- So all they have to do is destroy the ring, right? Sounds easy enough to me.
- I suppose you won't be surprised to hear that this task is a trifle more difficult than it sounds. For starters, Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) have to make their way into Mordor, home to the increasingly ocular Dark Lord Sauron. Although the creature Gollum (modeled on Andy Serkis) has guided them this far, the treacherous side of his bifurcated personality is obviously starting to take over. As if that weren't trouble enough, the hobbits also have to deal with a terrifying spider of mammoth proportions, dark towers and blasted fields teeming with orcs, and the imposing task of scaling an active volcano. They're constantly one mistake away from handing their enemy his greatest weapon, and it's obvious they're starting to lose hope.
- Meanwhile, the rest of the world is busy preparing for the arrival of Mordor's dreaded assault. Having apparently defeated Saruman, Aragorn (Viggo Mortenson), Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Merry (Dominic Monaghan) remain at Edoras with King Theoden (Bernard Hill) while Gandalf (Ian McKellan) hurries to Gondor with the too-curious Pippin (Billy Boyd) in tow. In Gondor, they meet Lord Denethor (John Noble), who is thankfully the only major new character in this film. Denethor is hardly ruling with Gondor's best interests in mind, however, and he obviously doesn't appreciate his son Faramir's (David Wenham) failure to bring him the ring of power. Fortunately, Rohan's assistance is signaled for without Denethor's approval, but not before Mordor begins its assault.
- Even before the siege engines arrive, it is clear that this is going to be the deciding battle for Middle Earth. Thankfully, the film takes a few minutes to allow its characters and audience to appreciate the "deep breath before the plunge" as everyone ponders what is about to happen. When Mordor finally attacks, it is appropriately impressive, with Nazgul screaming out of the skies as various war machines batter the castle. Although a few strange dramatic choices are made (see below), there are also a few wonderful surprises, like the sudden onslaught of the elephants. When the dust finally clears, Eowyn (Miranda Otto) has slain the witch-king, the orc army has been routed, dead armies have arisen, and the city still stands. Despite this incredible victory, however, Sauron's final defeat can come only at the hands of a hobbit. Distracted by Aragorn's bold challenge, Sauron's eye is blind to the peril awaiting him at Mount Doom until it is too late.
- So are we glad to have had Peter Jackson along with us, here at the end of all things? The third film proves to be the most difficult to evaluate because it is peppered with some of the most frustrating moments in the entire trilogy. One particularly objectionable issue in my mind is Saruman's deletion from the story. Anyone who saw the first film would naturally assume that Gandalf had some parting words for the fallen wizard who was once his friend and later his captor. Instead, the story completely ignores him, quickly switching to the war in the East. Unfortunately, this is not the only instance of bad storytelling. The witch-king claims he will "break" Gandalf, but the two never share a scene. Galadrial helps Frodo regain his strength so that he can get ambushed by a spider. I'm left wondering what happened to the condensed but compelling narrative style of the first film.
- Even with these problems noted, The Return of the King still succeeds more often than it fails. Tallied in the plus column are the magnificent battles, the ever-impressive special and visual effects, and the obvious amount of affection poured into the story's conclusion. The end feels a bit protracted, but I don't blame Jackson for hesitating to let his world go. As I've said in the other reviews, Jackson's version of Middle Earth is a better adaptation than I ever would have expected, and the occasional missteps are minor compared to the overwhelming success of the series. The series' conclusion is appropriately bittersweet as we watch these wonderful characters and places sail off, never to return.
- I realize that some of the story issues (i.e. Saruman's absence, Gandalf facing the witch-king) are addressed in the extended version. Is it better or worse that such scenes were filmed but not included?
