Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Movie: Return of the King


My rating on a 1-10 scale: 10

Genre: Fantasy, adventure, life, romance

Series or set: Lord of the Rings

Number in series: 3rd

Primary actors: Basically the same ones I listed in my Two Towers review…so go there if you don’t know them automatically. :)

Length: About three and ½ hours

Based on: Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien

Time period: Fantasy

Year it came out: 2003

My overall opinion: Well, here it is folks! The third and final movie in the Lord of the Rings trilogy – and my favorite. And this will be the longest review yet, on account of my having precisely twice as many notes as for the other two – or combine my notes from the other two reviews, and you’ll have as many as I do for this one review. So, now that you’ve been fully warned, let’s go! And please – pull up the comment box at the bottom of this post even before you read so you can comment as you go. Because comments related to this have got to be one of the world’s awesomest things. Have fun!

Opening scene: Wow, is there anyone who realizes what this is and doesn’t think it’s totally freaky and disgusting and horrid and perfect for the opening scene? That heartbeat of poor Deagol…enough to give a girl goosebumps, and not of the pleasant kind. It’s down-right unnerving how much Smeagol looks like Gollum (I know, it makes sense) and also like Andy Serkis (I know, also makes sense). It’s still freaky.

Aragorn: Love him so much. I know some of you don’t agree here…but he’s awesome, though not perfect (see? I admitted it!). But yup, I love him in this film.

Pippin and the Palantir: Poor Pippin. If only he’d never even touched the Palantir to begin with! His life would have gone much differently if he had never encountered it.

Arwen’s vision: I love how she has a vision, for lack of a better way to describe it, of Aragorn as an old man with that little boy, who is a delightful and perfect mix of Aragorn and Arwen. And Aragorn looks so good with a little gray. It’s a great scene. {{And yes, this painting is a painting -- and I had SO much trouble finding one at all that a painting must suffice.}}

Anduril and Elrond: As you know, Anduril is Aragorn’s sword. Remember when Elrond brings the sword to him when he’s camped out with an army? Good scene. And great sword.

Quotes: There are SO many quotable awesome memorable quotes in this movie. I’m including a few farther on in this review, but encourage you to check IMDB for more.

Denethor: Ooooo…how I abhor this man. He’s SO awful. SOSOSOSO awful. I can’t stand him. He may actually be my least favorite character from the entire trilogy. Even more than Wormtongue and Sauron and Saruman. I mean, seriously. The way he acts towards Faramir? It’s enough to make anyone’s heart hurt. Such blatant favoritism towards Boromir is heart-rending. I always feel so sorry to Faramir…even back before I really decided I liked him. But Denethor? Anyone wanna join a hate-on-Denethor club?!?

The Winding Stairs: And Frodo and Sam journey up and up and up…all those dreadful stairs. Steep and treacherous – I wonder who built them? Anyone know? Anyway, that’s quite the journey, and the way that Gollum works to turn Frodo against Sam is sad.

Osgiliath take 1: The fall of Osgiliath to those frightful orcs. Ah, I feel so sorry for those guys who
fight for it, but quickly see that it’s a useless venture and retreat to safety, saving as many as possible. BUT! They return. We’ll come to that presently. But Osgiliath is quite an amazing location and there’s a couple of remarkable battles in/around it.

Beacon lights: Admit it, the beacon lights that are used to signal from Minas Tirith to Rohan are pretty cool. All across those high snowy mountains and all. I love watching that part every time, it’s so cool! And I love how Pippin climbs up to light the first one…and it takes him a minute to realize that he’s actually standing on the burning pile. :)

Riders of Rohan: They present an impressive display! So many of them and all mounted. Yeah, pretty awesome. And their arrival at Pelennor Fields is also impressive.

Pig Sponge: Or maybe Sponge Pig. Or maybe he has a real name, I’m not sure. But you know what Osgiliath orc I mean? He’s got a face that’s quite piggish and also remarkably similar to some sponges I’ve seen. On second thought...that side of his face might be more like rising bread dough. MOVING ON. But he’s brutal and ugly and despicable and oh so awful and you know what? I still hate Denethor even more. Which is saying something, because this guy is super creepy.

Gandalf’s Rescue: AAAHHHH! I love this scene – it’s such a clear portrayal of good shooing away the evil. You know the one – where Faramir and his fighters are retreating from Osgiliath and the orcs are being awful to them and the Black Riders are swooping overhead; all hope looks lost. But then, out of Minas Tirith comes Gandalf with a light radiating from his staff, scaring back all the Black Riders and saving Faramir & Co! Oh happy day. I love Gandalf there – he’s a savior!

Faramir’s Attack Back on Osgiliath and Pippin’s Song: I couldn’t think of a better way to sum it up. Oh my word, this has to be one of the most tear-jerking scenes in the entire trilogy. The way that Faramir and his riders go to Osgiliath…while back at home, Denethor is heartlessly eating tomatoes and chicken and making Pippin sing. UGH. Did I mention I hate Denethor? *sigh* He drives me nuts. And Faramir! So strong, so brave, so determined to prove himself. And you know he hasn’t got a chance – but he sure does give it his best shot. I like that guy. Then Pippin’s song is so sweet and good and he sings so sadly…it’s like oh-what-do-they-call-those-songs. I know there’s a word for it. The ones they sing as they go to their deaths. Because you just have a feeling deep within you as you watch that those guys are all going to die. So sad. And the horses run and the song is sung and the arrows fly…oh dear. I’d better move on before bringing myself to tears. First though, the scene itself...
 
I HATE DENETHOR.

Paths of the Dead: Off goes Aragorn to muster the Army of the Dead, and it’s a good thing too. Gimli has a great quote at the beginning of this scene, about an elf being more willing than a dwarf to go underground. Love it! Wow, what a massive cave it is under there! And with his sword, Anduril, Aragorn conquers the King of the Dead and brings them out. Hooray!

Eowyn riding with Merry: Ah, she is a wonderful girl! Out goes Eowyn with the Riders of Rohan. She’s so strong and determined to go along despite her father’s protests. And taking Merry with her! Of course, we know that it turns out she has a big part to play in the Battle of Pelennor Fields – so it’s a wonderful thing that she went along. And she fights so bravely! Yay Eowyn!

Head catapult: Can I say…disgusting? Rather brilliant if it’s your side doing the catapulting I suppose, but still so gross and really wrong, I think. I don’t like it. But it accomplishes their purpose. You remember, the catapulting of the heads of the brave men who rushed out to regain Osgiliath – to their detriment.

Peter Jackson’s kids: We hereby interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to say…I think they’re Peter Jackson’s kids? At any rate, I know I saw the same wide-eyed little darling in both the 1st and 3rd movies, and I feel like at some point I read that PJ’s kids were in all three of the movies. I’m assuming she’s one of them!

Black Riders: YES! Eowyn killed the bad guy! That makes me so happy every time…and the guys all enjoy the short view of pipes in the creature’s neck. ;) But it’s really wonderful when Eowyn whips off her helmet and says “I am no man.” Such an awesome part! And then, with Merry’s slight assistance, she kills him.


Rhinos and oliphaunts: What horrible beasts of war the enemies have! I’m quite sure that there were some way over-sized rhinos charging through, and of course the oliphaunts are also most impressive. Interesting to see how they’re taken down, especially by Eowyn (prior to her killing the Black Rider) and Legolas (awesome as usual).

Shelob’s Lair: Has to be one of the most disgusting parts in the entire movie. Seriously. All that spider-web? Yikes! And of course, Shelob herself – a ponderous and menacing body, legs, hissing, dripping venom, and eyes within eyes. Gollum/Smeagol betraying Sam and Frodo to her is quite terrible, though I can’t say I don’t understand why he did it. AND ALSO. That picture is scaring me half to death. So much freakiness.

Frodo and Sam: Frodo, naturally, gets himself caught and all wrapped up in a cocoon – oh my word, SO gross. I don’t like that part much. And then SAM TO THE RESCUE! You wouldn’t necessarily expect so much of Sam…but somehow he manages to enter the orc-filled tower past those utterly freaky watchers (those heads – occupied by evil spirits) and rescue Frodo – and save the ring through all of that. Yay for Sam! I really do almost like him here. :)

Faramir: isn’t dead after all, but alive! Oh, I’m so glad he didn’t get killed at Osgiliath and only his head returned. But here he comes back nearly dead, and what does Denethor do instead of checking him for signs of life? Pronounces that he’s going to BURN HIM and promptly begins to carry it out, intending to burn himself as well! I. Hate. Denethor. Poor Faramir. And he nearly is burned to death, and it’s only by Pippin’s speed that he’s saved! Pippin gets Gandalf, Gandalf comes, and even then if Pippin hadn’t jumped on the pyre, Faramir might have died! But Pippin jumps and saves him, and then of course, we have Denethor’s death (FINALLY!!!! *celebrates*). Very dramatic, quite horrible really, even for such a guy as himself. But Faramir has survived without too much harm! Oh happy day. {{Also, don't worry -- more better Faramir pix to come.}} Anyway, moving on…

Theoden’s Speech to the Riders of Rohan: I love it! Right before they ride into battle, you know. Here it is: “Forth, and fear no darkness! Arise! Arise, Riders of Theoden! Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered! A sword day... a red day... ere the sun rises!”

Slow motion: Small interlude. There are proper places for an occasional slow motion moment in battles, sword-fights, etc. There’s one TV show (Legend of the Seeker) that has a ton of these – you don’t know how annoying they can get. I was extra thankful as I watched this that PJ didn’t use a whole bunch of those shots, because that can totally ruin a perfectly nice sword-fight. So…thank you, Peter Jackson!

Theoden’s death and Eowyn’s victories: Eowyn is awesome. And Theoden isn’t all bad. We already talked about this a bit earlier, but I’m so happy with how Eowyn killed the bad Black Rider and triumphed! And the horrible dinosaur monster thing dead too. Of course, Theoden’s death is quite sad, and Eowyn’s sorrow over it is easy to feel…there are sadder things in the movies, I think, but this was certainly a sad moment.

Arrival of the Dead: Hooray! I tell you, having the dead on your side in a battle like this is a definite plus – they are, after all, quite impossible to kill. I love it how Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli pull up apparently having piloted the boat up there all by themselves – they leap out and then a whole freaky army materializes behind them. It’s a wonderful thing! And of course, this army totally dominates everything.


Legolas and the Oliphaunt: I LOVE how Legolas kills his own oliphaunt. Vaulting, throwing, shooting – all perfectly coordinated, and all to the ultimate detriment of the oliphaunt and everyone on it. Love that part so much! And I also just love how Legolas and Gimli and still competing with each other over how many of the enemy have been killed. Those guys rock my world.

Frodo and Sam: They’re such cute little orcs as they travel along. As much as hobbits-pretending-to-be-orcs can be cute. They are.

Gimli’s quote: Because it HAS to be included: “Certainty of death. Small chance of success. What are we waiting for?” Oh Gimli…I love that guy. He’s hilarious.

Frodo and Sam again: And so they travel across that dreadful waste-land. And I’m once-again super glad I’m not with them.

Short interlude to say… Guess what? We’ve made it through page 1 of my notes! Just 2/3 page left. :)

Aragorn’s Speech before Morannon: IT’S SO AWESOME. He is an epic speech giver. For your reading pleasure…I reproduce it here. “I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me! A day may come when the courage of men fails! But it is not this day! A day may come when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship! But it is not this day! An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand! Men of the West!”

Gimli: I love that he finally fights side by side with an elf. His quote with Legolas…and I merely reproduce from memory here, but… “I never thought I’d die fighting side by side with an elf.” Legolas: “How about side by side with a friend?” And then they’re friends. :)

Sam: And a quote from Sam, in which he is heroic and perhaps a little to epicly quotable to be believable… “I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you!”

Aragorn, Pippin, Merry starting the battle: Okay, right here? We have Merry and Pippin at my favorite time. They all stand – the battle is about to begin. And then all of a sudden, Aragorn takes off charging and right on his heels are Merry and Pippin. And then everyone else. But I love that scene SO much.

Gollum: And he’s back. Everyone groans, but everyone knew he HAD to come back. He adds some amazing drama, I admit! But we musn’t jump too far ahead…

Eagles: They are so awesome! I have some friends who want dragons…I want a giant eagle. Of course, they play an important part a little further on when they rescue Frodo and Sam, but even during the battle they are clearly an asset to Aragorn’s side.


Frodo, the ring, Sam, and Gollum: And they keep struggling up Mount Doom. One thing I noticed?
The color contrast in this section is amazing. It flashes back and forth between inside Mount Doom (orange, red, yellow, bright, hot) and outside the Morannon (gray and drab). Pretty cool! Inside Mount Doom is really impressive, actually – how in the world did they build that, you wonder?

Sam again: And he saves Frodo yet again. After Gollum’s dramatic finger-biting, and Frodo’s equally dramatic fall off the cliff…Sam saves Frodo. Barely. But yay!

Sauron’s tower and the lava: And this is where you just sit and watch with your mouth gaping. Lava pouring out of the mountain and all over everything – such amazing effects! And Sauron’s tower totally caves in – the bit of slow motion is SO neat! It’s stunning how it falls. Another favorite part!

“I’m glad to be with you, Samwise Gamgee, here at the end of all things.”

Reminiscing: I love how Frodo and Sam sit there and talk about home and Rosie and food. It’s so sweet. And then! HOORAY! The eagles are here again! They are so much cooler than most dragons…just saying. But the eagles turn up and they are rescued and all seems well.

Reunion: I’m so glad that the movie doesn’t just end after the climax…that would’ve been awful. Instead, it keeps on going, for some of the other best parts! There’s a little of best parts in this trilogy. But the reunion is one of the absolute awesomest! Frodo wakes up and there’s Gandalf! And here he didn’t even know Gandalf was still alive! What a happy beginning. And then one by one the remaining members of the fellowship (all except Boromir) come in. And Aragorn smiles. That scene always makes my day. And Gimli and Legolas are so cute, and the hobbits are so talkative! It’s funny and sweet and so good.

Aragorn’s Kingship: At last, Aragorn is made king! While I confess that I prefer his looks when he has rather dirty hair, and a little blood here and there…which sounds really weird. ANYWAY. I don’t like his kingly looks as much, but he still rocks. Arwen appears…and at long last, the music culminates for their kiss. And they obviously live happily ever after! But before we’re done…another speech from Aragorn!

“This day does not belong to one man, but to all. Let us together rebuild this world that we may share in the days of peace.”

Faramir and Eowyn: I’m so glad they finally find happiness. I heard the other day that Peter Jackson
had actually filmed their wedding – but the footage isn’t released yet. Great sorrow and sadness! But they look happy in the three seconds you see them at the wedding. :) Also, check Austenitis' Facebook for more pictures of them being adorable together! I found a few through intense research. :)

Hobbits return: And they finally return home, wiser and older for their journeys. And is a big deal made of them? No indeedy. A pumpkin is clearly much more important to everyone except perhaps Rosie, who is giving Sam special looks. Ah, they are such a cute couple. :)

A wedding: And finally, here at the end, two weddings: Aragorn & Arwen, Sam & Rosie – for those girls who need a wedding in every movie. And besides, Sam and Rosie have some adorable children too! Actually, A&A do as well, if the son that Arwen sees in her vision is really one who they have.

Many partings: Here’s where it gets really sad. I can usually not cry…in fact, this time I didn’t cry at all – until this part. This and Boromir’s death are what always get me. But now! Bilbo, Frodo, Gandalf, Elrond, Galadriel, and Celeborn all board the ship to sail away. And poor Sam and Merry and Pippin! How they all hug Frodo and look so sad. Oh dear. Must move on before I cry. But I still love this scene – it’s a good ending.


Sam once more: Home he goes to his cute little wife and adorable little kids. So it ends on a happy note after all!

And the credit song: Into the West by Annie Lennox. I don’t love it, except for that fact that it’s in this movie. And I associate it strongly with crying. But what a great final song. I’d prefer one by Enya, but you know what? I like this.


Well folks. There you have it. My over-complete analysis of the third Lord of the Rings movie. I gave you fair warning that it would be long! Approximately 3095 words. THAT is a lot.

So, enjoy it? I hope you did. I had a blast writing it, even if it DID take forever. Please do leave a
comment, even if it’s just a few words! Comments make my day. :)

Thanks for reading!

 
Finally...for those of you who would like just another two minutes...a few deleted scenes. The first video has seven short scenes, each labeled clearly. The second video has better quality and more, but isn't labeled, so watch in order. See the notes on both for clarification.
 
 

16 comments:

Hannah Mary said...

My favorite one in the LOTR trilogy! Such a beautiful film in every way. I want to join your Hate Denethor club. :)

Kirsten Fichter said...

Ah! Return of the King!! Finally!! :D

Well, you said it... I'm pulling up the comment box to type as I read.

That first scene... wow. Yes, it is muchly on the disgusting side. Reminds me greatly of the scene between Gollum and the goblin in The Hobbit.

What was Pippin thinking?! Yes, he would have been much better off without ever touching the Palantir. Fool of a Took!

Did you know that Aragorn and Arwen's son is actually played by Jed Brody's son, the same actor who plays Nori in The Hobbit? That family has great taste in films. ;)

Hehe! The scene when Elrond presents Aragorn with Anduril, my siblings and I all watch for a favorite mess-up. When the wind rushes through the tent after Elrong says, "There are those who dwell in the mountains," it knocks down a suit of armor behind Aragorn. And in the next shot, it's standing up straight again.

Denethor is despicable. How can he act that way to poor Faramir?? Hmm... I'd be willing to join the club.

I don't know who built the steps... at least, not off the top of my head. Now I'm going to have to look it up. I know the lands there around Minas Morgul were once part of Gondor, so it might have been an early part of that kingdom that built them.

Beacons. Amazing. Absolutely love the music there. Haha! And Pippin! :)

Riders of Rohan. Epic.

His name is actually Gothmog, but... Pig Sponge. Haha! Love it!

The scene with Pippin's song... yes. I've never cried during it, because I don't cry during movies, but that scene does a lot to you. Makes you hate Denethor even more. Makes you want Faramir to actually get something he deserved for once.

Yes, I know I'm the girl full of useless Tolkien facts, but I thought this one was cool: When they wrote the script, Pippin's song wasn't originally included. Philippa Boyens heard Billy Boyd singing karaoke and on a burst of inspiration decided to put the song in. Billy Boyd actually did the tune himself. I'm so glad they put the song in, for it fits so nicely in that scene, and Tolkien had Pippin sing in the book, so it was perfect.

"An elf will go underground, but a dwarf dare not!" Hehe! :)

I'm almost glad that they didn't have Eowyn pretend to be Dernhelm (like she did in the book), for how could you mistake her? She's such an epic character.

Ugh. Hate the head catapults. Just shows what little regard orcs have concerning life.

Yes! The two little kids watching Faramir exit Minas Tirith are PJ's kids! I love how they have cameos in all three films!

"I am no man." Love how they made Eowyn both brave and strong, yet still feminine enough not to be labeled a corset-burner.

Yes, yes! Yay for Sam!

DON'T KILL FARAMIR!!!! He did all his father demanded of him, even to the point of almost death, and now Denethor just wants to throw his life away?!? Go Pippin!!

Epic speech. "DEATH!"

"There's plenty for the both of us. May the best dwarf win." & "That still only counts as one!" Gimli knows how to make you smile even in the middle of a intense battle.

Aragorn's speech more epic than Theoden's? Yes.

Legolas and Gimli... from bitter enemies to trusting friends.

"For Frodo." Can't say any more than that.

My family jokes that this is the movie that never ends, but I'm so glad PJ wrapped up everything so nicely (although I'd love to see Eowyn's wedding, hint directed at you, PJ). Happily ever afters all around, the all-important pumpkin, Sam's kids, even the hint that Pippin got married (which he did).

Grey Havens. As much as you don't want the Fellowship to break up, you know things can't go back to the way they were. Frodo said as much. And now he leaves. Poor Sam. Well, at least he has his hobbit hole and his family.

"Well, I'm back." He said.

Deleted scenes!! YES!!! Must watch! :D

Thanks for posting, Charity! Loved reading this!!

Analiese said...

Ooh, thank you so much for the detailed review!! :D I love the scene where 'Eowyn kills the bad guy' - too cool. I love Eowyn. :D And I also hate the Denethor guy - though it's awful he goes nuts in the end and kills himself, too. :P So many neat parts...I'll leave a link to this post on PoaM.

Hamlette (Rachel) said...

Your note about pulling up the comments box right away amused me greatly! That is precisely what I do for long reviews like this :-) Maybe I should switch my blog comment option to open a new window too?

But Aragorn... sigh. I love him so much as Strider, all dirty and manly. But in this, he's too cleaned up for my taste. Unfortunately, Viggo is the one actor I would change out if I could recast this.

I also despise Denethor. And I love Boromir all the more for how he tries to use his influence with his father to get him to at least give Faramir the respect he's due (yeah, that's in TTT, I know). As for Faramir -- that he didn't turn out twisted and envious and resentful toward Boromir is such a testimony to his sterling qualities. He's one of my second-tier favorites.

Do you cry when they light the beacons? I do.

But I get a little irked with Gandalf in this movie. He has this staff with light that scares away Ringwraiths. And this is the only time he ever uses it???

The Paths of the Dead is okay, but I wish that in the Battle of Pelennor Fields they had made the ghost army act like an army instead of a swarm of rodents that just whoosh over everything. It was cooler in my imagination when I read the book.

I have a horrible hatred of spiders, so the whole Shelob stuff... ugh. My least favorite thing about the movies. At least they made her so big and ponderous she's more like a giant crab and I can try to ignore that she's a spider.

I love Theoden's speech too. I have a mug that says "Forth, and fear no darkness."

And Aragorn's rallying speech is great... except that Viggo sounds terrible there! Nasal and... just does not have a good speechifying voice. Compare it to the bit in the extended version of TTT where Boromir makes his triumphant speech about winning back Osgiliath, or Theoden and Eomer's rallying speeches... delivered so much better.

But you didn't mention my hands-down absolute favorite moment in the entire trilogy! When Sam picks Frodo up and carries him up Mt. Doom. Oh my goodness, I'm all goosebumped just thinking about it. "I may not be able to carry it, Mr. Frodo, but I can carry you." My hero!

Don't you love the drawings during the end credits? Gorgeous.

Kara said...

Charity, thank you for this amazing detailed THREE page review....LOOOOOOVED it and you mentioned EVERYTHING noteworthy about the movie that touched me!! As always, i truly enjoy your visuals :)

I'm so amazed that you gave this a 10 rating, but then again it's the best movie of the trilogy in my heart as well :) I only wish the spider could be removed, that's the only part of the movie I would do differently.

I'm definitely in the Hate Denethor Club with you here. I don't give in to hating characters because it makes me think of Darth Vader and the dark side, but Denethor is a worthy character to hate from this movie.

I also like Andy Serkis, but Gollum/Smeagol is definitely a creeped out character for me also.

Yes, I'm a fan of the beacon lighting too. There's such a spiritual aspect to that symbolically, really loved it.

Yay for Gandalf's rescue!! What a rescue he gives with that glorious light :)

Pippin's song did make me cry, it was perfectly performed and his face was utterly touching while doing it. I think the word you're looking for is lament, sad song because it definitely wasn't a serenade. Loved Kiri's Tolkien fact with Pippin's song, love learning behind the scenes bits like that :)

Did NOT know Jackson's kids have cameos in these films, so cool!

"I am no man" was one of my all time fave scenes, wow Eowyn is SOOOOO brave!!!! Breaks my heart when her father the king dies, but my goodness how she honors him in that moment nearly getting killed herself. Another part of the movie I cried in.

Love how Gimli and Legolas go from rivals to (best) friends, one of the best parts of the movies for me :) Sam is without a doubt my hero in Return of the King. He TOTALLY leaves his comfort zone several times for Frodo and he's willing to lay down his life for Mr. Frodo without pause. I saw them as brothers in this film because the love between them is equal to family. I cried when he carried Frodo at the end, Sam is going to see this journey through no matter how exhausted he is.

I agree that even though Aragorn's speech is off the charts fantastic, his voice doesn't pull it off with the epicness I expected. I also agree that I like his look as the dirty warrior much better than his kingly look :)

The reunion *more tears*....the moment where you know all has been made right, the battle is truly over, and you can hug your loved ones again, sigh. Love how Kiri worded it: "As much as you don't want the Fellowship to break up, you know things can't go back to the way they were." SOOOO true!

The weddings are nice, but to me that shows that life goes on and it symbolizes after so much death and destruction that now the celebration can begin with Aragorn becoming king and the weddings can commence.

The final partings of the hobbits was once again many tears on my part, it's like 4 brothers going their separate ways. They each will have a good life, but when will they see each other again and they shared a life changing journey together.

Thank you soooo much for the deleted scenes and for giving your time on such a GREAT movie and epic story! There's so much to learn from it and I have no trouble crying at various parts :) Blessings Charity!!

Jana said...

Love this movie!! It is definitely one of my favorite movies!

All of your notes were spot on!! I love Legolas and the Oliphant scene!

Jana
janasfaith.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Hi, I LOVE your blog since I found it not so long ago!!!!
I'll join the hate-on-Denethor club!! The man gives one the creeps!! You know the part when, I think Faramir, gets wounded and red juice comes out of Denethor's mouth? YUCK!!!!! NASTY MAN!!
Poor, poor Faramir. I don't like him at first, because he's so different from the book but you have to love him in this movie. Oh, one more thing about Denethor. I LOVE the part after he's stopped when in act of burning himself and Faramir, Faramir looks at his father. Denethor realizes what he tried to do and runs to his death!! CREEPY!!!!
The part when Eowyn says, "I am no man" is AWESOME!!!!! She is totaly my favorite of the women.
The part when Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli arrive on the boat with the dead is SO COOL!!! And Legolas killing the Oliphaunt!!!
OK this is REALLY long.
BUT, I like Aragorn a LOT too, he's soooo handsome. so is Faramir though. Arwen and Eowyn are beautiful.I love how Arwen shows up at his Kingship. He thinks she's dead but she's alive and became human because she loves him!! AHHH
I could probably go on but....
Jacinta S.

Charity U said...

EVERYONE! I am coming to reply to these comments. Someday! But I've been WAAAAAY too busy lately. Keep waiting, I'm coming sometime in the future! :)

Charity U said...

I'm sorry to have taken so long; as previously noted, my life has been super busy. BUT! I'm here now and here we go!

HANNAH MARY, consider yourself a member! :)

KIRI LIZ, good parallel...I hadn't thought of how similar the two scenes with Smeagol gaining the ring and Gollum eating/killing the goblin are. Freaky! Ah...yes, I came across a picture on Pinterest that informed me about Nori and A&A's son! Super cool. And he looks just like them too! I'll have to watch for the falling armor in the Elrond/Aragorn/Anduril scene next time I watch. So funny to note those! Yay! Another Denethor hate-club member!
Gothmog...yeah, I think I prefer Pig Sponge. It just sums him up. ;) I didn't use to cry during movies, but about the time I was 13 they started affecting me more -- now even happy parts make me WANT to cry though I can usually hold it in. Hormones... :P
Hey, useless Tolkien facts ARE NOT USELESS. After reading LOTR aloud to myself late spring, I was full of them for a while -- drove my family nuts. But hey, knowledge is power! SO glad they included Pippin's song...it really adds to that scene, methinks. Cameos are the coolest in films!
YES. You got it! Eowyn IS brave and strong and still very feminine. She's so admirable. Really appreciate that in this day and age! So glad Faramir lived! Like I mentioned, really got attached to him this time through.
OH YES. I am so glad PJ didn't just cut it off after the rescue...that woulda been super disappointing for loyal Tolkien fans.
Thanks so much for commenting, Kiri Liz! I did so enjoy FINALLY reading and replying. :)

Charity U said...

ANALIESE, it's a great scene! Eowyn is lovely...and I don't know if it's awful or awesome that Denethor is finally dead. Hmmm. Thanks for linking to me from your blog, really appreciate that!

HAMLETTE! Glad you came. And yes, switching your comment option might be good...it can be very handy to have it this way, you know. ;) It's true, Aragorn is much more cleaned up in this and I rather prefer him dirty, strange as it sounds to some. Do you have an actor in mind who you would change to Aragorn? I know I like Viggo a lot better than the very first guy they had cast. It's true -- Faramir's enduring constancy and like of Boromir is a true and clear testimony to his wonderful nature!
I haven't yet cried when they light the beacons...but I fear I'm getting closer every time. :P ;) :) That's a good point about Gandalf's staff and the light and all, I hadn't considered that. Maybe this was the only time it worked like that? Purely chance, or help from the Over-All Being (for lack of a better LOTR name coming to mind). HA! Swarm of rodents, the dead army is. Good point, I agree that it would have been nice to have them less video-game-rodenty and more army. YES! The drawings are so cool. :)

KARA, glad you came by my friend! So much fun putting this review together. Yeah, I've given very few...anything a 10. Like, 10 things all together. But this is so much a favorite of mine, I decided it deserved it. :) It's true, I usually am pretty reserved about using the word "hate." But there are some people/characters...yup.
Yes, now that you mention it, there is some symbolic meaning with the beacons. That scene...amazing. YES! Lament. Not serenade. Thank you. Behind the scenes facts are the coolest! Legolas and Gimli's friendship is so amazing! I love it.
Yeah, someone else commented about Aragorn's voice too...it's never bothered me, I guess. Omw, yes, the parting of the hobbits...I always end up sobbing through that. So much. It's true, there's a lot to learn from it!
Again, thanks for commenting! :)

Charity U said...

JANA, thanks for coming by! Gotta love Legolas. :)

JACINTA, so glad you came by to comment! Denethor is frightfully nasty, it's true. Yeah, I didn't love Faramir at first either...but now that I've been through several times, I like him more each time. Yay Eowyn! :) I love Legolas killing the Oliphaunt. Haha, nope, I've had several much longer comments and I love them all, so keep it up! Yup, Aragorn is SOOOO handsome! Love him. And yay! Arwen came back and married him! Happyhappyhappy. :) Again, thanks for commenting!

Hamlette (Rachel) said...

The only trouble with having the comments this way is that you can't reply to a specific comment the way you can when they're embedded. Guess I'm leaving mine as they are.

If I had cast LotR, I would have cast Oded Fehr as Aragorn. He's Ardeth Bay in the Mummy movies, and just... so Aragornful! Go here and here and here to get an idea. He'd be minus the facial tattoos of course, since those are just for his Mummy character. But he has such a yummy voice, such a dangerous-yet-regal presence... I merrily envision him when I read the books :-D Looks good clean AND dirty, too!

But you're right, Viggo is far, far better than Stuart Townsend would have been!

Ms. Anna Law said...

Great review! I would reply to every single comment you made - but, unfortunately, I don't have time. :( Perhaps I will come back and do so later on...

Yes. I hate Denethor, too. :P

YOU'VE GOT PICTURES OF FARAMIR'S AND EOWYN'S WEDDING?!?! *scrambles over to Charity's FaceBook to find them*

Charity U said...

HAMLETTE, this is true. It's too bad about not being able to reply to specific comments...except this way, of course. ;) Wow, Oded Fehr isn't bad when you think of him as Aragorn! He looks quite similar to Viggo in some ways, and certainly looks like he could more than fill the part. Maybe if they ever do a remake... ;)

Alyianna, hopefully sometime you'll have time for a nice long comment? :)

Ms. Anna Law said...

I hope so. :)

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