I know what you are thinking.Oh God!Not another review on LOTR..But after seeing the Return of the King on HBO I was compelled to write this review.I am not a worshiper of all things Tolkien.In fact I think anybody who reads the trilogy completely, without flipping through the boring portions, deserves a medal.Which is why I think Peter Jackson did a fine job retaining the spirit of the books while discarding the unnecessary.Though he’s out of favor with me after the King Kong debacle.
Plot
Return of the King takes over from the end of Two Towers.The ring bearer Frodo and his friend Sam are on the way to Mordor to get rid of the ring.They have to face many perils on the way.Meanwhile the battle for Minas Tirith goes on with Gandalf leading the defenders.Aragorn, Legolas the elf and Gimli the dwarf seek help from the undead Oathbreakers.And the Riders of Rohan come to Gondor’s help in accordance with their old pact.
Why you must watch it
The haunting music by Howard Shore is a definite plus.And the CGI wizards do their magic again.The elephant like Oliphants, the battle scenes, the orcs, Gollum are all terrific.Be warned Shelob the giant spider who attacks Frodo may give you a case of arachnophobia.
The director gives his best in the battle scenes.You will find yourself holding your breath as the Riders of Rohan crush their way through the army of Orcs, Legolas dodging the legs of the gigantic Oliphants, and the death of the Nazgul. The final coronation scene is a must watch.
Credit must be given for finding such a great cast.They all perform magnificently.And the make up artists and the costume department deserves much praise.All the actors look as if they belong to the Middle Earth.Aragorn(Viggo Mortensen)looks and acts every bit as a king should.Arwen(Liv Tyler) looks otherworldly and magical.But she has only few scenes in this movie. Ian McKellan does a fabulous job as Gandalf the wizard as usual.I’m sure you’ll all agree with me when I say Orlando Bloom should go blonde more often.He’s great as the long maned golden elf Legolas.
You had better read the whole trilogy if you want more background on the characters.I’ve heard that there are additional scenes in the DVD which were edited out of the film. A disguised heir to a kingdom, an elven princess, a Quest, a band of friends, wizards, magic and evil sorcerers.All you need for a typical fantasy. I’m sure more viewers have been recruited to theFantasy category after viewing this movie.I’ll give it 8 out of 10.Go rent the DVD and savor the magic of Middle Earth.