Ephemeris of the Mind (Film Review) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Time to read: 2 min read
Movie Poster
Courage, Merry. Courage for our friends.
Past Middle-earth film reviews:
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Review
I’ll have to admit, while all three LOTR live-action films were fantastic, this is probably my favourite. The story reaches its climax as good faces off against evil on the battlefield while Sam (Sean Astin) and Frodo (Elijah Wood) near their destination.
The film features a grueling portrayal of Sam and Frodo on their last leg of the journey. It portrays the desolation of Mordor and the various dangers at the heart of the Enemy’s base of power. The highlights of the film for me, though, have to be the large-scale action sequences featuring non-stop heroics and bravery. The CGI looks amazing, especially the Oliphaunts and the Witch-king.
The acting is spectacular; Astin and Wood really give it their all for the end of the journey. Viggo Mortensen’s Aragorn and Ian McKellen’s Gandalf were both amazing in their respective roles. Supporting characters such as John Noble's mad Denethor, Miranda Otto's brave Eowyn, and Bernard Hill's passionate Théoden were also fantastic.
The soundtrack from all three films are awesome but Howard Shore has really outdone himself for Return of the King. The music is both beautiful and fitting for the large battles.
Conclusion
A spectacular conclusion to the trilogy.