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The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Note: Well, I said I'd never review them, but as I sat down to answer a question for my Your Turn column, I realized that the answer was getting so big that I might as well turn it into an article all unto itself. The result isn't one lengthy review of the entire trilogy per se, but rather capsule-reviews of the individual films. Included with this article is the question that prompted it, and I hope that "Boone" is happy. Question: So you’ve made it clear that you’re not interested in reviewing the Lord of the Rings films. But what did you think of them? (“Boone” from ? 6-2-04) Answer: You’re referring to the statement I made on my Mission Page: “Frankly, I admire Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films as much as the next fellow, but reviewing them as an independent film critic not associated with a major publication is pointless. Anyone who wants to see them won’t need my review to convince them.” That translates, roughly, to mean, “I’ll get around to it in the next ten years or so when the hype has simmered a bit,” though judging from the cult-status that these films are generating, the hype will probably be bigger than ever in ten years. In that case, I’d be happy to break the films down into mini-reviews for you, right here in this Q&A column (note - this was written before I realized that the answer was going to take up so much space). Keep in mind that I almost never grant films their star-ratings until I actually sit down to write the reviews and can think clearly about what works and what doesn’t work about them. That said, I’ve viewed Jackson’s trilogy enough to have a pretty good idea of how I would recommend them. So, just for you (and other curious readers), here is Lord of the Rings in a few brief capsules. I’m sure that I’ll offend many fan-boys by not joining them in insisting that all three films are the greatest movies of all time, which they most certainly are not. They stirred me more visually than dramatically, and I would have liked a greater balance. Still, I overall feel that Peter Jackson created impressive visual epics out of complex books, and I commend him for succeeding as much as he did. The results are three fantastically exciting adventures, but nothing that holds a candle to other films of their kind, such as the original Star Wars trilogy or David Lean’s unforgettable epics, which stir the soul as well as the senses. ***
The Fellowship of the Ring (theatrical version): ***1/2—Sweeping visual spectacle with a terrific cast, story, and special effects. Though long, its excitement and sense of wonder never let up, and its grandeur is splendid but never so big that we do not sense the internal nature of Tolkien’s story about Hobbits and their quest to destroy the One Ring. I would have liked a little extra detail about the importance of Frodo specifically being chosen for the task of destroying the Ring, and there are a few scenes that don’t quite ring true (is it just me, or were the tribal goblin/orc creatures a little cheesy?). Otherwise, this is a gripping, exciting adventure story. The Fellowship of the Ring—Extended Edition: ***1/2—I liked the extra footage, but it was certainly filler. It didn’t add or take away from the story that was told in the original cut, even though purists were probably happy to see certain scenes from the book restored. Favorite moments: Ian Holm as Bilbo. Christopher Lee as Saruman. Aragorn’s spar with the Nazgul. Gandalf’s spar with the Balrog. Outspoken Gimli’s timid flirtation with Galadriel. Boromir’s final, triumphant stand against the orcs.
*** The Two Towers (theatrical version): **1/2—Flawed in the way that I feared Fellowship would be. A visual feast with amazing special effects and effective battle sequences, but the film is often very plodding, with little sense of the timing and rhythm that made the first film’s storytelling so magical. Most of the characters are also not as well written, often behaving in heroic clichés that the first installment was trying to play against (Faramir and Eomer were terribly underdeveloped, and the would-be love triangle between Aragorn, Eowyn, and Arwen was uninspired to the point of boredom). Exception: Gollum, who never ceased to amaze. Also, what was with Legolas surfing down the stairs on a shield? Beach Boy music came to mind, which certainly couldn’t have been Jackson’s intention. The Two Towers—Extended Edition: ***1/2—The extra footage creates a better paced film and fleshes out the characters in a way that was lacking in the theatrical cut. Thus, we still get the visual splendor, and it pays off due to effective storytelling and fully-developed characters. Nevertheless, Legolas still surfs down the stairs. Favorite moments: Gollum’s conversations with himself. Brad Dourif as Grima Wormtongue. The quiet, introspective moments between King Theoden and Gamling. The fleshing out of Faramir’s conflict in the extended version—particularly his scene with Boromir and their father, Denethor.
*** The Return of the King (I’ll divide this in half when the extended version is released): ****—One of the greatest war movies ever made, showing both the glory in fighting for a noble cause and the tragedy that comes with sacrifice. That Peter Jackson can turn a fantasy story into such a strong statement on war is evidence of his ingenuity as a visual director. In addition, the story and the characters have never been more poignant than they are in this final installment, and the special effects and battle sequences are eye-popping in their excitement and realism. Gimli and Legolas remain underwhelming, and the scenes in the Valley of the Dead could have been more strongly developed, but these are minor reservations in comparison to what works in the film. A very satisfying conclusion, though it’s still got nothing on Lawrence of Arabia. Favorite moments: Pippin’s song as Faramir races into battle. John Noble as Denethor. Sean Astin as Samwise. The ouliphants and their subsequent battle sequence. Aragorn’s speech before the charge into Mordor. *** In total, the entire trilogy averages out to about 3.4 stars, a little under ***1/2. But I’m willing to round up if it means less hate-mail. In any case, I must pat myself on the back: I've gotten around to reviewing these faster than I thought I would (so much for the projected ten years), and I managed to kill three birds with one stone. Thanks, "Boone." I guess.
Cast (chief
cast from all three films included here, in no particular order): New Line Cinema presents a
Wingnut Films production. Directed by Peter Jackson. Written by
Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, from the books by J.R.R.
Tolkien. Rated PG-13 for scary sequences and violent images of
war. Fellowship of the Ring:
178 minutes (extended cut: 208 minutes), released December 19,
2001.
Questions? Comments? Death threats? E-mail me: danel_the_tinman@hotmail.com |
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