The Lord of the Rings
The Fellowship of the Ring
It is a rare moment when a film captures not only the imagination, but the spirit and passions within us all. The Fellowship of the Ring is one such film – weaving a timeless tale with such inspiration that there are very few films which, from start to finish, are crafted so impeccably. Every bit of praise this film receives, it has earned. And while some of the visual effects may be slightly showing their age, the impact of this on the film as a whole is very minor. Instead, director Peter Jackson has forged a film that faithfully adapts the spirit and message of the original book by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Book Review Coming Soon
The Two Towers
The Two Towers is a grittier film than its predecessor. But like its main characters it’s also fraught with flaws which, despite the best of intentions, leads it astray. That doesn’t mean that The Two Towers isn’t an incredible film – by all rights it’s far superior to many films. But when compared to The Fellowship of the Ring, and even Return of the King, it is clearly the weakest of the three. While the acting, visuals and music all continue at an exceptionally high level, the writing and, in particular the pacing, weight down the film through its middle sections. The rest of the film, however, is still extraordinarily beautiful, powerful, and profound.
Book Review Coming Soon
The Return of the King
The Return of the King is Epic. In size and scope, the film far surpasses both of its predecessors. And in terms of quality, only Fellowship of the Ring fares any better thanks to its much more streamlined narrative. But of the three Lord of the Rings films, it’s little wonder that The Return of the King is often listed as a favorite. Just about every aspect of this movie operates at an exceptionally high level. And the final thematic point, driven home by Frodo’s ultimate fate, is both truly profound and a natural evolution of thought from The Two Towers.
Book Review Coming Soon
The Return of the King – 1980
The Return of the King (1980) is a trainwreck of near catastrophic proportions. Put simply, it’s an exercise in how to take a compelling premise and an excellent and turn it into the worst sort of product imaginable. Truly, in spite of a couple of acceptable moments, the film itself is entirely unwatchable. The film, a made-for-TV adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s culminating book to the Lord of the Rings saga, comes from the same duo (Rankin and Bass) that produced The Hobbit (1977). And if the juvenile presentation was a liability for The Hobbit 1977, it’s an utter disaster for The Return of the King – a story of epic, tragic, and profound proportions. It’s a story that, unlike The Hobbit, does not lend itself to whimsical singsong moments. And it’s a story, unlike the Hobbit, that cannot be told in the broadest of brushstrokes. Even worse, though, is the simple fact even with these choices – mistakes as they may be – the execution of these choices is just as problematic.
The Lord of the Rings – 1978
Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings novels is a daring attempt to present a faithful interpretation of the story. In many respects, Bakshi’s attempt seems to be a direct rebuttal of the Rankin/Bass version of Middle Earth. Whereas Ranking/Bass created a colorful, juvenile style, Bakshi’s is darker, grittier and (usually) more mature. But while Bakshi’s effort is darker and more ambitious, it is also more uneven and more flawed. The end result is that, when compared to The Hobbit (1977), Bakshi’s film pales in comparison. And it’s only slightly better than The Return of the King (1980).
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