First Review in from the BBC - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Mattius · 12-11-2003, 03:40 PM

I thought I would open a new thread where people can paste reviews of RotK for members to read- here is the BBC's. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Director Peter Jackson's cinematic retelling of The Lord of the Rings ends with The Return of the King. At the end of the second Rings movie, The Two Towers, Jackson let us hang on the realisation the truly dark times were yet to come. Though the wizard Saruman's army had been despatched at the Battle of Helm's Deep and his fortress at Isengard laid to ruin, this battle had been merely a sideshow. In Mordor, the evil Sauron was stirring, building up his armies. And two of the central characters, hobbits Frodo and Sam, were getting ever closer to destroying the Ring central to the tale, unaware their ghoulish guide Gollum was plotting their demise. The Return of the King opens with a flashback to the days when Gollum - Smeagol as he was known then - found the Ring, and how its evil power slowly transformed him into a twisted, cave-dwelling creature. Spine-tingling It gives an extra touch of humanity to the pitiable creature even if he ultimately desires Sam and Frodo dead. After this the next 40 minutes of the film drag slightly, feeling like bits cobbled together that were left over from the previous film. But the rest of the movie is worth the wait, transfixing with every scene. The Return of the King brings an overwhelming air of expectation and of consequence - and in almost every sense it dwarfs what has come before. The battles make The Two Towers pale by comparison The film, like its previous two instalments, takes many liberties with JRR Tolkien's text, but it does so judiciously. But this editing works. Jackson has done it because he wants us to be be utterly embroiled in the story. He succeeds. Frodo's gradual disintegration thanks to the Ring - and the menace from some blood-curdling foes on the road to Mordor - give his quest crushing pathos. The viewer is wholly engrossed in the fear whether Frodo can survive long enough to destroy the Ring - or whether it will destroy him. Meanwhile, the rest of the main characters are embroiled in the war against Sauron's forces. Familiar characters Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Gandalf return to fight for good in the final battle for Middle-earth. Hobbits Merry and Pippin are given more chance to shine - especially Pippin (Billy Boyd), who has a more dramatic role than his jokey earlier persona, and braves darker scenes. Miranda Otto's Eowyn also gets a far more important part to play. The trilogy may have sometime struggled to give its female leads meaty roles, but the finale give her a vitally important duty - one that will have female fans cheering. Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) must face his destiny The Two Towers' ground-breaking battle scenes seem like a skirmish compared to The Return of the King's titanic-scale war. The assault on the city defended by the main characters and their forces is quite simply jaw-dropping. Triumph In one scene the camera seems to peep tentatively over the parapet to show the evil legions on the attack - tens of thousands of orcs, trolls bearing siege engines, winged beasts swooping overhead. It is spine-tingling stuff. Jackson, who loves his battles, imbues his warfare with crushing realism, all the more ironic given this is pure fantasy. There are moments harking back to iconic movies Saving Private Ryan and The Empire Strikes Back that show the scruffy New Zealand director is, without argument, a master of his craft. But along the way, he does not forget the human dimensions to this struggle either, and that it is friendship and loyalty that the forces of good have to rely on as much as force of arms. This three-hour, 11-minute epic is an unqualified triumph, one that raises the bar for any spectacle-respecting director of the future. The Oscar, surely, must go to Peter Jackson. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

12-11-2003, 03:40 PM	#1
Mattius Soul of Fire Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: City of Steel Posts: 666	First Review in from the BBC I thought I would open a new thread where people can paste reviews of RotK for members to read- here is the BBC's.<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Director Peter Jackson's cinematic retelling of The Lord of the Rings ends with The Return of the King. <P>At the end of the second Rings movie, The Two Towers, Jackson let us hang on the realisation the truly dark times were yet to come. <P>Though the wizard Saruman's army had been despatched at the Battle of Helm's Deep and his fortress at Isengard laid to ruin, this battle had been merely a sideshow. <P>In Mordor, the evil Sauron was stirring, building up his armies. And two of the central characters, hobbits Frodo and Sam, were getting ever closer to destroying the Ring central to the tale, unaware their ghoulish guide Gollum was plotting their demise. <P>The Return of the King opens with a flashback to the days when Gollum - Smeagol as he was known then - found the Ring, and how its evil power slowly transformed him into a twisted, cave-dwelling creature. <P>Spine-tingling <P>It gives an extra touch of humanity to the pitiable creature even if he ultimately desires Sam and Frodo dead. <P>After this the next 40 minutes of the film drag slightly, feeling like bits cobbled together that were left over from the previous film. <P>But the rest of the movie is worth the wait, transfixing with every scene. <P>The Return of the King brings an overwhelming air of expectation and of consequence - and in almost every sense it dwarfs what has come before. <P> <BR>The battles make The Two Towers pale by comparison <P>The film, like its previous two instalments, takes many liberties with JRR Tolkien's text, but it does so judiciously. <P>But this editing works. Jackson has done it because he wants us to be be utterly embroiled in the story. He succeeds. <P>Frodo's gradual disintegration thanks to the Ring - and the menace from some blood-curdling foes on the road to Mordor - give his quest crushing pathos. <P>The viewer is wholly engrossed in the fear whether Frodo can survive long enough to destroy the Ring - or whether it will destroy him. <P>Meanwhile, the rest of the main characters are embroiled in the war against Sauron's forces. <P>Familiar characters Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Gandalf return to fight for good in the final battle for Middle-earth. <P>Hobbits Merry and Pippin are given more chance to shine - especially Pippin (Billy Boyd), who has a more dramatic role than his jokey earlier persona, and braves darker scenes. <P>Miranda Otto's Eowyn also gets a far more important part to play. <P>The trilogy may have sometime struggled to give its female leads meaty roles, but the finale give her a vitally important duty - one that will have female fans cheering. <P> <BR>Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) must face his destiny <BR>The Two Towers' ground-breaking battle scenes seem like a skirmish compared to The Return of the King's titanic-scale war. <P>The assault on the city defended by the main characters and their forces is quite simply jaw-dropping. <P><BR>Triumph <P>In one scene the camera seems to peep tentatively over the parapet to show the evil legions on the attack - tens of thousands of orcs, trolls bearing siege engines, winged beasts swooping overhead. <P>It is spine-tingling stuff. <P>Jackson, who loves his battles, imbues his warfare with crushing realism, all the more ironic given this is pure fantasy. <P>There are moments harking back to iconic movies Saving Private Ryan and The Empire Strikes Back that show the scruffy New Zealand director is, without argument, a master of his craft. <P>But along the way, he does not forget the human dimensions to this struggle either, and that it is friendship and loyalty that the forces of good have to rely on as much as force of arms. <P>This three-hour, 11-minute epic is an unqualified triumph, one that raises the bar for any spectacle-respecting director of the future. The Oscar, surely, must go to Peter Jackson. <BR><HR></BLOCKQUOTE> __________________ A problem shared is a problem halved, so is your problem really yours or just half of someone else's?