Review of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) by Thomas B — 30 Jan 2015

And thus we reach the inevitable third instalment of one of the greatest trilogies ever made. Third instalments have a strange legacy. Barring a precious few, the third in a series is often the weakest link. Alien, Spiderman, even the Godfather, these series have a great original, an equally amazing sequel and then an underwhelming threequel. Yes, that's a word. And after the mighty previous two in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, no one could have blamed cinemagoers for expecting the worst when buying their tickets for The Return of the King. But it takes all of 30 seconds to realise that tradition does not apply here. .

After embarking on his mission in the first film, Frodo is now closer than ever to his goal of destroying the One Ring in Mordor. His companion/life partner Sam and their guide Gollum are endeavouring to help him get there but Sam's suspicion of Gollum continues to grow. Gandalf takes Pippin to Gondor with a message for the steward and Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli ride with Theoden to join forces with Gondor to fight Sauron's armies. .

By now the characters are well worn grooves for their actors and each of them fit into them perfectly. Even Elijah Wood whose character, despite being the principal, has the least to do dramatically, manages to maintain a fantastically restrained performance which, whilst lacklustre for the most part, fits his character to a tee. Other have more to do such as Viggo Mortensen whose character is struggling with the notion of becoming king and Sean Astin whose friend likes his new friend better than him. Despite initial disappointment about the double-act of Merry and Pippin being broken up, the separate journeys they each take allow their characters to find a new steel and reach new depths of emotion. The other double-act of the series is still alive and well, however, as Legolas and Gimli try to out-do each other in battle, drinking and general shenanigans. Ian McKellen stands out as always, showing that Gandalf may not have everything under control for the first time since Moria. All around the cast perform admirably, giving their all in every circumstance which adds to the immersive experience created by their director. .

Fans may have been worried that there was nowhere else for Peter Jackson to go. After covering the exquisite cinematography side in Fellowship and the sweeping epic side in Towers, what else was there to do? A lot, it seems, as Jackson pulls out all the stops to create an epic film which focusses as much on the intricacies of battle as it does on the grandeur of the surrounds. Every shot counts and every moment matters under Jackson's keen eye, whether its a slow motion montage or a terrifyingly tense encounter with a giant spider, Peter Jackson seems to have an instinctive feel for Tolkien's work in terms of mood and tone. He blends comedy with tragedy and tension with sentiment with a deft touch which makes you think that he wrote the thing himself. .

Howard Shore once again brings the thunder as he continues and expands his incredible score. It's hard to imagine the Battle of Pelennor Fields without his amazing soundtrack backing it up. In fact, some moments, such as Faramir's ill-fated attack, rest completely on the emotional stirrings of Mr. Shore and he comes through in spades. .

The screenplay is just as versatile as ever, weaving deftly between sentiment and comedy without becoming stagnant or unnecessary. The restraint of the screenplays has been a trademark of the entire series, resisting the urge to spell everything out for the audience, rather letting them figure it out for themselves. It steers well clear of becoming overly preachy as well, as a film with this sort of content can become as well as staying away from an overdose of fantastical phrases which could turn away the less fantasy inclined viewers. .

It's impossible to write this review without mentioning the source material. Tolkien's epic tale was written nearly fifty years ago yet it is still able to captivate readers to this very day. Adults and children alike have been captivated by its fantasy world and the mythology behind it and, most importantly, without it we would never have these amazing films. .

Defining Scene: .

The Rohirrim ride on Pelennor Fields. Gets me every time.