...its length is punishing.
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Many fans of Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" project were ecstatic that "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" took home eleven Oscars in March 2004. I was happy to see that the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was willing to give a fantasy movie top honors. Still, given how lukewarm the Academy was to "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers", I couldn't shake the feeling that "LOTR 3" was being rewarded for achieving the kind of box-office success that Hollywood respects as well as for showcasing the kind of technical proficiency that only Hollywood money can buy. After all, the "LOTR" movies received only one Oscar nomination in the acting categories--meaning, the actors' branch, which is the largest in the Academy, did not connect with the actors in "LOTR" and did not find themselves wholly engaged with the story (for acting develops the emotional bonds that viewers feel with movies).
In "LOTR 3", the people of Rohan ride to the aid of the people of Gondor after fending off Saruman's army in "LOTR 2". Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) get closer to dropping Sauron's Great Ring in the fires of Mt. Doom, though Gollum (Andy Serkis) wants the Ring for himself. Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) undergoes several trials to prove that he is ready to be the King of Men. Meanwhile, Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Gimli (John Rhys Davies) continue to provide inappropriate moments of humor, and Miranda Otto (as Eowyn, a princess of Rohan) tries her best to bring a touch of the feminine to the whole enterprise despite being dressed in male armor for most of the movie.
Despite my low regard for "LOTR 2", I found myself close to tears several times during "LOTR 3". There are several truly moving moments, and that's impressive considering the size and the loudness of the affair. Faramir's (David Wenham) death charge to Osgiliath is a notable sequence. The sound design removes all vocals/dialogue except for a song being sung without musical accompaniment. Horse hooves and arrows flying through the air are muted, and the elegaic song perfectly reflects Faramir's sadness and desperation.
My main complaint about the movie is that it's longer than it needs to be. Unlike many others, I didn't mind the "multiple endings" because the story needs them in order to be complete. However, did we really need to see Arwen (Liv Tyler) writhing in despair on a bed? Did we really need to see so many prolonged battles? Did the movie need so many scenes set in Rohan before the Rohirrim set out for Gondor? (I mean, wasn't most of "LOTR 2" about Rohan already???)
Video:
For the most part, the 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen image is free of any print defects. I suspect that the movie may have been transferred from a digital source since so much of the imagery was created in computers anyway. I write this because the image doesn't look as grainy as one would expect of a movie shot with the Super 35 process. However, as clear and clean as it is, the image looks a bit soft sometimes, possibly due to a combination of the amount of CGI in the movie as well as the lack of disc space (a 200-minute movie with two surround-sound audio tracks).
Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 EX English is thunderous. There are objects flying all over the room for most of the movie's three-plus hours. Music is reproduced well or artfully, as in the aforementioned charge on Osgiliath. Still, the mix is so busy that some audio effects sound a tad muddy. Also, some dialogue gets lost in the shuffle, but that may have been intentional.
Those of you without digital-sound set-ups should watch the movie with the DD 2.0 surround English track. Optional English and Spanish subtitles as well as optional English closed captions support the audio.
Extras:
--Disc 1--
Clicking on the New Line logo in the Main Menu will access DVD production credits.
--Disc 2--
The extras on Disc 2 of the "theatrical version" set are not as good as the extras available in the two-disc sets of "LOTR 1" and "LOTR 2". This might have to do with the fact that the cycle is at an end, so the filmmakers have run out of promotional materials to share with the public. At any rate, the extras are self-explanatory, so I don't really have to "review" them.
"The Quest Fulfilled: A Director's Vision" is a congratulatory featurette that celebrates Peter Jackson and the "LOTR" movies. "A Filmmaker's Journey: Making 'The Return of the King'" is one of those promotional featurettes that are shown on TV before a movie's theatrical release. "National Geographic Special--'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the Kings'" places the movie in historical, literary, and, of course, geographical (in terms of its shooting production) context.
There are six mini-featurettes that were created for www.lordoftherings.net: "Aragorn's Destiny", "Minas Tirith: Capital of Gondor", "The Battle of Pelennor Fields", "Samwise the Brave", "Eowyn: White Lady of Rohan", and "Digital Horse Doubles". Finally, there are theatrical trailers, TV spots, a "supertrailer", and a preview of a video game based on the movies.
I'm not sure if there was a music video made for Annie Lennox's "Into the West" song, but this DVD set does not have a music video (unlike the two-disc sets of "LOTR 1" and "LOTR 2").
--DVD-ROM--
Those of you with DVD-ROM access can use the weblinks encoded on the DVDs.
--Miscellaneous--
Since an Amaray slim double-keepcase houses the 2 discs, there´s a glossy fold-out that provides extras and chapter listings.
Film Value:
I think that "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" is a better installment in the "LOTR" cycle than "The Two Towers", but its length is punishing. What powerful moments it has (Sam carrying Frodo, Viggo Mortensen's excellent performance, everyone bowing to the hobbits) are separated by interminable battles, interesting but unnecessary asides, and cheap, crowd-pleasing elements (the way that the Witch King is defeated). I still like "The Fellowship of the Ring" much more than its "sequels" because it is about much more than just fights and badly-done jokes.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]11853[/release]