THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Finales are always going to be the hardest part of a story because the goal is to end everything on a high note without leaving strings behind. Arguably speaking, I don’t think any franchise did it better before or after Director Peter Jackson when concluding JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy with The Return of the King.
PLOT
The film follows the once broken fellowship meant to destroy the Dark Lord Sauron’s One Ring slowly forge a reunion. After the ents have taken over Isengard with a flood, hobbits Peregrine Took & Meriadoc Brandybuck reunite with the likes of: Aragorn, Legolas, Gimili & Gandalf the White. Before returning to Edoras with King Theoden (Bernard Hill) and Éomer (Karl Urban) to celebrate their victory over Helm’s Deep, Pippin would a palantir, a powerful sphere once wielded by Saruman the White (Christopher Lee). (The extended cut would reveal the wizard to be killed by Gríma Wormtongue [Brad Dourif] who would then be killed by Legolas). Following the same night, the hobbit can’t help looking at it again and it ends up seeing a vision that involves Sauron and a burning tree. The dark lord would see him as well, mistaking him to be the ring bearer Frodo Baggins. Based on what he describes, Gandalf deduces the enemy will attack Minis Tirith, Gondor’s capital where the tree comes from. He takes Pippin with him to warn the corrupt steward Denethor. Knowing that he is the father of the late Boromir, the hobbit would swear fealty to him out of respect to the man who saved his life. As they stay the night, Gandalf reminds him the Dark Lord has reinforcements on the way that include riders of Haradrim, pirates from Umbar and the leading Nazgûl known as the Witch King of Angmar (who stabbed Frodo on Weathertop), never defeated by any man in his lifetime. In the midst of the ongoing Battle for Middle Earth, Frodo still wields the ring and heading towards Mordor alongside Samwise Gamgee and Gollum, formerly known as Sméagol. As they take the road to the Morgul Vale, they witness the Witch King assemble another Orc army to swarm Osgiliath, causing Denethor’s son Faramir to retreat with his remaining forces. After Gandalf helps them evade the wrath of Nazgûl and Pippin summons a fiery beacon to ensure Rohan’s aid, Faramir informs the wizard where Frodo is going after previously letting him go in Ithilien. As the hobbits take a rest stop before going any further, Gollum frames Sam for eating the remaining food and tells Frodo he has a false desire he has for the Ring. He proves to have won him over when Baggins orders Gamgee to go back home to the Shire. This would go to Gollum’s favor as the ring bearer would walk into the lair of the giant spider orcs call Shelob. When briefly avoiding the beast, he has a scuffle over the ring with Gollum, but the encounter would end with the latter falling into a chasm. When continuing to reach Mount Doom alone, Shelob eventually catches up and briefly paralyzes him with her stinger. Before she could eat him alive, Sam returns and drives the insect away. He is unable to free him yet when orcs arrive and take Baggins’ to the Tower of Cirith Ungol, causing him to momentarily hide before rescuing him again on his own. As Rohan head towards Minis Tirith to aid them in battle, Aragorn gets a visit from Lord Elrond of Rivendell (Hugo Weaving), who warns him that his daughter Arwen (Liv Tyler) is dying due to refusing to leave Middle Earth. He gifts him the the sword Anduril, reforged of Narsil’s shards, and insists him to travel the Paths of the Dead to gain assistance from the undead in the ensuing battle and take Gondor’s throne due to being Isildur’s heir. With the company of Legolas & Gimli, he is able to get what’s needed (and then some when defeating Umbar’s forces as shown in the extended cut). After Faramir is ordered by his father to have another charge for Osgiliath, his remaining rally is overpowered and is severely wounded in the process. When Denethor mistakes his remaining his son to have died, he descends into madness by ordering for the city to flee the Witch King's led attack. Instead, Gandalf marshals the soldiers to defend the tower in an overnight battle against a constant amount of orcs, wargs and trolls. Within all of this commotion, Denethor’s madness would worsen when attempting to burn himself with Faramir. Pippin & Gandalf save Faramir but are unable to save the steward as he is still set ablaze and jumps to his agonizing death. Theoden eventually shows up and overpowers the enemy with his forces, only for him to be overwhelmed by Haradrim’s Oliphaunt riding reinforcements and the Witch King himself. The latter is able to slay Rohan’s king, only for him to be avenged when his niece Éowyn and Merry slay him in return. In the midst of this, the trio of Aragorn, Legolas & Gimli arrive with the Army of the Dead to wipe out the remaining orcs that invaded Minis Tirith. After another triumphant victory, Aragorn declares marching to Mordor as a diversion for Frodo to reach Mount Doom. Baggins does end up reaching the volcano after Sam saves him from Cirith Ungol. The hobbit almost lets go of the ring for good, but gives in to its power and puts it on again. Gollum would catch up and predictably take it for himself by biting off his finger. Both would fight over it until falling off a ledge. Frodo would hold on until Sam saves him for the last time, whereas Gollum dies with the ring by being succumbed from the lava. Aragorn’s army would witness the confirmation of success when Sauron’s eye tower Barad-dûr collapses, but worry the hobbit died dying so. However, Gandalf finds him & Sam outside the active volcano, rescuing him with the assist of the Great Eagles who also got involved in the final charge. Baggins & Gamgee would recover in Minis Tirith, reuniting with the rest of the fellowship to witness Aragorn’s coronation, becoming the official king of Gondor. He would also reunite with Arwen and quickly marry her, but would give thanks to all four hobbits for their contribution in winning the battle. The said four would finally return to the Shire after the coronation. Four years would go by and although Sam found happiness when marrying his crush Rosie Cotton (Sarah McLeod) and having children with her, Frodo still feels the pain inflicted by the Witch King. He decides to depart Middle Earth for the Undying Lands of Valinor. He goes with his now elderly uncle Bilbo (Ian Holm), Gandalf and the three elven ring bearers who confirm their power is dying: Elrond, Lady Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) & Círdan (Michael Elsworth). Sam, Merry & Pippin would be devastated upon hearing Frodo’s intent to leave as they don’t imagine the Shire without him. When the young Baggins says his goodbye to his friends, he leaves Gamgee the Red Book of Westmarch, a manuscript with enough pages to tell his own story. The film would end with Sam returning to his family, prepared for the rest of life ahead of him.
THOUGHTS
This was the only film in this franchise where I was grateful to have seen in theaters and I hold that moment dearly to my heart for being one of the most incredible experiences I ever had. Jackson and co-writers Fran Walsh & Phlippa Boyens hit the home run in trilogy standards by making this film the definition of what an epic finale should be. The core four of makeup, costume design, production design and visual effects peak here as if actual lives are on the line and everything holds up well over 20 years later as of writing this. The makeup done for the orcs are at their most grand for making the majority of them distinguishable from one another. A similar comment must be said for the costumes helping know who's who. Seeing the landscape here felt like pages coming to life and I wouldn't have it any other way. The visual effects are of course the strongest piece of the puzzle for bringing the most unlikely of things to life. You're already intimidated of trolls, armored or not, but it was a whole other ballgame seeing a line of giant oliphaunts together. And then seeing the Army of the Dead swarm the remaining beasts with ease was insane. The real kicker though had to be the frightening presence of Shelob. I have arachnophobia, so seeing a giant spider like that got under my skin the way I did during Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. All of these elements as well as Jamie Selkirk's sharp editing, Andrew Lesnie's cinematography and Howard Shore's fantastic score, it all helped make this film feel grand at every second possible. While my favorite action sequences from this trilogy were from The Two Towers, but it doesn't take away what was done here. The extensive battle at Minis Tirith, as well as the final charge towards Mordor were the breathtaking moments as well for being an embodiment of extravagant. Looking back, this film holds up the best of the bunch because it teaches the ultimate lesson on friendship. When you are at your most vulnerable and feel like the worst parts about you will consume you, there will be people that will save you from that darkness and help you complete the goals you want to achieve. This message could not have been anymore clear thanks to another incredible ensemble mixed with new and returning characters. This is hands down the best story arc for the hobbit actors because each has their will tested in their own way and they pull of impressive feats to prove the heroism they never thought they had in them. Elijah Wood was phenomenal as Frodo for slowly losing his grip before regaining control at the most essential time. It made sense for him to succumb to the ring's power the way Isildur did due to actually wearing it in Fellowship. As the journey progressed, he was brave enough to flee from Shelob as long as he could and still had enough selflessness left in him with the hope to save Gollum from his corruption. After everything he went through, he was never at peace with himself. The PTSD was heavily wearing him down and he needed a solution to save himself. Leaving the Shire was his way to heal himself. He couldn't have told his friends in advance because he felt they would've tried to stop him. Thankfully, they accept his decision on his spot. What a lot of people can agree is he wouldn't be able to save the world had it not been for the bravest of friends by his side. Sean Astin was undoubtedly phenomenal as Sam in this outing for being more self aware of his surroundings and uses it to a great advantage. He never changed his opinion on Gollum and didn't hesitate pointing out he shouldn't be trusted. He was at his bravest when confronting Shelob but his will was at his strongest when briefly holding the ring and never got corrupted before returning it to Frodo. He was hesitant to give it back because he was afraid it was happening to his friend. Their friendship defined this trilogy because all they would do was bring out the best of each other. Because Frodo encouraged him to break out of his shell before ever leaving the Shire, Sam would return the favor reminding him the endgame. And that alone is what made it so hard for him to accept him leaving. But with the fact he has something to live for that is his family, there is no doubt he will fascinating stories of his own to tell. Billy Boyd really shined brighter than before as Pippin, arguably at his brightest here. To think his clumsiness would give an upper hand on where the enemy would strike next was an unlikely miracle. It is only after this where Took brings more levity to the scenery due to still being good natured throughout. His cheerfulness is still tested however when seeing how corrupt people can be when being in the presence of Denethor. Nevertheless, even he maintained his focus and did everything he knew was right, such as saving Faramir. Dominic Monaghan was still great as well when playing Merry due to sharing Pippin's trait of having of bringing warmth to the scene but brave enough in his own right to fight like everyone else around him. Surprisingly, he proved his worth as well when helping Éowyn defeat the Witch King. It was tough for him and Pippin when it came to Frodo leaving because he was the most mature before ever leaving the Shire and had it not been for him, there is no telling how else they would've contributed to win the war. Like Sam, I am sure they will have stories of their own that will make them proud of what they've done in their lifetimes. Gandalf was still the matriarch in this story because Sir Ian McKellen remains his hopefulness and headstrong for everything that would come his way. Before Aragorn changes the tide, he does his best in holding the fort even when unsure help would arrive in time. The best moment he had here was telling Pippin how death is another chapter of life. It was so appropriate coming from him due to his resurrection. It was fitting for him to leave Middle Earth as well because his duty as protector was over with the ring being destroyed and deserved peace of his own like everyone else. If he shares it with or without Frodo, I’m sure he will be fond of how things will conclude for him. Viggo Mortensen also has us provide exponential love for Aragorn because he had his own temptations and never let that destroy his morals. He wanted to be strong enough to come back the one he loved and luckily, he never needed dark poer to do that, just his own will that helped him make it this far. Like Gandalf, he is sure Frodo will succeed and ensures it with his diversion. His speech to motivate the remaining armies of Rohan & Gondor is just as empowering as Willem Wallace's speech in Braveheart because it makes you want to be part of the fight and make a difference in whatever the environment you’re part of. Off of that, he deserved his happy ending with Arwen. While that alone was satisfying, that would only be topped when having all of Gondor bow to all four hobbits, knowing better than anyone the battle would’ve not been won without them. Legolas & Gimli are still a great dynamic duo in their own right thanks to Orlando Bloom and John Rhys Davies playing off each other so well. Throughout the trilogy, they always bantered for being different from another. Legolas was always logical and Gimli was known to act fierce in the battlefield. They ended up getting along by the end due to being equally loyal to the cause and having Aragorn's back no matter what. And that is where I understand the brotherhood of soldiers can be stronger than the ones by blood. Another warrior that proved oneself was the one we weren't sure we'd get to see in action. Miranda Otto got her shine as Éowyn due to being bold enough to put her life on the line like everyone else. She wanted to fight like her brother and uncle, and delivered at every moment. It doesn't matter that Merry helped her defeat the Witch King because the only thing that matters was one less threat to worry about at that point. The fact a woman got it done just made it cooler. Ironically, the extended cut revealed she found her own equal. It seems to me she got that out of Faramir because as actor David Wenham showed he's got enough courageousness in him to never go back on the morals that made him different from his brother. They sensed that in each other and that is enough for me to support what they have. Nothing will change the fact Sauron was always the main threat, but it never meant he was the only one to deal with outside his armies. John Noble was downright mind boggling for giving perfect execution of the deranged power hungry presence Denethor is all about, which is why no sympathy is given when he is responsible for his demise. However, the true villain that does so much damage back to back is always going to be Gollum. Andy Serkis steals every scene once again and shows his evil he has become due to the severe corruption the ring caused his mind. When the opening flashback revealed him killing his own friend Deagol for it, it sealed the deal he would do whatever to have it for himself. Having said that, it wouldn't really be surprising to see him bite off Frodo's finger yet still shocking by the end. Thankfully, he was put out of misery as well when falling into the lava. The quality of this film will age fine like wine, but it doesn’t excuse that confused me story wise after multiple re-watches. It was a blessing in disguise for Pippin to be curious about the palantir, but if Gandalf didn’t want him to have it, he should’ve asked someone to hide it. And why is Pippin the only one to know Faramir was still alive? Like no soldier checked his pulse and it’s weird. It only would get weirder when realizing no one bothered giving Faramir medicine after Gandalf declared defending the city. Also, if the Witch King can’t be defeated by any man, then why was it so easy for Aragorn to make them retreat? This character could’ve proved to be a deadly servant if he actually gave a better fight to him before Éowyn & Merry outsmart him. And in the extended cut even makes the mistake in not killing Gandalf when he had the upper hand. He should’ve ignored Theoden and went for it especially after destroying his staff. The only continuity error that has bothered me deeply here was believing Sam took the ring before the orcs showed up when there is no sign of him cutting the webs covering Frodo’s neck. I wish there was clarification that he just pulled it off, but they don’t. And after all this time, why is the entry to Mount Doom been open? If Sauron doesn’t want to give any chances of the ring, Saruman should’ve order the entry to be blocked. At that point, it felt too easy for it to be destroyed when we know it really wasn’t. Ignore this, then you’ll still love this movie as much as I have. In conclusion, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is one of the best movies ever made for bringing everything full circle and making every moment matter to become a satisfying finale. If you saw the previous films building up to this, I assure you disappointment is an unlikely feeling after making time for this.
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