The Return of the King Reviews Thread

[Niniel]

ROTK review!!!

Am I actually the first to post a review of ROTK here (except those lucky guys who got to see it first)? Well here goes:
It was great!!!
Why? For lots of reasons:
-it stuck closer to the book than the other two movies; at least in the second part, the first part had many scenes that were taken from the book, but the actual words were not from the book. But don't worry, no real big changes, except for some ridiculous Arwen stuff and Legolas killing a Mûmak (although we all cheered when he killed it).
-instead of focusing on the action it focused on the characters; the battle of the Pelennor fields didn't take up half the movie as Helm's Deep did. There was lots of room for development of the characters, and indeed they developed a lot, especially the Hobbits (all of them), and Aragorn.
-Great acting; none of these cheesy lines that Sean A. was forced to say in TTT, but just great expression of what someone would, actually feel and do in a given situation. Nominated for an Oscar (hopefully): Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Bernard Hill, Miranda Otto and of course my fav hobbit Dominic Monaghan.
-Great cinematography; everything looked right, the effects were great, New Zealand is still a beautiful country, the costumes were perfect and Frodo looked as if he had really walked through the wild for 6 months.
Some great scenes:
-Merry running after Gandalf when he took Pippin with him to Minas Tirith
-Éowyn taking Merry with her (cheers from crowd)
-Éowyn and Merry shouting 'death' with all the Rohirrim, and Théoden's speech.
-Dead of Witchking: he snuffed it alright, just as in the book
-Pippin singing to Denethor while Faramir went on a suicide mission
-Pippin finding Merry on the battlefield (unfortunately this was very short)
-Sam holding Frodo on Mount Doom, talking about the Shire
-Grey Havens (nothing cheesy, just as in the book)

Of course there were some things that purists won't like:
-Ridiculous talk about Arwen dying (but great scene when Arwen realised she shouldn't go to Grey Havens, though it wasn't in the book)
-Gandalf being autoritative to Denethor, he was actually hitting him with his staff and it was Gandalf who threw Denethor on the pyre, and also to Pippin when he offered allegiance to Denethor
-Aragorn not being able to control the Palantír
-Things that were not in the book, such as no Houses of Healing (Merry and Éowyn were obviously wounded but the next moment they were in one piece riding a horse), no Éowyn-Faramir love story, no Saruman, no scouring... Hopefully some of it will be in the EE.

But I think it's the best film I've seen in 10 years, I'll sure see it again (5 times or something....) GO AND SEE IT NOW!!!!!!

 

[Dáin Ironfoot I]

Saw It!!! *spoilers*

Well, I must say I am incredibly satisfied with the ROTK (saw it at midnight). I left the movies feeling complete and happy, I do not have any major complaints as with TTT.

Since there was no thread for those who have seen the movie, I made one. Please post your comments, I would post more but I have to go to class!

 

[Fair Lúthien]

Saw it.....Loved it......seeing it again today.....

It truly is a cinematic masterpiece....and i'm not talking just about ROTK itself....

to quote a friend from another message board

"It works best together as a single film. It's also a better movie when considered as a single entity, because peoples complaints about various issues of structure disappear.


It's clear that Tolkien wrote one book, and it's equally clear that Jackson understood this, and respected the intent, and faced with the same fiscal and length barrier's as Tolkien, released it is three parts not for artistic reasons, but because of the demands of the studio...which were not artistic considerations, but fiscal ones."

 

[Fair Lúthien]

You forgot the other thing purists won't like.....the lack of parlay between the Witchking and Gandalf

 

[Niniel]

yeah that too... my list was just a selection of things. One viewing is not enough to remember everything

BTW could a mod make a separate thread for ROTK reviews?

 

[Hadhafang]

I thought the film was the best of the three. Deffinate thumbs up! I am sure that alot of the missing material will be presented in the EE. I for one can't wait!

 

[SpencerC18]

Return of the King was AWESOME!!!!

What did you guys think of the movie? I wish I could have seen the fate of Saruman, but besides that the movie was everything I dreamed of and more.

 

[Rhiannon]

I thought it was awful. It didn't have the scope, it didn't have the majesty, it didn't have the sheer nobility portrayed by the book- it was a couple of dumb stunts and a lot of special effects. The most wrenching moments in the book came off as cheesy on the screen, largely because of the (I thought) filming, minor alterations of lines to make them sound 'modern' (gag), etc. It was most definitely not what I wanted to see- and I didn't even like it just as an action film. There is so much character development that's supposed to happen, and they traded it in for a few fight sequences that we could get for a dime a dozen in the action section of the video store. It was completely lacking in the kind of stuff that appeals to me, even apart from the alterations from the text.

So, in summary, I thought it sucked. But I looked awesome in my costume.

 

[Ol'gaffer]

wow Rhiannon.

we must have seen two different movies? what did you see?

 

[NetherDemon]

Originally posted by Rhiannon
I thought it was awful. It didn't have the scope, it didn't have the majesty, it didn't have the sheer nobility portrayed by the book- it was a couple of dumb stunts and a lot of special effects. The most wrenching moments in the book came off as cheesy on the screen, largely because of the (I thought) filming, minor alterations of lines to make them sound 'modern' (gag), etc. It was most definitely not what I wanted to see- and I didn't even like it just as an action film. There is so much character development that's supposed to happen, and they traded it in for a few fight sequences that we could get for a dime a dozen in the action section of the video store. It was completely lacking in the kind of stuff that appeals to me, even apart from the alterations from the text.

So, in summary, I thought it sucked. But I looked awesome in my costume.

 

[Rhiannon]

Hated it. I thought it sucked. I'm growing more irritated as I type.

I didn't like the use of the opening sequence about Smeagol. Sure, it's good to have it, but I don't like it as the opening, and I found the murder sequence to be extremely horrific- I need to call home and warn my dad before he takes my younger siblings.

The plot was incoherent. The jumps from thing to thing don't make sense, nothing seques- one minute Theoden is whining because Gondor didn't come to their aid, and in his next scene he's rallying Rohan to because some pretty fires got lit- and because Aragorn guilted him in to it. We never see why he changes his mind.

The palantir looked like one of those electric balls you can get from novelty stores, which took away from a scene that might otherwise have been very effective.

Denethor was disgusting. As much as I hate the character's slimy nasty guts, even I recognize that he still has shreds of nobility and dignity- he isn't completely nutzo from the get-go. The pyre scene had every chance of being excellent...until Denethor hops off the table and goes running away to jump off the wall. What the hell was that? I'm still hoping I dreamed that part.

The Battle of Pelennor was 1) broken up because they kept stopping the action to have Theoden shout orders and 2) totally and annoyingly dominated by those freaking stupid elephants. Okay, they're big, they have tusks, they're stomping on people, but can we get a shot of something ELSE maybe? Just a little? If they were trying to be realistic by having Theoden keep control of the attack, they shouldn't have bothered. It just broke up the scene. And by focusing on the elephants the battle was transformed in to a flashback to Star Wars. Where's an X-wing fighter when you need one? Also, Legolas' stunt with the elephant was absolutely ridiculous. I only thought his jumping up on the horse in an absolutely physically impossible way was bad, but the jumping all over the mumakil's legs was too much. What was he supposed to be holding on to? Arrows stuck in the elephant's skin? um....no.

And the clencher. My scene. MY SCENE. My scene that had every chance of completely dominating the screen because it's the coolest thing ever. It could have been. So. Much. More. The dialogue was altered- which I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting to have it completely robbed of its power. And not only was it altered, but it was out of sync. Eowyn doesn't remove her helmet until after Merry has stabbed the Nazgul, what is with that? It ruins the entire premise of the scene, that she's doing this because she's a woman. And the elephant corpse kind of ruined things for me, too. And where was the cloud of darkness? And WHY DIDN'T THE NAZGUL'S FREAKING HEAD COME OFF? WHERE WERE THE FLAMES FOR EYES? WHY DID THE NAZGUL LOOK LIKE BLOODY EVIL EMPEROR ZURG JUNIOR?
Rhi is Not Happy.

And following that, Eowyn just gets left at Pelennor at we skip to Aragorn in Minas Tirith. Eh? Where was Eomer's big scene? So Aragorn (who, now that he's king, is suddenly not-sexy; I'm not sure how this happened. Maybe it was the beard. He should totally have stuck witht he sexy stubble) takes his army to the Black Gate(s), they stand in a little group in front of it and...let the bad guys come out and surround them. Oh yeah, that's bloody brilliant. Good move, Aragorn.

And, of course, there is no mention of the fact that Eowyn and Faramir fall in love except they smile at each other during the coronation (which featured Aragorn's corny touchy-feely speech- yawn- and Arwen hiding behind a banner in an icky seafoam green colored dress). Other travesties include Elrond showing up in Rohan and the bizarre close up as he whips Aragorn's brand-spanking new sword out- a cinematic mistake if I ever saw one- no sign whatsoever of Saruman, and the Paths of the Dead.

The Paths of the Dead REALLY sucked. They were freaking green. And glowy. And the entire sequence gave me Indiana Jones flashbacks crossed with the Haunted House ride at Disneyland. Eeeeew. They sucked rocks. They sucked dead bears. They seriously and deeply sucked.

And, of course, we were introduced to a few new Middle Earth Products- In addition to the Gandalf Top (not for children under three), the Dark Lord Eye Drops (Are your eyes inflamed? Are they constantly red? Do they look evil and sinister?), and the Lembas Bread (as seen on TV, endorsed by Orlando Bloom!), we have Galadriel's Insect Repellant and the Sauron Spotlight. The phial was cool, however, while the Sauron Spotlight was...not. It was one of the most gruesome travesties of a special effect ever.


THINGS I LIKED-

Yes, I did like some things. I liked Eowyn's scene with Theoden before they left Rohan. I liked Faramir- it was a huge relief to be able to be on Faramir's side. Not being able to root for Faramir was one of the worst things about the last movie. And (since Aragorn wasn't even hot in this movie), my affections are totally transferred to Wenham. My favorite part of the movie was- you guessed it- the five seconds of Eowyn and Faramir standing next to each other. And (I'm a purist, but not purist enough to be incensed over the lack of the Scouring, because frankly I don't like that part of the book. I can appreciate it, but I don't like it because it's painful and sad and I don't read it as often as the rest of it) I loved the scenes in the Shire. At least we got one wedding! And the Havens were excellent, except for Celeborn- where the heck do you think you're going?

So overall I thought it sucked. But I'm going to put off going and ripping PJ's entrails out until the EE comes out.

 

[Rhiannon]

Originally posted by Ol'gaffer
wow Rhiannon.

we must have seen two different movies? what did you see?

A cross between Krull, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and The Empire Strikes Back. It was scary.

 

[Celebthôl]

My review!!!!

OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!

THIS IS SOOOOOOOOOOO THE BEST FILM IN THE WORLD!!!! YOU GOTTA SEE!!!! EVERY SECOND OF IT WAS INDESECRIBABLY (SP) BRILLIANT!!!! WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!!!!!

EDIT: My official review will come tomorrow!

 

[Dáin Ironfoot I]

Yes- I think a mod should blend all these various review threads springing up all over the place!

I loved it! First of all, I left the movie feeling very satisfied, which I cannot say about TTT. I think it was because it was so true to the book in many ways- of course it strayed a little- but not nearly as much as TTT! I enjoyed the take on the Paths of the Dead, actually, as I always had trouble visualizing it in the book. Rhiannon complained that they were green, but rotting dead people are a bit *****...

Pelennor Fields was incredible- not only because of the AMAZING shots of Nazgul kicking butt, but also the intense character development within it. You see Pippin and Merry transform from timid Hobbits to warriors, Éowyn kicking butt and grieving (so what that she downed a mumak herself- it was cool!), and the madness of Denethor. You know what, the scene between Éowyn and the Nazgul worked and was done effectively- it was of minor detail that her helm was taken off at the wrong moment, they used the same script pretty much and did an excellent job. Girl power! I also enjoyed the vision that Arwen had of Eldarion, and how she appeared at the end. Whee! Everyone bowing to the Hobbits was by far the most emotional part of the film.

Shelob was pretty creepy, though I still can't get over the fact that she didn't look more like a black widow. The entire travel of Frodo and Sam really kept me interested, instead of annoyed (like in TTT). I was thrilled to see they managed to include all of the aspects of their journey after the pitfalls of TTT- Shelob, Cirith Ungol, Galadriel, etc. Of course, the ending was perfect and I liked how Gollum fell after struggling with Frodo, as I think the audience would have found it pretty stupid if Gollum simply just fell by himself (reading Gollum stumbling is more effective than seeing it, I think).

The only complaints I have were: there was not enough of Éomer (the most emotional scene in the book for me was him finding Éowyn on the field), Éowyn talking to Théoden before he died (I think if it was just like the book where Merry talked to him with Éowyn lying nearby it would be much more effective and more heart-rending), the absence of the Houses of Healing (it was a bit wierd to leave the Fields with Éowyn and Merry 'dead' on the field), and Galadriel's horny look at the end (WHAT WAS THAT?!?!). She just kind of looked at Frodo and gave this funky smile... I laughed.

In all, I think this movie payed the most homage to the books, and it will be all the more successful for it.

EDIT: OKay... the word that was censored was p-u-s-s-y, as in possessing pus-like features.

 

[breadfan35]

Originally posted by Hadhafang
I am sure that alot of the missing material will be presented in the EE. I for one can't wait!

It has to be, we already know that Saruman will be in the EE, along with at least one scene inthe House of Healing with Faramir and Eowyn, but the Lord of the Nazgul vs. Gandalf (I pray) must be in the EE. It was in the trailer so that leaves me to believe it will be. Also, Saurons Lieutenant at the Black Gate. I think that will be in the EE also. It was in the ROTK PS2 game. I know that just because the game has something doesn't mean it will be in the movie, but in both LOTR games, their stories were drawn from the films. They never drew something from the book, that was not to be in the movie. So that gives me hope.

 

[33Peregrin]

It's worse for me. I didn't get to see it today! I think I am going to die. I don't get to see it until Christmas Eve. That is an entire week! Curse those Final Exams! I will die. I drove past a theater on my way home from school, and it was torture! Worse than I thought that anything could be! Kind of like Frodo going by Minas Morgul. And- was Minas Morgul good in the movie?????? I am very excited about that part, because that is what freaks me out the most when I read the book.

 

[Gandalf White]

Oh my god! The movie was absolutely brilliant! I went expecting something awesome and it was so much better than that. I love it, absolutely love it.

The pacing was not choppy like TTT. There was no mis-placed humor. There were no corny lines. (Ok, there was 1 line I hated, absolutely abhorred, but it lasted 2 seconds)

Characters:

Merry and Pippin were incredible. They grew even more and the emotional parts were superb. I loved the interaction between Gandalf and Pippin, it reminded me of the books so much.

Eowyn and Theoden were also very well done. Theoden finally gets his rear in gear, albeit a bit abruptly. Eowyn was very well done. I believe we will see Eomer's reaction to finding her in the EE.

Denethor and Faramir were interesting. Faramir was much better in RotK and Denethor, while perhaps in need of an EE, was well-played.

Gimli and Legolas were also absolutely brilliant! Gimli was no longer had only comic lines, and they continue their battle to kill the most orcs, a wonderful touch!

Gollum....! Need I say more?

Frodo and Sam were simply, amazingly, awesomely, absolutely perfect! Sean Astin was bloody brilliant! OMG, their storyline just rocked so much. The intensity was simply amazing, the finale was totally perfect. I can't begin to describe it!

As to everything that happened, it just blew me away. The beautiful charge of the Rohirrim was way too cool for words. Eowyn taking on the WK was kickass! It was simply fabulous, way better-handled than TTT battles.

My mom, who liked the other two, can't stop talking about this one; she's already planning a return visit to the theatres! I can't wait!

This has to be cut short because I have to go, but this movie simply blows all the others away...the one must see movie of the year, this one is gonna get awards galore..awesome, awesome awesome awesome!

 

[BlackCaptain]

Haha glad to see u liked it Thol.

I heard the Witch King was done all wrong... no fire-y eyes or whatever... I'll show themm *waves fists at sky*

 

[Morvran]

I feel sorry for book fans that hate these movies...

I really do. I wish you could feel like I do. I am someone who has read the books too many times to count. I am someone who loved the cartoon-movie as a kid, and always wanted to see these books made into a real movie.

I love these movies. I am thankful for what Jackson did by bringing these to the silver screen. I don't think it could have been done better.

I think a literal translation of the books onto film would have been horrible (not to mention impossible).

I have plenty of issues with the movies as they pertain to characters and plot...but I am able to accept the issues as a difference in opinion and interpretation. And most of my issues lie within the TT to be honest.

For those of you who are fans of the books, or fans of Tolkien, who hate these movies, I truly do feel sorry for you. I am sorry that you cannot get the joy out of these movies that I do.

 

[Morvran]

sad