The Return of the King *****
As we all know, the third film in a series (not counting Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) is almost always weak. ROTJ, BTTF3, Alien 3, Scream 3, Godfather 3, The Matrix Revolutions...the list goes on and on. I relly didn't have this fear going into ROTK. I knew the source material was there, I knew PJ was right on track, I knew they were all shot together. What I was afraid of was an anti-climactic ending. I knew that Gollum tumbling over the edge had the potential to be a "what the..?" moment for many virgins.
Of course a lot is riding on the success of this film, not the least of which are the Oscar and the honor of being the only film trilogy to have three consistant great installments. It all comes down to the moment for which we've been waiting for over two years. And PJ hits it out of the ballpark.
As I've said before, my love of this series has stemmed from an appreciation of Jackson's cinematic mastery and Tolkien's visionary genius. Well, up until this point, I have had very little emotional response to the material. Not that I ever really do anymore. I'm a Hollywood type, I see everything, and I know all the tricks. When I feel the manipulation, I start to sneer.
Well, to use a cliche, step right up folks, and go for a ride on the Return of the King Emotional Rollercoaster, keep hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times. This time PJ's playing for keeps.
He juggles the multiple storylines with ease, giving each plot thread and character the gravitas it needs to complete their arcs. No tear is unearned, no lump in the throat unfelt.
Of course, from a more acedemic standpoint, Jackson maintains Tolkiens myriad of themes a cookin'. The emotion is not maudlin because it serves the messages of friendship, corruption, mortality and all the others woven into the narrative.
From a more filmmaking standpoint, the effects continue to be superlative and actors like Sean Astin, Miranda Otto, and Billy Boyd finally get their chances to shine. Unlike in the previous two films where I felt some characters were underdeveloped, each person is fully fleshed out with satisfying conclusions to their stories.
Criticisms? Well, I think that PJ was right to amp up Saruman in the previous installments. The lack of a tangible villan was noticable. And I'm still not a fan of Orlando Bloom.
And so it all comes down to that ending. This is a spoiler free review so all I can say is, it works. It works better than it has any right to.