The appetizer (LOTR Part I) had left me grasping for superlatives; The main course (Part II) left me feeling a little empty- but then, there was always dessert to look forward to? the souffle- alas!- was quite flat.
Technically superb, of course- the chef had already proven his credentials on that front, and did not let me down. But then, if you’re going to have a 3- course meal, you can’t have them all taste alike. The W. Brothers (no, not Wright- I’m referring to Wachowski or whoever) found out the hard way with their Matrix series. PJ had an added burden: the expectations of legions of Tolkien fans, no less hungry than the meanest Orcs.
It is understandable that you cannot capture the flavour of a book- in fact, an epic, no less- in a movie, however long. One can probably overlook the underdevelopment of the characteristics of Elves and Dwarves, in trying to highlight the Coming of Age of Man. So also change the Hobbits encounter on their return to the shire- while it lent a good touch to the book (in particular in developing the characters of the lesser Hobbits), it probably wouldn’t have made for good cinema (considering the scale of preceding events?). I wonder, though, why PJ then decided to go for the extended ending(s)- it only made for groans from the audience.
My basic crib, I guess, is that the movie series ended up making the epic more realistic, and less magical. Let me try to clarify: in the books, Elven objects carry their own magic around. Using the Phial of Galadriel against Shelob (the giant spider) isn’t just about the physics of shining light on a creature of the dark. Read the book (if you haven’t), you’ll know. The effect on the Orcs of certain swords being drawn, certain heroes jumping into battle- it’s so different! Maybe not real in the way we accept it in real life, but then, this is Fantasy, right? Not once did Orcs scatter in terror (they do it all the time in the books), except when a huge army set upon them.
I guess these things were brought much more sharply into focus for me because I watched the movies with my wife, who hasn’t read the books. Try trying to explain to a non- fan why the Nazgul spread such terror (no, they’re not just ghosts sitting on large bats). Or why some people got into a boat in the end.
PJ delivers the key elements of the story very well, but then, the books were much more than just the story. Having said all that, I don’t think any fan would be able to restrain himself from watching the movie. Go to it for the effects, guys!
I’m rating ROTK at 3 1/2 stars, but I don’t think my wife would have ventured beyond 2.