Return of the King

reviewed by Dave

Hundreds of thousands of orcs march toward the human race’s last stronghold of Minas Tirith. Giant fellbeasts with ominous black riders circle the skies. A cloud of darkness threatens to overtake not just this field of battle, but the entire world should this city fall.

Return of the King redefines the word “epic,” claiming it as its own. Every film seems to suddenly feel small compared to this final chapter in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

But that alone isn’t why I love this movie.

A lesser director and a lesser film would cave under the scope of these massive battles. As unlikely as it sounds, Peter Jackson has managed to fill these giant special effects-driven scenes with small-scale, character-driven moments that are some of the most emotionally resonating scenes ever filmed.

While these epic battles rage, the ultimate fate of the world is dependent on the success of two small hobbits, their scheming guide, and the hell they must have the strength to pass through. Jackson never lets you forget that the real battle, on every level, is a personal one. A king must rise to accept his destiny, characters deemed weak enter battle and find incredible personal strength, and one character quiets the fears another is feeling about death.

It is these small moments, perfectly acted and directed, that replay in my mind when I think of the film. It is the chance to see these moments again that have me looking forward to seeing Return of the King a second time with nearly the same level of anticipation I felt seeing it the first time.

Return of the King is quite simply the greatest movie I have ever seen.