RATING:
PG-13
GENRE:
Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
STARRING:
Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, John Rhys-Davies,
Liv Tyler, Andy Sirkis, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Viggo
Mortensen
DIRECTOR:
Peter Jackson
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
Barrie Osborne
BASED ON NOVELS BY:
J.R.R. Tolkien
DISTRIBUTOR:
New Line Cinema
Please Note
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MOVIE REVIEW
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
CBN.com
Special Notes: It took Jackson seven years to produce
the three movies and a little over two years to film it. Every prop was
created from scratch including the 1,600 pair of Hobbit feet that took
hours to apply. Aside from incredible special effects, a thrilling story
and amazing battle scenes theres products galore for you to remember
this movie by; puzzles, books, CDs, a video game and even a monopoly
game with collectors pieces. Tolkien's tale is a worldwide phenomenon;
over 100 million people have read his books!
Plot: The Return of the King brings a return of the cast,
with Aragorn (Mortensen) rising to his heritage and becoming what he was
born to be. As Sauron's forces surround the capital of Gondor and the
legions of darkness gather to defeat the race of men, Gandalf (McKellen)
rallies Gondor's broken army and does his best to help them defend their
city. Meanwhile, Rohan's King Theoden (Hill), unites his loyal warriors
outside the city and leads them to battle alongside Aragorn (Mortensen),
Gimli (Rhys-Davies) and Legolas (Bloom), who are vastly outnumbered by
creatures of every shape and size. From the smallest Ork to the giant
elephants carrying a small army on their backs, the battle is a spectacle
unlike any war youve ever seen. While the battle keeps Sauron distracted,
Frodo (Wood) and his faithful friend Samwise Gamgee (Astin), travel across
enemy territory to cast the golden One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom.
The closer Frodo gets, the heavier his burden becomes and the more Gollum
tries to take it over. Across the plains at Endoras, Arwen (Tyler) has
exchanged her mortality to be with Aragorn but she is slowly dying because
her health is tied to the ring. It is only a matter of time before she
succumbs to the dark power unless the man she loves, Aragorn, can save
her.
Good: Peter Jackson, the king of trilogies delivers
a royal reward that is triumphant in every way! With an amazing cast,
incredible creatures, impressive sets, jaw dropping battles and realistic
special effects - Jackson has raised the bar for audiences expectations
and has forever changed the way we view sequels - Tolkien himself would
think it was magical! McKellen, Mortensen, Bloom, Rhys-Davies, Wood, Astin,
Boyd, Hill, Monaghan and Otto; all deliver strong performances that create
an emotional chord that keeps this dramatic movie interesting. In fact,
its the human emotions; fear, despair, madness, sorrow, rage, greed,
love and forgiveness, that allow audiences to identify with the characters.
Themes of courage, commitment, determination, loyalty, friendship, bravery
and passion for a cause, shows how even the least of us can change the
world. And Im not just talking about the Hobbits. When you see the
small army of heroes going up against the vast legions of utter darkness,
it is truly an incredible and overwhelming sight. The battle scenes are
astounding, technically amazing and as realistic as a fantasy can get.
Jacksons brilliant team of technical experts has opened the door
for more films like this to be made. In fact, Jackson went back to New
Zealand this last summer to reshoot several scenes because he was able
to improve on them. I think its safe to say that Jackson has earned
a unique place in cinema history with a crowning achievement that will
never be surpassed. The amazing battles will satisfy lovers of war stories,
the passionate kiss between Aragorn and Arwen will satisfy the romantics
and the loyalty to friends will inspire all. This third trilogy concludes
the epic story of all the characters, their relationships and rivalries
with a perfect and satisfying ending - especially for true fans of Tolkien.
Bad: If youre making a movie about the war against good and evil,
you have to have creatures that embody that dark side. Jackson has created
that level of darkness in his movies. The ugly, grotesque creatures are
frightening in looks alone but even more so when they are in battle climbing
over the walls, riding giant elephant-like beasts or swooping down on
dragon like beasts the size of a 747 and grabbing soldiers off horses
and city walls. Since war is going on throughout this movie, great numbers
of men and creatures are stabbed and killed with swords. One man is burned
alive on an alter of fire. A giant, grotesque spider spins her victims
in a web so we see bodies hanging from her den. This is definitely a complicated
story with several subplots and numerous characters to follow. That and
the combination of numerous battle scenes with hideous creatures, makes
this movie best for mature teens and adults to enjoy. If I was a child
and saw this movie, I would have nightmares for weeks so parents may want
to keep impressionable children at home.
Bottom line: Tolkiens tale is a parable perfect for
all generations and time. His rich symbolisms and metaphors are perhaps
even more important and relevant today than when it was written. This
final epic and body of work is Oscar worthy in every way and I only
hope the academy recognizes that worth and value. Theres a reason
why the first two are in the top ten box office films of all time
- Oscar or no Oscar.
Watch for Holly McClure on The 700 Club Monday, Dec. 22. (This date
subject to change, check your local listing.)
Visit Holly McClure's website at http://www.hollymcclure.com.
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