King and lead his people to victory. But Aragorn understands that the strength of men will not stand against the might of Sauron. The only way to win is for Frodo to succeed in his mission to destroy the ring, and with it Sauron himself. With this motivation, Aragorn leads the army of Gondor and Rohan to battle to distract Sauron's attention.
Meanwhile, Frodo is increasingly falling under the influence of the ring.
Everything about this film is just about perfect. The acting all around is well done. Only Ian McKellan has, so far, gotten an Oscar nomination for the trilogy. In an ensemble cast such as this, it is difficult to zoom in on one performance. Many are already talking about Sean Astin for a supporting actor nomination. The action sequences and handled with an expert hand and the special effects blend into the frame seamlessly.
In reading articles and reviews on the film, most point at the scene between Sam and Frodo on Mount Doom ("I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you.") as their favorite. My favorite moment in the entire trilogy happens at the Black Gate. Sauron has just challenged Aragorn who turns and, with a slight smile, says "For Frodo" and charges the enemy. That just summed up Aragorn completely for me, his willingness to sacrifice, to put the cause ahead of himself, and his inate leadership. To watch the tiny hobbits race off after him into a seemingly hopeless battle sums up who they are too. I just think it's an excellent moment.
My only complaint about the film is that it feels somewhat rushed and story lines from the novel that I consider important are glossed over. The arrival of Aragorn at Minas Tirith to take up the throne is a momentous event in the novel. That is not conveyed in the film. One minute, he is in battle, the next he is in the throne room at Minas Tirith. Faramir has a big part to play, as he is the last Steward and is charged with handing over the kingdom to Aragorn, something his father Denethor was clearly unwilling to do. Faramir's romance of Eowyn is left out as is Eomer's asenscion to the throne of Rohan. Finally, in what caused quite a stir among fans prior to the film's release, the fate of Saruman is left on the cutting room floor. While I may complain about it, I also understand that they can only do so much in the film, so it's not a big one. Look for the extended edition DVD to rectify some of this.
In the end, I would say this is a phenomenal film, the best of the three and among the great films of all time.
Last updated 01/22/2004 03:45 PM