message in the movies By Rev. Bruce Batchelor Glader

       
Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King   PG-13
Directed by Peter Jackson. Starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the last film of an epic trilogy.  Since the first two films were so successful, I am sure that the investors had no problem whatsoever letting director Jackson pull out all of the stops to create the final chapter.  That is, perhaps, the only problem with this film.  It just goes on and on and on... The battle scenes between the forces of good and evil are impressive, but far more interesting is the journey of hobbits Frodo and Sam, as they slowly make their way to Mount Doom in hopes of destroying the One Ring, which Frodo has in his possession.  Gollum, a monstrous creature who also desires to possess the Ring, accompanies them on their journey.  Their emotional struggles make for stirring drama, and the tragic character Gollum remains one of the most incredible movie creatures, a perfect melding of computer animation and superb acting (by Andy Serkis).  At close to 3½ hours running time, the film is a bit of an endurance run.  The Return of the King cranks up the tension by crosscutting between intense action sequences and letting them run on forever.  That’s too bad, because the J.R.R. Tolkien novel had some later plot developments (with significant Christian values) that might have been included.  Still, it must be said that the completed Lord of the Rings (at 9½ hours long) is a great fantasy film; a masterwork of cinema that manages to be emotionally satisfying and memorable.  Tolkien never underestimated the insidious power of evil, but he also believed in the ultimate victory of good.  May we have such a faith as this.

Halo and Pitchfork Rating: Four halos.  (The conclusion of a visionary masterpiece, with lessons about community, friendship, and hope.)  Two pitchforks. (Intense and lengthy battle scenes, disturbing monsters.)                    

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