Peter Jackson Fails To Make The Hobbit Legendary With The Complete Motion Picture Trilogy Collection!

The Good: Acting is fine, Plot develops fine, Special effects
The Bad: Unremarkable plot, Reversals, Ridiculously low character development
The Basics: The Hobbit Trilogy is not Peter Jackson’s crowning achievement as it dilutes the magnificence of his The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy.


When New Line and MGM decided to make The Hobbit, I was one of the people who was exceptionally happy when Guillermo Del Toro was replaced with Peter Jackson. Peter Jackson did an incredible job at adapting J.R.R. Tolkein’s novels to make his cinematic The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (reviewed here!). Unfortunately, Jackson was unable to get lightning to strike twice by making The Hobbit Trilogy equally memorable and impressive.

The Hobbit Trilogy is a surprisingly uncomplicated film series that is a prequel to The Lord Of The Rings. The film collection for The Hobbit consists of:
An Unexpected Journey
The Desolation Of Smaug
The Battle Of The Five Armies

The Hobbit Trilogy is set in Middle Earth and is set well before The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy and includes important elements that lead into the Trilogy Jackson produced a decade prior. As Middle Earth darkens from the emerging presence of Sauron, the wizard Gandalf The Grey visits Hobbiton. There, he enlists the restless hobbit, Bilbo, to join a company of dwarves that is headed to the ruined dwarven city of Erebor. Bilbo is hired to be the company’s burglar, which Gandalf and Thorin Oakenshield – the leader of the company and the presumptive king of the dwarves – believe they will need as Erebor is under the oppressive control of the dragon Smaug. Setting out from Hobbiton, the company of dwarves runs afoul of trolls, orcs and immense spiders which all threaten their chances of getting to Erebor. In the kingdom of the goblins, underground, Bilbo is separated from the dwarves and he encounters Gollum, a creature whom he exchanges riddles with. He escapes thanks to finding a ring of invisibility by chance.

The company escapes into the realm of the Elves, who distrust the dwarves. Once the Dwarves arrive at the Lonely Mountain, they find the Dwarven Nation impossible to enter, until Bilbo figures out how to find the secret door. Entering the mountain realm, Bilbo squares off against Smaug. In doing so, Bilbo inadvertently enrages the dragon and it goes out and destroys the nearby human city of Laketown. With Smaug no longer looking over the mountains of treasures in the Dwarven Nation, the humans, orcs, and elves descend upon the Lonely Mountain to take the gold. But the company is beset from within by Thorin, who has become obsessed with the treasure and the mythical Arkenstone which will solidify his claim to the dwarven throne.

The Hobbit is a very straightforward quest story and after witnessing the quest to destroy the source of all evil in Middle Earth, there is something incredibly underwhelming about a story that eventually gets around to being about one man’s obsession. Thorin Oakenshield is determined until late in the story when he becomes absolutely obsessed with hoarding the same riches that Smaug accumulated. Unlike the One Ring, which is fueled by Sauron’s evil, the mountain of gold has no supernatural reason for the obsession it brings to Thorin, Smaug, and all the others who covet it.

The company of dwarves is surprisingly large – a dozen strong – but only three of them are actually distinct. Thorin, the aged Balin and the young, elf-loving Kili are the dwarves with substantive characters. The rest are just filler and that makes it hard to invest in the bulk of the company.

The Hobbit features Martin Freeman as Bilbo and the role is unlike any of his other parts. He is not at all goofy, not regulated to simply supporting another, more forceful actor. Instead, he perfectly embodies Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo is clever and ethical. He has the heart of an explorer from a people who usually want to simply be left alone and Freeman finds the balance incredibly well.

Director Peter Jackson makes Middle Earth look as amazing as he did in The Lord Of The Rings. The story of The Hobbit might not be exceptional, but the look and feel of it is consistent with the rest of Jackson’s Middle Earth Saga. As a result, The Hobbit stands as a testament that style cannot sell an inferior story that lacks impressive characters.

For other works with Martin Freeman, please check out my reviews of:
The World’s End
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy
Love Actually

6/10

For other movie reviews, please check out my Film Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

Peter Jackson Convinces Fans To Return To Middle Earth One More Time With The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies!

The Good: Decent performances, Generally good effects, Much of the plot development and theme resolutions, Special effects
The Bad: Light on character development, Predictable plot repetition, Begins at an awkward place/resolves oddly
The Basics: Likely to work much better in context, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies holds up poorly on its own, though it is entertaining-enough!


As we reach the end of the year, the final big film of the year has hit theaters. It is, of course, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies, the final of three films in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit Trilogy. The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies is a final act in the three-film journey that had Bilbo Baggins joining a company of Dwarves on their quest to retake the Dwarven land of Erebor. The thing about The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies is that it becomes the perfect argument against what Peter Jackson did with turning the single novel The Hobbit into three films. The final film of The Hobbit stands very poorly on its own.

Filled with subplots and the end of character arcs, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies hits the ground running without any explanation, prologue or attempts at explicitly connecting to the prior film. The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies is an immediate follow-up to The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug (reviewed here!) and opens with the world of Middle Earth turned up on its end and it ends with an anticlimax that returns Peter Jackson to his horror roots. At least he does not force the audience to endure multiple endings, a la The Return Of The King (reviewed here!).

With Smaug furious and released from his mountain prison in Erebor, the dragon turns his attention on nearby Laketown. Burning Laketown down with his flame breath, Smaug runs afoul of Bard, who was imprisoned by the master of Laketown. Using the ancient weapon designed for such purpose, Bark kills Smaug and news soon spreads through Middle Earth that Smaug is dead and Erebor is ill-defended and filled with treasure beyond measure. Inside the mountain stronghold of Erebor, Thorin Oakenshield becomes obsessed with finding the Arkenstone and he is driven mad with desire for the treasure. Confirming that Thorin’s condition is not likely to get better should he get the Arkenstone, Bilbo keeps the stone hidden from him. Seeing that Thorin’s party has survived, Fili, Kili and those who were stuck in Laketown head to Erebor, with Kili telling the elf maiden Tauriel he is in love with her.

When the Elves and refugees from Laketown arrive at Dale, the human ruins adjacent to the Dwarven kingdom, Thorin feels threatened. Gandalf is rescued from his prison by Galadrial, Radagast, and Saruman, in the process pushing the non-corporeal version of Sauron back in the process. As Gandalf makes his way to the ruins of Dale, Bilbo sneaks out from under Thorin’s nose to do the same. There, Bilbo tries to broker a deal between Thranduil, King Of The Elves, and Bard before war breaks out. Thorin is withholding promised gold to Bard and the refugees and the return of gems stolen from the Elves; Bilbo presents Thranduil with the Arkenstone to use in trade for the treasures Thorin is holding. Thorin’s determination to let the Elves and humans attack is bolstered when the main force of the Dwarven Army arrives to repel them. Almost immediately, though, Orcs attack and the humans, Dwarves and Elves find themselves united against two armies of Orcs led by Azog The Defiler. As the struggle for Middle Earth is fought before them, Thorin shakes off his dragon sickness to begin a very personal fight against Azog!

The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies is surprisingly fast-paced for a film with a running time over two and a half hours. Despite having plotlines that seem incongruent with the main plot surrounding Thorin Oakenshield and his madness fueled by greed for the Arkenstone, like the Kili and Tauriel love story, the recurring weasel Alfrid, the rescue of Gandalf, and the conflict between Legolas and his own father (Thranduil), the pacing of The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies is remarkably tight.

In fact, almost all of the actual issues surrounding The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies involve how the film fails to stand on its own or how it fits into Peter Jackson’s larger Middle Earth Saga. On its own, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies is a film that is mired by its failure to explain itself. It begins with Thorin mad and having achieved most of his goals. In The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies, Thorin has a somewhat unexplained obsession (the importance of the Arkenstone is vastly understated in the film), goes mad and overcomes it on the strength of his own will (not reason or the threat of being wiped out). Similarly, Gandalf’s imprisonment is not explained within the film; the whole Necromancer concept seems dropped in The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies!

In the context of Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth Saga, the big issue in The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies is Legolas. Legolas has one truly huge character moment in Peter Jackson’s The Lord Of The Rings Saga (reviewed here!). Legolas witnesses Elven death at the Battle Of Helm’s Deep and it leaves him shocked and shaken (in the commentary tracks, Jackson talks about how he has never seen Elves die because they are otherwise immortal). With that in mind, Legolas’s place in The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies seems utterly ridiculous. We are meant to believe that Legolas arrives at the field of battle, albeit late, and sees none of the elven bodies around that his father does?! Come on!

That said, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies has pretty wonderful acting, getting viewers to invest in the characters, no matter how minor they are. The film has issues in the larger context, like how the eagles play the same trick as in The Lord Of The Rings (Tolkien’s fault, not Jackson’s) and a bloated cast that leaves the majority of the dwarves in the company unexplored as far as fleshing out actual characters, but the performers all play credibly in the environment. Luke Evans shines as Bard and Richard Armitage manages to make Thorin’s tormented persona pop on the screen.

Ultimately, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies finishes Peter Jackson’s tenure as a master of Tolkein’s works for screen with a film that ties everything together, even if it does not stand very magnificently on its own.

For other films currently in theaters, please check out my reviews of:
To Write Love On Her Arms
The Voices
Love, Rosie
The Seventh Son
Song One
Match
Vice
American Sniper
Paddington
Inherent Vice
Selma
Still Alice
Predestination
Expelled
Annie
Comet
The Imitation Game

6.5/10

For other movie reviews, please check out my Movie Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

The Journey Builds, But Is Not Resolved, In The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

The Good: Decent acting, Special effects, Moments of character
The Bad: Very much a transition movie
The Basics: Suffering from all the expected problems of a middle act, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug is entertaining, but holds up less well on its own.


In the history of film and plays there have been few things more difficult to pull off successfully than a middle act. Middle acts within a work have the responsibility of moving the plot along and bringing characters to a situation that will require the final act to resolve. The benefit of the middle act is that it can usually move unencumbered by character establishment. As a result, middle acts can be great for character development, but on the plot front there is little in the way of resolution and some people dislike middle acts because – in order for the plot and character development to actually occur, the sense of conflict usually reaches its peak in the middle act. That usually makes middle acts darker and more moody than the initial and final acts.

In terms of trilogies, the middle film usually bears a responsibility that is tough for viewers to reconcile. Many times, they lack the initial spark of the first film in the series and the viewer does not get the elation of resolution that the final film brings. In my mind, the most successful middle act films have been limited to The Empire Strikes Back (reviewed here!) and The Dark Knight (reviewed here!). Unfortunately for fans of Peter Jackson’s interpretations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings (reviewed here!), The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug is not going to break that tradition.

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug picks up where The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (reviewed here!) left off as the prequel story of Bilbo Baggins’s journey with the dwarves that made him an outsider among the Hobbits of the Shire. The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug is, foremost, not a tight film; the movie meanders with side stories that flesh out the various characters and the setting of Middle Earth. But, given how characters like Legolas pop up in The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug without feeling absolutely essential to the main storyline and how Smaug would have been sufficiently villainous without the extensive backstory Peter Jackson includes in the film (courtesy of other volumes Tolkien wrote), the film feels more like an exploration of a fantastic setting rather than a tight character journey that is pushed by the strength of Bilbo Baggins, the menace of Smaug or the failings of Thorin Oakenshield (though all those are factors in The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug).

Following the attack on the Dwarves and Bilbo, the assemblage regroups by fleeing into the residence of a skinchanger (a man who can turn into a giant bear), who hates the orcs more than he hates the dwarves. With Gandalf heading out on his own, the Dwarves and Bilbo enter Mirkwood Forest. There, they encounter giant spiders and Bilbo is instrumental in saving the dwarves from their webs and bites. The elves of Mirkwood surround the Dwarves and capture them. Bilbo helps the Dwarves escape the elves and gets them closer to the Lonely Mountain, where Thorin intends to reclaim the Dwarven homeland. After the barrel ride downstream, the fellowship arrives at the human village of Lake-town. There, the humans warm to the Dwarves as they have been menaced by Smaug once they are exposed and their shifty leader sees an opportunity to usurp the threat.

Thorin calls upon Bilbo to make good on the contract he has with him and Bilbo is sent into the Lonely Mountain. Bilbo enters Smaug’s lair and there he encounters the dragon, setting into motion the events that push Middle Earth toward a war.

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug does a decent job of foreshadowing the fatal flaw of Thorin Oakenshield. While The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey painted Thorin as the obvious hero of the prequel Trilogy, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug starts to insinuate that Thorin is not an honorable Dwarf and that his motives for getting into the Lonely Mountain and reclaiming the dwarven kingdom is not based on a noble intent.

The film also does a good job of making Bilbo Baggins seem more morally ambiguous than some of the other Middle Earth films – especially the prior film. Baggins was hired as a thief and while he does several heroic things in The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug, he illustrates an aptitude for escape and light-fingered thievery. In fact, in The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug Bilbo Baggins’s actions actually bring surprising destruction at the breath of Smaug. If Thorin’s anger and greed are foreshadowed, it is Bilbo who goes a long way to instigate the incidents that bring those defects to the surface.

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug is entertaining and it illustrates well the range of both Martin Freeman and Richard Armitage. While fans may geek out over the return to the franchise of Orlando Bloom whose career seems to have it its high with The Lord Of The Rings (reviewed here!) and the addition of Evangeline Lilly from Lost (reviewed here!), the real story for The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug comes from Freeman and Armitage. Richard Armitage does a good job of taking a pretty monolithic character of Thorin Oakenshield and adding layers to him. While many of those layers come from written lines, it is Armitage’s performance, his bearing that sells the underlying emotions of the character. Armitage emotes with a fire in his eyes that actually resonates and sells some of the lines that do not quite resonate.

Martin Freeman might well be one of the best comic actors of our time. In The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug, he pushes the range of what he can do. He’s been sidekick in Sherlock and an able supporting comedic presence in films like this year’s The World’s End (reviewed here!). As Bilbo Baggins he manages to present a more serious character who is still fun to watch and engaging. In other words, despite moments of goofy body language, Freeman holds his own as a serious and viable character who is fearless in the face of the virtual dragon. Freeman plays Bilbo with a straight face and a sense of moral ambiguity that fits the character perfectly, all without hinting at being the same actor who played any of the other roles he has! Freeman is a perfect chameleon actor in The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug and that sells the reality of the film wonderfully. One never feels like they are watching Martin Freeman; like Ian McKellen (who is all Gandalf all the time he is on screen), Freeman completely embodies his character in the real and virtual sets of Middle Earth.

But, ultimately, even at nearly three hours (one struggles to guess what Peter Jackson will put back into the film for the inevitable Extended Edition), The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug feels like it is just getting started when it reaches its climax. Like most middle act films, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug leaves one wanting more and feeling like they are dependent upon the final act to make a true judgment on how much they enjoyed this film on its own.

For other works with Lee Pace, please check out my reviews of:
Breaking Dawn, Part II
Lincoln
Marmaduke
When In Rome
Pushing Daisies - Season 1
Wonderfalls

7/10

For other film reviews, please visit my Movie Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2013 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Returns Fans To Middle Earth, But Asks More Of The Audience.

The Good: Effects, Performances
The Bad: Pacing, Light on character development
The Basics: An adequate prequel, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey sufficiently starts the set-up for The Lord Of The Rings!


Prequels are a tough sell for me. In going back to make the prequel to The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (reviewed here!), objectively it is a tougher sell than some might expect. After all, the prequel films, which now begin with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey feature few real surprises. After all, the novel has been around for decades and, more importantly, it is instantly established that the protagonist cannot possibly die. This, usually, diminishes some of the enthusiasm for investing in a prequel. And, while it is hard for fans of Peter Jackson’s cinematic interpretation of The Lord Of The Rings not to let their heart skip a beat the moment the first words in the familiar typeface Jackson uses appear on the screen.

But the longer The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey continues, the harder it is to maintain that enthusiasm. While there is an immediate surge of joy to return to the familiar and magical setting of Middle Earth – though with the time spent now in Hobbiton, one wonders how the lesson on Hobbits in the extended edition of Fellowship Of The Ring will hold up when one sits down to watch all six films back to back – the pacing of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is not as well-executed as in The Lord Of The Rings. Moreover, the stakes are no longer the world, so there is no sense of urgency to the mission the protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, finds himself on.

Bilbo Baggins is a Hobbit, living in Hobbiton, generally happy with his existence. But then, his home is overrun by dwarves and the wizard Gandalf the Grey. After being frustrated by the slovenly nature of the Dwarves and the indifference of their leader, Thorin Oakenshield, Bilbo rejects the entreaties of Gandalf to join their quest. Uninterested in helping the Dwarves invade Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, to retake it from the dark forces that have conquered it, Bilbo has a change of heart once his annoying guests depart.

Catching up with the Dwarves, Bilbo comes to appreciate more what their fight is for as he comes to understand the importance of his own home. And through a series of conflicts with Trolls, Goblins and other monsters that inhabit the land outside Hobbiton, Bilbo grows closer to the Dwarves. After helping thwart a trio of Trolls, side trip to Rivendell and falling into a goblin trap, Bilbo feels he is truly a member of the company. His bond with the Dwarves is shaken when Bilbo ends up frightened and alone when he is lost in caverns, which puts him into peril he cannot even understand at the time and leads to a conflict with Thorin's oldest enemy.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is good, but for those looking for more than to be dazzled by the visual effects, it takes a lot of faith and the trust that this is an essential step in the character development of Bilbo Baggins. The visual majesty of Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth – which still, is vastly better than what Guillermo Del Toro might have done given his creative repetition in his works – is tempered by a pace that is, at times, agonizingly slow. Say what you will about the multiple endings to Return Of The King, but they do something to resolve the massive scale of the films and make it more intimate. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey aches to build the world of Middle Earth and it does so without the sense of incredible importance that The Lord Of The Rings possessed.

That said, for a film that builds to the prequel moments of The Lord Of The Rings, with Bilbo encountering Gollum and discovering the One Ring, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey does what it can as well it can. The discovery of the One Ring is an incidental thing and, as annoying as that might seem, it makes it entirely plausible that a character as smart as Gandalf – as portrayed in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - would remain ignorant of it as long as he did. On its own, away from knowing where the Saga is going, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is just a slow build-up, a quest based on nationalism for a nation viewers are unlikely to feel compelling empathy for that abruptly ends well before it actually reaches its conclusion.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is somewhat low on character development; this is a film more concerned with establishing Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf The Grey, and Thorin Oakenshield, than it is with changing them. The film begins to challenge them, especially Bilbo, whose sensibilities about home and its relationship to the larger world slowly change.

On the acting front, Sir Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchette, and Christopher Lee, all flawlessly retake the roles they had in The Lord Of The Rings. Richard Armitage explodes into the franchise as Thorin Oakenshield and he is magnetic, albeit with almost the same level of screen gravitas as Viggo Mortensen had as Aragorn in The Lord Of The Rings. The real acting triumph for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey comes from Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins. Freeman had a role he had to both mimic and make his own, taking over for Sir Ian Holm’s Bilbo (a task made more potentially difficult by the aged Bilbo, performed by Holm, appearing in the film!). Freeman takes the challenge, managing to deepen the goofy aspects Ian Holm’s Bilbo and also bringing out the more serious side of the character. Bilbo is essentially a bit character in The Lord Of The Rings, so Freeman has to flesh out the character while still making it seem like he would reasonably evolve into the aged Bilbo. He nails it. Freeman has an amazingly expressive body language that makes him viable as a reluctant quest participant and he plays Bilbo as the common man, as opposed to even attempting to bring heroic stature to the character.

For those who can stomach the slower nature of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and the way it takes its time to truly establish Middle Earth – showing instead of relying excessively on voiceover exposition this time – will find themselves eager for the next chapter. For those who are not as into fantasy films, it is hard to see how this would be the one to sell them on the genre.

For other fantasy films, please check out my reviews of:
Beautiful Creatures
The Twilight Saga
Alice In Wonderland

7.5/10

For other film reviews, be sure to check out my Movie Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

Epic Redux Vol. 3 - The Return Of The King Reworks Perfection In Its Extended Edition!

The Good: Great acting, directing, characters, plot, special effects, Wonderful DVD bonus features, Truly a Best Picture!
The Bad: One additional scene is shaky.
The Basics: Fleshed out to be an even more complete and truly epic film, the extended edition of The Return Of The King is the only one worth owning!


Coming in to the home stretch of the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, director Peter Jackson had to be feeling pretty wonderful. The extended editions of both The Fellowship Of The Ring (click here for that review!) and The Two Towers (click here for that review!) had revolutionized the way that films could be made and marketed and sold the American public on the idea of knowingly releasing a superior DVD version of a film than the theatrical release. In the case of the final installment, The Return Of The King, this seemed like it might be the greatest challenge of Peter Jackson's career. And yet, with the release of the four-disc collection The Return Of The King - The Special Extended Edition on DVD, Jackson proves he is up to the challenge wonderfully!

Because of the way he had arranged the previous installment in the cinematic trilogy, co-writer and director Peter Jackson had a lot of ground to make up to finish off the volumes written by J.R.R. Tolkien (the novel of The Return Of The King is reviewed here!). As a result, Jackson takes certain liberties, like only have four or five endings as opposed to the ten or more endings the book has. With the Special Extended Edition DVD of this Best Picture winner, Jackson takes his 201 minute masterpiece and restructures it into a 251 minute juggernaut that fleshes out the conclusion to the trilogy in a way that leaves the viewer with a very definite sense of Middle Earth and its history.

Following a brief extension of the story of how the riverfolk came to find the lost, fabled One Ring of Sauron and how it twisted the kindly Smeagol into the wretched Gollum, Frodo and Sam awaken on the ruined fields leading into the blasted realm of Mordor on their quest to destroy the One Ring. Guided by Gollum, the pair is plagued by the weight of the Ring and the hopelessness it evokes. Gollum, sensing his opportunity, drives a wedge between the two hobbits and leads Frodo toward a trap that may well kill him and destroy Middle Earth.

As Frodo and Sam journey closer to the heart of evil, Aragorn and Gandalf work to muster the forces of men to keep the forces of Sauron occupied and diverted from finding the hobbits. With Sauron's armies besieging the last true outpost of men - Gondor and its citadel of Minas Tirith - Gandalf and Merry ride to aid the city while Theodin calls upon all of Rohan (except the women) to fight Sauron's forces. And Aragorn, accompanied by Legolas and Gimli, rides to fulfill his destiny and calls upon the last hidden allies on Middle Earth that might change the tide of the war.

Like its predecessors in the extended cuts, The Return Of The King - The Special Extended Edition DVD has numerous scenes that were created special for the DVD release or were reintegrated into the film. These scenes tend to add a much richer sense of setting for the film and include a scene that finally ties up the Saruman story arc with the wizard actually featured! Notably absent from the theatrical release, the resolution to the story of Saruman and the Ent's taking control of Isengard is much more satisfying than the originally shown resolution to that story thread, even if it does mean yet another character in the film plummets to their death (this movie has quite a lot of people falling!). Similarly, near the battle climax of the film, there is a wonderful added scene involving the disgusting Mouth Of Sauron, who seeks to dishearten the heroes of Middle Earth. This adds some menace - despite the speed with which it is dispatched - by implying that Sauron is much closer to achieving a corporeal form to embody evil than ever before. This raises the stakes of the film well.

As well, the film plays on scenes that were extended in the previous films by revisiting the gifts from Galadriel, fleshing out the relationship between Boromir, Faramir and Denethor, and playing more on the strengths and weaknesses of Theodin. So, for example, while in the theatrical release of The Return Of The King there is a somewhat senseless resistance on the part of Theodin to commit troops to protecting Gondor, here Saruman's goading and insights into his weaknesses make that somewhat more believable.

All told, there are fourteen additional scenes reintegrated into The Return Of The King and twenty-three other scenes have additional footage returned to them. Fans of the original version who might have objected to the length of the release will be heartened to know that after a certain point, there is no additional footage and the end parts are not lengthened. This actually makes the end sequences seem less cumbersome than in the original cut. Unlike some form of prototype or test screening, the extended cut features fully mastered shots integrated seamlessly into the film. The addition of new material is so precise that it could easily go unnoticed because of the scope of the film and is so professionally done that it includes an entirely redone soundtrack to adapt the score to the longer scenes. The integration is brilliant and makes for a far more complete film!

In fact, there is only one - very minor - bit of extended footage that I did not enjoy and that is a whole mess of skulls collapsing the chambers of the dead when Aragorn and his team are on their mission. The sequence seemed silly and somewhat overdone, but in the scope of the entire film, those thirty seconds are not enough to make me think it is less than a perfect cinematic endeavor.

The Extended Edition cut of The Return Of The King becomes THE version to recommend because it is a rich, complex film that is not afraid to take its time in developing a nuanced setting and additional character depth.

Of course, the characters ought to be the centerpiece for the film and this episode succeeds with both developing the established characters and establishing new characters who are worthy of attention. The noteworthy characters of The Return Of The King are:

Frodo Baggins - A hobbit charged with saving the world by destroying the powerful One Ring of Sauron. He is even more exhausted by the power of the Ring, which has begun to drain him and even limit his movement and ability to reason. Manipulated by Gollum, his mind becomes troubled and somewhat addled, threatening his ability to complete his mission,

Gollum - Formerly a riverfolk, now a twisted minion of evil who suffers from a split personality disorder, his generous nature is once again dominated by the power of the One Ring and his nastier nature. Conniving and deft, Gollum manipulates Frodo and encourages the hobbit to push Sam away so he may lead Frodo to his death, all for his own desire for the Ring,

Denethor - Steward of Gondor, griefstricken by the loss of his son Boromir to the point of impotent madness. With the arrival of Gandalf and Pippin, shortly before the armies of Sauron, he is content to allow Men to fall as a result of his overwhelming sense of loss. It is with little sense that he guides his people, forcing Gandalf to consider deposing him,

Aragorn - A man whose destiny is to overcome the limitations of his lineage and restore nobility to the race of Men. When Elrond gives him the means to achieve victory, Aragorn makes the decision to call in all oaths made to him and his people to attempt to turn the tides of battle to give Frodo and Sam the only real chance of completing their mission. It is in preparing to confront Sauron and his forces directly that Aragorn finally becomes the king he was meant to be,

Sam - Frodo's hobbit companion, it is his strength that may well keep Frodo alive and here he becomes more than he thought he could be,

The Witch-King - The leader of the Ringwraiths, it is one of the main forces of Sauron leading the assault on Minas Tirith. It is the power of this warlord that threatens all, including Gandalf,

Eowyn - Theodin's niece, she objects to being treated as less than a man. Sneaking into the Rohan army with Merry, she vows to protect her people by fighting as she sees fit, with sword and shield. She becomes an unlikely hero, battling both for her people and her uncle's love,

and Sauron - Appearing as the ethereal Eye and Voice and the more corporeal Mouth, his essence is tied to the One Ring and as it moves deeper toward its source, the form of evil seems to gain in strength.

The Return Of The King is populated by wonderful characters and the performances of the actors - even those of the lesser-featured characters - was enough to launch the careers of many. The actors are pretty exceptional and while most of them deserve mentioning, the bulk of the film falls upon the shoulders of two actors to carry: Viggo Mortensen and Elijah Wood. While John Noble's portrayal of Denethor is impressive with his ability to evoke the broken man, this seems far more the functioning of great casting. He's legitimately wonderful - and having met him at conventions, his acting truly is great acting - but his performance does not make the movie.

Viggo Mortensen, on the other hand, truly excels in The Return Of The King! Here the actor dominates every scene he is in and achieves a level of bearing he has not shown the viewer before now. He is kingly. Mortensen is confident and plays Aragorn with a resolve that is steely and precise. But it's easy to see his greatness and ability here as his character is given far more to do this time around than in the previous films and the Extended Edition truly expands his journey into becoming a real king.. As well, Mortensen balances his performance with a deep humanity and compassion.

Also giving a great performance is Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins. Frodo is a reluctant hero, like a kid who would rather sit home and goof off with his friends when he suddenly discovers he has a destiny, and here Wood brings a sense of physical exhaustion to the role that instantly gives the viewer the sense that his character is transforming as we watch. As well, he is playing off actor Andy Serkis (Gollum) through most of the film, yet we never have the sense that Wood is seeing anything but the digital recreation the viewer sees. That takes talent! In The Return Of The King, Wood gives an overwhelmingly physical performance and there is not a single scene he is in that he does not appear absolutely exhausted and drained by the power of the ring he carries around his neck. It's a labor to watch Frodo, so wonderful is Wood's performance!

Truly, this is a pretty classic tale of good versus evil, even if evil is mostly disembodied. And thus it comes down to how the story is told and in what setting. Middle Earth, as created by Peter Jackson and the team at Weta Workshops is a beautiful and well-defined world that has some obvious appeal to it.

On DVD, this extended edition sets standards for both the source material and the bonus features. The feature film spans two discs and there is no option to play the theatrical version on this DVD. The reason is simple; that would require a SIXTH soundtrack! There is the primary soundtrack for the Extended Edition and FOUR different commentary tracks on both of the first two discs! There is a commentary track featuring cast members, one featuring Peter Jackson and his co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, one featuring production staff and another featuring effects artists and the like! It's a pretty extensive series of commentaries (well, the cast one is just plain fun but not nearly as informative, save listening to some of the cast joke with one another about the project) and it is rich and fleshes out a great deal of the thought processes behind acting choices, writing decisions, and production elements.

Discs three and four are a treasure trove of additional information on the production, the world of Middle Earth, the genesis of the film project, the labors of love that went into making the extended cut, virtually everything one might ever want to know about the film, how it was made and all the elements that went into making it. There is some (at least a tenth) overlap between the information presented in the commentary and the extensive information presented in the bonus featurettes. The especially decent aspect of the two bonus discs is that the featurettes can be played as one or three very long featurettes on the making of The Return Of The King and The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy without stopping every few minutes to reload based on the chapter subject ending. It's worth it to simply hit the "Play All" button whenever given the option!

In all seriousness, the bonus features are extensive and basically catalogue every thought that went from translating the book to a script and from the script into a film. There is also one easter egg: a prank that was pulled on Elijah Wood during an overseas interview. It's amusing, but not as indispensable as the previous Easter Eggs.

The extended cut of The Return Of The King is the essential edition for anyone looking to get into the film series and add the movie to their permanent collection. The theatrical release DVD is available for archivists and anyone who doesn't truly love fantasy films. But for those who want a movie that will stand the tests of time and will continue to entertain and inform an audience that wants to gain an appreciation of how films are made, this is the only version worth recommending!

[As the winner of the Best Picture Oscar, this is part of W.L.'s Best Picture Project, which is a comprehensive listing of my evaluations of all Best Picture winners. Please check that out by clicking here!]

For other science fiction and fantasy movies with an epic quality, please check out my reviews of:
The Dark Knight
Watchmen
Blade: Trinity

10/10

For other movie reviews, please check out my index page by clicking here!

© 2010, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



| | |

Epic Redux Vol. 2 - The Two Towers Made Better In Its Extended Edition!

The Good: Great acting, directing, characters, plot, special effects, Wonderful DVD bonus features
The Bad: Some of the bonus features are repetitive.
The Basics: Fleshed out to be an even more complete and truly epic film, the extended edition of The Two Towers is the only one worth owning!


Following upon the success of the cinematic rendition of The Fellowship Of The Rings and then the immediate success of the four-disc "Extended Edition" of the first film in the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (click here for that review!), there was little doubt that Peter Jackson's follow-ups would do extraordinarily well at both the box office and the retail outlets for DVDs. When The Two Towers hit the theaters, Peter Jackson promised viewers an even more impressive Extended Edition and, true to his word, when it hit stores a year later, it was worth it.

Jackson had no small task in The Two Towers, the middle act of the Lord Of The Rings, arguably the most challenging episode in the franchise to keep focused and interesting. As a result, Jackson decides to stray some from the narrative left to him by J.R.R. Tolkien and he inflates a rather minor battle from the novel The Two Towers (click here for the book review!) into the centerpiece of the cinematic version. In this way, he takes a cinematic episode that could have been tragically dull with honestly no significant movement and transforms it into arguably the best sequel film since The Empire Strikes Back (click here for that film's review!). And with the Special Extended Edition DVD, he fleshes out the three hour film into a 223 minute epic that is truly amazing.

Recounting the loss of Gandalf in Moria, Frodo awakens to the nightmarish rocks of the Emyn Muil, which is the most direct path to Mordor where he seeks to destroy the evil One Ring. Lost and accompanied by Sam, whose spirits are dwindling some, Frodo soon realizes the pair is being followed. They capture the creature Gollum, who is hunting the Ring and who becomes bound to helping Frodo and Sam when Frodo's compassion gets the better of him and he prevents Sam from killing the creature. Together, the trio journeys closer to Mordor, en route being abducted by an unlikely soldier, Faramir, Boromir's brother.

While Frodo and Sam progress toward Mordor, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas follow the trail of Saruman's Uruk-Hai into Rohan, the realm of the horse lords. There they discover a beaten people and when they find a new incarnation of Gandalf roaming the nearby woods, the quartet sets out to liberate Rohan from Saruman's forces by thwarting his sorceries that keep King Theodin trapped and weak. Freeing Theodin turns Saruman's attentions to Rohan and Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas must convince Theodin to stand and fight against the evil that is coming, whether he wants it to or not.

And Merry and Pippin find themselves among the Ents, which are basically walking, talking trees.

I add the last plot point as an afterthought because in some ways, their entire arc is an afterthought. They have a role to play, but it's a distant c-plot and it is only worth mentioning because it contains some of the most impressive special effects of the franchise. Merry and Pippin spend their time surrounded by beings that have almost no basis in reality, yet are seamless with real environments. The artists at Weta did an amazing job with the look and feel of the Ents to make them truly dynamic and believable characters.

Like its predecessor in the extended cuts, The Two Towers - The Special Extended Edition DVD has numerous scenes that were created special for the DVD release or were reintegrated into the film. These scenes tend to add a much richer sense of setting for the film and include a scene that introduces the horselord Eomer independent of Aragorn and the heroes from the first film. With the Massacre at the Fords of Isen, Eomer is introduced quite a bit stronger and when he finds Theodin's critically wounded son, it has an emotional resonance for the audience which its passing mention in the original cut never did.

As well, the film plays on scenes that were extended in The Fellowship Of The Ring, like making note of Sam's elvish rope and its powers. Arguably the most significant new scene is a conversation between Theodin's niece Eowyn and Aragorn, wherein Aragorn's true age is revealed. It is a very distinct scene and it stands out for how much information is conveyed in it. The other additional scene of significance recounts the story of Boromir and Faramir and the recapture of Osgiliath. This sets up the relationship between Boromir and Faramir and their father Denethor explicitly, while it was only implied in the original cut. This certainly fleshes out the importance of Faramir and fans of Boromir will be refreshed to see he was not always a ring-addled jerk. The extra scene adds more time, to be sure, but also more depth of character and setting.

There are, all told, fifteen additional scenes reintegrated into The Two Towers and eighteen other scenes have additional footage returned to them. Unlike some form of prototype or test screening, the extended cut features fully mastered shots integrated seamlessly into the film. The addition of new material is so precise that it could easily go unnoticed because of the scope of the film and is so professionally done that it includes an entirely redone soundtrack to adapt the score to the longer scenes. The integration is brilliant and makes for a far more complete film!

The Extended Edition cut of The Two Towers becomes THE version to recommend because it is a rich, complex film that is not afraid to take its time in developing a nuanced setting and additional character depth.

Of course, the characters ought to be the centerpiece for the film and this episode succeeds with both developing the established characters and establishing new characters who are worthy of attention. The noteworthy characters of The Two Towers are:

Frodo Baggins - A hobbit charged with saving the world by destroying the powerful One Ring of Sauron. He is exhausted and the power of the Ring has begun to drain him so when Gollum surfaces, he welcomes the company of the only other person on Middle Earth to truly understand what he is going through. Watched after by Sam, he continues his treacherous journey, despite the weight he bears,

Gollum and Smeagol - Formerly a riverfolk, now a twisted minion of evil who suffers from a split personality disorder. Frodo summons forth the good in him, reminding the ring-bound Gollum of his peaceful life before as Smeagol. He guides the hobbits, against the judgment and approval of Sam and he seems prepared to do right by them, at least until fate intervenes again,

Theodin - King of Rohan, kept ensorceled by Saruman and his corrupt servant Grima Wormtongue. Awakened from his long slumber by the newly reincarnated (and more powerful) Gandalf The White, Theodin mourns the loss of his son. It is that loss that paralyzes the king and makes him retreat from the threat of battle. Determined to protect his people, he sends them to Helm's Deep, the last refuge of Rohan in the hopes that they might survive without having to resort to fighting,

Aragorn - A man whose destiny seems to be to rise up and lead other men, he finds himself desperate to convince Theodin to stand his ground and not surrender territory to the encroaching armies of Saruman. When it becomes clear Theodin will not do that, he retreats with the citizens while Gandalf searches for the roving horselords and he becomes determined to make a stand at Helm's Deep that will lead to survival as opposed to surrender. Eowyn is smitten with him, though his heart still belongs to the Elfmaiden, Arwen,

Faramir - A man from Gondor, the strongest nation of men, son of the regent, brother of Boromir, who he knows is dead. Upon stumbling upon Frodo, Sam and Gollum, he sees it as his duty to bring the One Ring back to his father, though he fears its power could overcome the weakened Steward. When the lands nearest his territory fall under siege again, he is forced to make a decision between duty and what he suspects is the right thing to do,

Saruman - A powerful wizard who has leveled all living things around his tower Isengard and now sets an army in motion using war machines unlike anything Middle Earth has ever seen. His forced turn their attentions to Rohan and he becomes committed with his might to wiping out the one of the two nations of men,

Eowyn - Theodin's niece, she objects to being treated as less than a man. She fights for equality and a place in battle, pining to be alongside Aragorn. Instead, she is sent to the refuge of the caves to watch over those citizens of Rohan who are unable to fight for it,

and Sauron - He appears solely as an Eye in the film. He is not yet corporeal, but it seems his essence is calling the ring and if it can be reunited with its master, Sauron will take form and be invincible.

The Two Towers is populated by wonderful characters and the performances of the actors - even those of the lesser-featured characters - was enough to launch the careers of many. The actors are pretty exceptional and while most of them deserve mentioning, the bulk of the film falls upon the shoulders of two actors to carry: Viggo Mortensen and Elijah Wood. While Bernard Hill's portrayal of Theodin is impressive with his dignity and bearing, this seems far more the functioning of great casting. In all of the bonus features, Hill appears kingly, making his playing Theodin seem like child's play and dress up. He's legitimately great, but his performance does not make the movie.

Viggo Mortensen, on the other hand, truly comes into his own in The Two Towers. Here he grows into the leader of men that he only began to discover in the last portions of the prior film and Mortensen brings a new energy, enthusiasm and strength to the part that he lacked the first time around. He is confident and plays Aragorn with a resolve that is steely and precise. If anything, his performance in this film makes his turn in A History Of Violence somewhat less impressive because he has already illustrated his ability to play cold and hardened in this film. But it's easy to see his greatness and ability here as his character is given far more to do this time around. As well, Mortensen balances his performance with a deep humanity and compassion and while Aragorn has resolve, Mortensen infuses him with a reluctance similar to Theodin's about the need for war.

Also giving a great performance is Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins. Frodo is a reluctant hero, like a kid who would rather sit home and goof off with his friends when he suddenly discovers he has a destiny, and here Wood brings a sense of physical exhaustion to the role that instantly gives the viewer the sense that his character is transforming as we watch. As well, he is playing off actor Andy Serkis (Gollum) through most of the film, yet we never have the sense that Wood is seeing anything but the digital recreation the viewer sees. That takes talent!

Truly, this is a pretty classic tale of good versus evil, even if evil is mostly disembodied. And thus it comes down to how the story is told and in what setting. Middle Earth, as created by Peter Jackson and the team at Weta Workshops is a beautiful and well-defined world that has some obvious appeal to it.

On DVD, this extended edition sets standards for both the source material and the bonus features. The feature film spans two discs and there is no option to play the theatrical version on this DVD. The reason is simple; that would require a SIXTH soundtrack! There is the primary soundtrack for the Extended Edition and FOUR different commentary tracks on both of the first two discs! There is a commentary track featuring cast members, one featuring Peter Jackson and his co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, one featuring production staff and another featuring effects artists and the like! It's a pretty extensive series of commentaries (well, the cast one is just plain fun but not nearly as informative, save hearing about Mortensen breaking his toe when kicking a helm and other injury reports) and it is rich and fleshes out a great deal of the thought processes behind acting choices, writing decisions, and production elements.

Discs three and four are a treasure trove of additional information on the production, the world of Middle Earth, the genesis of the film project, the labors of love that went into making the extended cut, virtually everything one might ever want to know about the film, how it was made and all the elements that went into making it. There is some (at least a tenth) overlap between the information presented in the commentary and the extensive information presented in the bonus featurettes. The especially decent aspect of the two bonus discs is that the featurettes can be played as one or three very long featurettes on the making of The Two Towers and The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy without stopping every few minutes to reload based on the chapter subject ending. It's worth it to simply hit the "Play All" button whenever given the option!

In all seriousness, the bonus features are extensive and basically catalogue every thought that went from translating the book to a script and from the script into a film. There are also two easter eggs: the preview for The Return Of The King that was eventually attached to prints of the theatrical version after the film had been in theaters for a while and the MTV movie awards featuring Gollum accepting the award for Best Digital Character, which is as funny as it is foul-mouthed!

The extended cut of The Two Towers is the essential edition for anyone looking to get into the film series and add the movie to their permanent collection. The theatrical release DVD is available for archivists and anyone who doesn't truly love fantasy films. But for those who want a movie that will stand the tests of time and will continue to entertain and inform an audience that wants to gain an appreciation of how films are made, this is the only version worth recommending!

For other fantasy works, please check out my reviews of:
Wizards
New Moon
Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix

9.5/10

For other movie reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2010, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.




| | |

Epic Redux Vol. 1 - The Fellowship Of The Ring Is Made Even Better!

The Good: Great acting, directing, characters, plot, special effects, Wonderful DVD bonus features
The Bad: Some of the bonus features are repetitive.
The Basics: With far more footage in the film and in the bonus features, The Fellowship Of The Rings - Extended Edition is THE version to own!


It's a rare thing when a director returns to a film and is able to make it better by tweaking it and reinserting loads of extra material. Indeed, the only film that comes instantly to mind where the "Special Edition" truly was a worthwhile and special edition was truly special was Aliens. The Lord Of The Rings - The Fellowship Of The Ring - Special Extended Edition DVD is an almost completely new cut and in many ways bears little resemblance to the theatrically released The Fellowship of the Ring.

For those a few years out of the loop, The Lord Of The Rings was a trilogy of novels by writer J.R.R. Tolkein set in the fantasy realm of Middle Earth. Tolkein started with a volume called The Fellowship Of The Ring (click here for my review of the novel!) which was a sequel to an earlier novel, The Hobbit which introduced Middle Earth to a wide readership. Some sixty years later, The Lord Of The Rings was made into one of the most successful film trilogies in history by writer/director Peter Jackson and scores of others involved in the project. Because of the difficulties of selling a film to mass audiences that is well over three hours long, Peter Jackson decided - well in advance of the first theatrical premiere - to release two versions of each of the films in the The Lord Of The Rings trilogy; the theatrical release and the Special Extended cut for the DVD release. With The Fellowship Of The Ring, the difference is between a film that is just under three hours and one that is 208 minutes long. But of course, the difference is more than that, there is a much more lush and well-defined world illustrated in the extended edition. But for those unfamiliar with the series at all, let's backtrack for a moment.

Approximately a thousand years ago in Middle Earth, evil walked the planet incarnate in the form of the heavily armored Sauron. Outnumbered by the legions of men, elves, dwarves, and other generally good folk, Sauron decided that he needed to soften up his enemies before attacking them outright. He sent out rings to tempt and monitor and alter his enemies. He bound the power of each of the lesser rings with his own malice tempered into the One Ring. Then, armed with his evil armies and the One Ring, Sauron went out into the world and began to enslave it. An army of men and elves rose up to thwart him and as luck was with them, Sauron managed to be killed and the One Ring fell into the hands of a human, Isildur, who refused to give it up or destroy it. The ring granted him invisibility and while he held it for a time, it soon fell from his grasp when he was killed in a stream.

(And that's only the first ten minutes!) Jump forward to the "present day" in Middle Earth, to the birthday party of Bilbo Baggins, hobbit and adventurer - the latter part being quite unlike the other hobbits. Arriving for the party is Gandalf, a wizard, who becomes suspicious of Bilbo when, at the height of his birthday party, he disappears while making a speech. Gandalf and Bilbo leave the ring in the possession of Bilbo's nephew Frodo, though Gandalf soon returns, convinced the ring is the One Ring. He charges Frodo with getting as far away from the Shire (the Hobbit state) as quickly as possible and sends him and his friend Samwise Gamgee to the Elven city of Rivendale.

On the path to Rivendale, Frodo and Sam are joined by Pippin and Merry, two hobbits who have nothing better to do than accompany them. They are pursued by deathless wraiths, shadowy riders who are the remnants of the kings of men who were given Sauron's lesser rings. They hunt whomever has the One Ring and they are hot on the heels of Frodo and his gang, even when they are joined by an ally of Gandalf's, Strider. Even Strider and his methods are not enough to keep the black riders from catching up with the group and Frodo is struck down by one of them. Rescued by an elf maiden, Arwen, Frodo is brought to Rivendale, where Gandalf and the elf lord Elrond decide that because Frodo seems to have a natural resistance to the One Ring, he should be the one to carry it to Mount Doom, the only place in Middle Earth the One Ring may be destroyed.

Elrond sends Frodo on his mission, accompanied by the three hobbits, Gandalf, Strider, an elf named Legolas, a dwarf named Gimli, and a man named Boromir. Getting the mission is only the beginning and the Fellowship of the Ring, as they come to be known, is soon beset by obstacles, plagues and tragedies from within and without the Fellowship.

Wow, I don't think I've ever spend so much space in a review of mine simply recounting the plot of a film! The truth is, with a film that clocks in at three and a half hours, one hopes that it has quite a bit going on. The Fellowship Of The Ring certainly has a lot of plot to fill in to clearly establish the world of Middle Earth. Because all of the episodes in the The Lord Of The Rings trilogy happen in Middle Earth, it's essential to paint the fantasy realm as vividly as possible and truly take the viewer to the realm where they will be spending - if Jackson does it right - ten hours (over the course of the three films). Attentive to that idea, in the Extended Cut, Jackson adds a whole chapter following the prologue to more accurately describe who and what the hobbits are as a race.

The added discourse on the nature of hobbits offers some levity early in the film, which is nice given how the film soon is transformed into a desperate quest to save the world while being chased by all forms of evil. Bilbo's monologue on what makes hobbits special and unique adds an additional sense that the quest Frodo is set on is a true burden one that goes against the grain of his own instincts. That Frodo is still willing to undertake the quest gives him the trappings of the hero.

The scene giving the sociology lesson on hobbits is not the only additional scene in the Extended cut. There is a scene that illustrates the passing of time and alludes to the growing threat when Frodo and Sam have an evening out at the Green Dragon. The pair witness the elves passing through the woods on their way to the ships that will carry them away from Middle Earth forever. As well, the first five companions journey through a marsh, Strider visits his mother's grave and the full Fellowship departs Rivendale. The additional scenes serve to create a more broad sense of Middle Earth and often do not, in the strictest sense, enhance the straight plot or even main characters of The Fellowship Of The Ring. But they do give a more firm sense of place and a richer sense of what is involved with the task at hand.

In addition to the six scenes unique to the DVD, there are twenty scenes that are extended on the Extended Edition DVD. Unlike some form of prototype or test screening, the extended cut features fully mastered shots integrated seamlessly into the film. The addition of new material is so precise that it could easily go unnoticed (indeed, if a viewer starts with this version and then tries out the theatrical cut they are more likely to see what it missing than to notice all of the additional material if they go the standard way!) and is so professionally done that it includes an entirely redone soundtrack to adapt the score to the longer scenes. And it's flawless!

The Extended Edition cut of The Fellowship Of The Rings becomes THE version to recommend because it is a rich, complex film that is not afraid to take its time in developing a nuanced setting.

Of course, the setting is not the end all and be all of the story. The film centers on characters, characters called upon to rise out of the ordinary or their circumstances and become what the world needs of them. Therefore, it is worthwhile to know who the essential characters in The Fellowship Of The Ring are. The noteworthy characters (keep in mind there are over fifty credited castmembers) include:

Frodo Baggins - A hobbit and pretty much one of the typical shirefolk who is happy to hang around Hobbiton with little sense of adventure. Tapped by Elrond and Gandalf to destroy the One Ring, Frodo reluctantly takes on the quest despite being rather small in a world filled with big people and even bigger creatures,

Samwise Gamgee - Another hobbit, a cook and long-time friend of Frodo. Charged with Gandalf to keep Frodo safe, Sam enthusiastically brings Frodo to Rivendale as he actually was eager to see elves. Shy and sweet on a barmaid in the Shire, Sam follows Frodo but yearns to return home,

Gandalf The Grey - A wizard (which is not the same as a man), he is a clever immortal who delights in the company of more simple folk and soon becomes troubled by the evil that is closing in on Middle Earth. When the One Ring of Sauron resurfaces, he knows that this is an omen for more evil to come and sets to getting the ring destroyed before it can help bring Sauron back,

Strider/Aragorn - A man, a Ranger, which is basically a survivalist in Middle Earth. He is an expert swordsman and knows how to forage for food in the wild and serves as an excellent guide to the hobbits. And he cleans up well in Rivendale where we learn that he is a man with a lineage (he is a descendant of Isildur) and a destiny (to thwart Sauron). He is in love with Elrond's daughter, Arwen,

Boromir - A man from Gondor, the strongest nation of men, son of the regent. He sees the One Ring as an opportunity to free the nation's of men by using the power it holds against Sauron. When he's voted down by others at the Council, Boromir becomes troubled and obsessed with the ring,

Saruman The White - A powerful wizard who Gandalf soon learns has turned from reason and kindness over to Sauron's side,

The Nine Black Riders - These undead versions of the kings of men hunt Frodo and Sam and everyone else through the first half of the film. They are relentless, evil and appear unstoppable,

and Sauron - He appears solely as an Eye in the main portion of the film. He is not yet corporeal, but it seems his essence is calling the ring and if it can be reunited with its master, Sauron will take form and be invincible. Yes, don't look behind the curtain; the main villain of the film is not even real!

The Fellowship Of The Ring is populated by wonderful characters and the performances of the actors - even those of the lesser-featured characters - was enough to launch the careers of many. The actors are pretty exceptional and while most of them deserve mentioning, the bulk of the film falls upon the shoulders of two actors to carry: Sir Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood. While Viggo Mortensen's turn as Strider is impressive, rewatching the first chapter of the series reveals that he is not focused on nearly as much as one might thing (his influence increases with each film).

Sir Ian McKellen plays Gandalf and his role is a remarkably subtle and difficult one. As Gandalf, McKellen is often forced to relay large quantities of exposition to the audience. Gandalf is a fountain of wisdom and McKellen is charged with delivering important information on the nature of the One Ring, Sauron, Middle Earth and the path to Mount Doom while making it all sound plausible and interesting. McKellen manages to do it! What Tolkein failed to do in the novel - make the book seem like something more entertaining than a history text - McKellen achieves wonderfully as essentially the narrator for many sections. McKellen creates the sense early on that Gandalf is a credible source and someone who has both a temper and a gentle heart. This role is unlike almost any other I have seen him in and after seeing him in roles like he had in Gods And Monsters it's wonderful to see such a completely different performance for him!

Also rising to the occasion and well beyond it is Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins. Frodo is a reluctant hero, like a kid who would rather sit home and goof off with his friends when he suddenly discovers he has a destiny, and Wood plays that uncertainty to the hilt. The magic of Wood's performance is that Frodo is deeply conflicted and unsure of a great many things, but Wood's performance never makes the viewer think the performer lacks confidence or is unsure of anything. Instead, Wood has the ability to convincingly play Frodo as a hobbit who is unsure of his steps and his mastery with the role comes when Frodo asks questions. Wood brings a sense to him that has Frodo asking his many questions in a way that indicates he can listen and while he is unsure of much of the world around him, he is willing to learn about it and wants to do right by Gandalf and the others.

In the final analysis, this is a pretty classic tale of good versus evil, even if evil is mostly disembodied. And thus it comes down to how the story is told and in what setting. Middle Earth, as created by Peter Jackson and the team at Weta Workshops is a beautiful and well-defined world that has some obvious appeal to it.

On DVD, this extended edition sets standards for both the source material and the bonus features. The feature film spans two discs and there is no option to play the theatrical version on this DVD. The reason is simple; that would require a SIXTH soundtrack! There is the primary soundtrack for the Extended Edition and FOUR different commentary tracks on both of the first two discs! There is a commentary track featuring cast members, one featuring Peter Jackson and his co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, one featuring production staff and another featuring effects artists and the like! It's a pretty extensive series of commentaries (well, the cast one is just plain fun but not nearly as informative, unless one did not already know that McKellen is gay) and it is rich and fleshes out a great deal of the thought processes behind acting choices, writing decisions, and production elements.

Discs three and four are a treasure trove of additional information on the production, the world of Middle Earth, the genesis of the film project, the labors of love that went into making the extended cut, virtually everything one might ever want to know about the film, how it was made and all the elements that went into making it. There is some (at least a tenth) overlap between the information presented in the commentary and the extensive information presented in the bonus featurettes. The especially decent aspect of the two bonus discs is that the featurettes can be played as one or three very long featurettes on the making of The Fellowship Of The Rings and The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy without stopping every few minutes to reload based on the chapter subject ending. It's worth it to simply hit the "Play All" button whenever given the option!

In all seriousness, the bonus features are extensive and basically catalogue every thought that went from translating the book to a script and from the script into a film. There are also two easter eggs: the preview for The Two Towers that was eventually attached to prints of the theatrical version after the film had been in theaters for a while and the MTV movie awards parody of "Fellowship" featuring Jack Black and Sarah Michelle Gellar. It's pretty funny.

Indeed, the only thing lacking from this DVD set is the identity of the actor originally cast to play Aragorn! (It was Stuart Townsend, but you won't find that on the DVD anywhere!)

The extended cut of The Fellowship Of The Ring is the essential edition for anyone looking to get into the film series and add the movie to their permanent collection. The theatrical release DVD is available for archivists and anyone who doesn't truly love fantasy films. But for those who want a movie that will stand the tests of time and will continue to entertain and inform an audience that wants to gain an appreciation of how films are made, this is the only version worth recommending.

For other fantasy films, please visit my reviews of:
Princess Mononoke
Twilight
Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone

9/10

For other film reviews, please visit my index page for an organized listing!

© 2010, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.


| | |

Is The Lord Of The Rings The Ultimate Cinematic Trilogy? Yes.

The Good: Excellent acting, Good characters, Amazing special effects, Sets the standard for DVD bonuses!
The Bad: ? Length? None, really.
The Basics: Arguably one of the few perfect Trilogies in cinematic history, the Extended Editions of The Lord Of The Rings are the ONLY versions worth owning!


So, you're one of the eight people in the world who has either not seen or not purchased the The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy and you are considering it? This is THE version to buy. Hands down, end of story. There are other cinematic endeavors you could be looking into, trilogies that have been on DVD and you might remember as wonderful, but honestly, they all have weak links. The Star Wars (now sextet) is far from perfect, The GodFather has The GodFather, Part III, Back To The Future was never a perfect trilogy and even the DVD presentation of the Indiana Jones trilogy reminds the viewer that it's not all greatness and flawless execution (especially on the surprisingly lackluster DVD set). And there is the theatrical DVD release of the The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, but you ought not to bother with that.

THIS set is the The Lord Of The Rings trilogy the way director Peter Jackson envisioned it and could never get it cinematically released. The film(s) spans six discs and almost twelve hours: this is the The Lord Of The Rings - Special Extended Editions DVD set. It is the easiest, most efficient way to buy the The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy as it was meant to be seen. The nice thing for fans of the trilogy is this: this is a simple bundle pack, comprising the previously released four-disc boxed sets of the three The Lord of the Rings movies. There are NO bonus features or discs in this set that have not been included in the prior releases!

For those unfamiliar with the The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, this is a fantasy drama series that explores the fantasy world of Middle Earth and a quest of a hobbit to rid his world of the embodiment of all evil. For those who saw the The Lord Of The Rings in theaters, this bundle pack offers the entire trilogy as it ought to have been. Unlike the films you saw in the theaters, these movies are longer, richer and fleshed out with scenes that create a bigger sense of character and setting. And unlike most "special editions," each of the films has been reworked and rescored so there are no gaps, nothing that suggests that this is a film that has been recut, reedited and redeveloped. This is a seamless work that captures the greatness of the theatrical releases of the films and extends them into movies that raise the stakes and present a true epic.

A thousand years ago in Middle Earth, a realm populated by immortal Elves, greedy dwarves, isolated hobbits (who are littlefolk who lead a simple agrarian life), wise wizards, vicious orcs, cruel goblins and chaotic men, there came the source of all evil, a creature named Sauron. Sauron was unable to take Middle Earth through the force of arms alone, so he decided to be crafty about taking over the world by softening up the major races - dwarves, men and elves - by giving them all rings of power. Yes, the world was bought off with shiny baubles and while the effect of the rings given to elves and the dwarves is not explored in the films, the rings given to the nine lords of men enslaves them and transformed them into twisted, evil and physically insubstantial wraiths. Sauron bound the power of those rings to the One Ring, a ring he possessed and carried his essence. Sauron then moved out upon Middle Earth and prepared to destroy it, but he was stopped. However, the One Ring that carried all his rage and malice, was not destroyed and as a result evil persisted in Middle Earth.

After a thousand years of festering and growing, the dark lord Sauron is resurrecting. While he does not have corporeal form, he is on the verge of achieving a physical being that would allow him to return to Middle Earth and dominate the people there. All Sauron needs is his One Ring back and he will be able to return and take over everything. Unfortunately for Sauron and all his evil minions, no one knows where the One Ring is.

One day, while visiting the hobbits in their homeland, the ancient wizard Gandalf discovers the One Ring in the possession of an old friend, Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo, who soon departs the Shire, leaves the ring to his nephew, Frodo, who Gandalf charges with hiding the ring and keeping it safe while he confirms it is, in fact, the One Ring of Sauron. As soon as Gandalf makes that determination, he returns to Frodo and charges him with delivering the ring to the elves.

Once among the elves, Frodo is given the task of destroying the One Ring, which may only be done by returning it to the fires where it was forged in the distant and evil-infested land of Mordor, in Mount Doom. Frodo and his companions set off to bring the ring to Mount Doom, but soon find themselves plagued by the minions of evil and the weak will of some within their little band to resist the temptation of the Ring. As Frodo and his fellow hobbit Sam continue the quest to destroy the One Ring on their own, the others in their band prepare Middle Earth for a war that is coming whether they wish it or not. And while Frodo and Sam are plagued and guided by Gollum, a creature who once possessed the Ring and was twisted by it, the others find themselves involved in battles against all forms of creatures bent on executing Sauron's will. As Frodo and Sam desperately work toward their objective, the others try to buy them time and cover to succeed, with the fate of Middle Earth constantly in the balance.

While The Lord Of The Rings is rather plot and setting heavy, the wonderful thing about the extended editions is that the recuts enhance the character elements and give the viewer a better sense of who the heroes and villains in the series truly are. For those unfamiliar with the trilogy, the principle characters are:

Frodo Baggins - A good, young hobbit who finds his life turned upside down when his resistance to the power of the One Ring makes him the ideal candidate to journey to destroy it. Inclined to reading, relaxing and staying within his isolationist community of the Shire, Frodo is set into a much larger world where he finds the dangers coming far too close for his liking. Forced to carry the One Ring, he soon finds it has a very real hold over him that is working to break his will,

Samwise Gamgee - Frodo's best friend and fellow hobbit. He is a simple guy, a farmer and cook, who is only interested in protecting Frodo and keeping his friend alive throughout their quest, no matter where it takes them,

Gandalf - An ancient wizard who uses magic judiciously, Gandalf becomes the linchpin that inspires Frodo and Aragorn into action. He is the great manipulator of those around him, working to insure the survival of Middle Earth by setting the forces of good into actions that will save the world,

Aragorn - An exceptionally old - though he doesn't show it - ranger man who has noble blood but has denied his potentials and the prophecies surrounding him for most of his life. In Middle Earth's time of need, Aragorn makes a journey, not only from Rivendale to Mordor, but from commoner to king,

Gollum - Once a riverfolk, like Frodo and Sam, this emaciated, long-lived creature is now twisted, evil and suffering from a severe multiple personality disorder. He tracks Frodo and Sam into the wasted lands around Mordor where he plans to kill them and steal the One Ring, but finds the tables turned on him. Distrusted by Sam, Gollum works to insure that the Ring ends up with him,

Saruman - A wizard like Gandalf, he has become twisted by ambition and the desire for power, which causes him to raise an army to fight on behalf of Sauron, in hopes of sharing in the power of the One Ring,

The Black Riders - Insubstantial as they may be, these nine wraiths pursue Frodo, the Ring and his companions as minions of Sauron relentlessly in hopes of recovering the Ring and helping Sauron return to Middle Earth,

and Sauron - Not yet in physical form outside a giant, fiery eye atop a massive tower in Mordor, the embodiment of all evil speaks through the One Ring and his power is growing.

There are more characters, but those are the truly essential ones and the acting in The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy is quite inspired. Indeed, it was this massive work that introduced much of the world to actors like Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Miranda Otto and Sean Astin. One doubts that Orlando Bloom would have gotten Pirates of the Caribbean had he not wowed audiences in the bit role of Legolas in this trilogy. Similarly, Dominic Monaghan launched from this epic to Lost where he has kept himself in the public eye. And, truth be told, the acting is spot on all around.

The best acting, though, comes from Elijah Wood (Frodo) and Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) (Sir Ian McKellen, who plays Gandalf, is pretty much a gimmie in my book!). Wood is forced to embody a character plagued by a tremendous emotional weight and he transfers that into a very physical performance that becomes the very definition of exhaustion. On the flip side is Mortensen, who is charged with portraying a man growing in confidence and coming into his own. He does that amazingly.

It is also worth noting that the special effects department sets the new gold standard for realism in special effects, combining flawlessly the make-up and props with computer-generated characters and settings. The crowning achievement of this is in the character of Gollum. Portrayed by physical actor Andy Serkis, the special effects department used Serkis and his performance as a template to create the most lifelike and realistic computer generated character in cinema history to date. He is an impressive achievement and worth the price of this boxed set alone!

The Lord Of The Rings Extended Editions set a new standard for DVD with the sheer amount of bonus features. Each of the films has four levels of commentary tracks and two bonus discs that feature almost everything one could imagine about the making of the films. This is the most well-documented cinematic enterprise possibly of all time and the fans of the films are treated to incredible access with the DVD bonus features. As well, each of the films has some very fun easter eggs which illustrate some of the effects of the various films on mainstream culture.

This is the ultimate fantasy film collection and it is a must have for anyone who loves epic drama and has (literally) days to spend embroiling themselves in the world of Middle Earth. A must for any cinephile and DVD collector!

For more information on the specifics of the three films in this particular set, please check out my reviews on the component pieces, the extended editions of:
The Fellowship Of The Ring
The Two Towers
Return Of The King

For other fantasies, please check out my reviews of:
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Clash Of The Titans
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire

10/10

For other movie reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here and get an organized list of all those reviews!

© 2010, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |