Saturday 24 October 2015

Film Review: The Return of the King, Part 6

Time for the penultimate portion of The Return of the King. You'll be pleased to know that from the start of November we'll be done with this chunk of Middle-earth's history; we'll be going back in time for the prequel instead!


During last week's instalment we saw a lot of fighting. Denethor really started to lose it (or should that be continued to lose it), Theoden led his riders into battle and there was a really frigging huge spider!

253. Gandalf's pretty much just quoting the end of The Lord of the Rings here. Do you think he's read the book?

254. I do actually love this scene. It's a little moment of quiet in the middle of battle. One soldier offering comfort to another solider.


255. And then there's a big bang on the gate which makes me jump and pulls me out of it!

256. That moment when Théoden sees the Witch King of Angmar riding towards him you can see the look on his face as he's thinking 'oh no, not going to get out of this one'.

257. Well done, Éowyn.

258. And now it's Éowyn's turn to question why she picked this particular battle.

259. Meanwhile, on the other side of the battle, a troupe of orcs are waiting for the ships to get in. They're going to get a surprise.


260. 'There's plenty for the both of us. May the best Dwarf win.' Hehe, I forgot the competition carries on through this battle.

261. 'You fool, no man can kill me. Die now' *dramatic removal of helmet* 'I am no man!' *stabby sword action*

262. I love how the Witch King just sort of implodes. What a way to go.

263. But the battle rages on anyway.

264. I've forgotten huge chunks of this film. Like how Éowyn was nearly gotten by that orc leader, but Aragorn and Gimli save her without even knowing it.


265. Honourable Mention to Legolas for the scene with the Oliphaunt, complete with skating down the trunk thing.

266. 'That still only counts as one!' Hehe.

267. That battlefield is getting quite quiet now. I like how the Army of the Dead sort of swarm into the city like smoke. It's a nice effect.

268. I wish Théoden didn't die. I think he's one of my favourite characters in this film.

269. In the close ups, Éowyn doesn't look as dirty as she did when she was crawling across the field.


270. Gimli does have a point. It'd be handy to hold onto the Army of the Dead until after they've done battle at the gates of Mordor. Especially as both Gondor and Rohan have lost a lot of people in the fight.

271. Oh look, it's a cloak from Lothlórien.

272. Éomer is really dramatic when he discovers Éowyn's body. I mean, I know he's upset and shocked, but he's really vocal about it.

273. The Houses of Healing is one of my favourite bits in the book and I wish this had been expanded on a little more here. I mean, they do cover the gist of it, but it's a montage, not actual full detailed scenes.

274. I do like the song playing during this bit.


275. Aw, Pippin's still looking for Merry and no one's even helping him. That's a shame.

276. Role reversal, now Pippin's looking after Merry. I want to cuddle them both.

277. And back to Mordor where Frodo's not wearing very much and he's at the top of a tower. I'm sure there were some very disappointed fangirls who were hoping to see Elijah Wood naked, since that's how Frodo is at this bit of the book.

278. It's been a good few minutes since we had a fight scene. What do you say we have another one?

279. Thankfully the orc versus orc battle will clear out most of them so Sam has a clear pathway to Frodo.


280. Nearly clear pathway to Frodo anyway.

281. 'That's for Frodo. That's for the Shire. And that's for my old Gaffer!' Love Sam.

282. Go Sam! He's such a hero.

283. I wish they could've included something showing Sam's vision of himself commanding an army of gardeners with the Ring of Power, before deciding that it wouldn't work. I'm not sure how they would've done it but it would've just helped to show his character a little more.

284. I like that they show the eye as kind of a searchlight over the land.


285. I think Gandalf really knows what he wants them to do, he's just kind of pushing for everyone else to get the plan and suggest it, so it's not like it's his idea.

286. Hehe, I love Gimli's response the plan.

287. Time for Aragorn to commune with Sauron in the shiny marble.

288. I've never been entirely sure if when the Evenstar shatters if it was a vision or if it was real. I'm guessing that because the next scene focuses on Aragorn's chest and it's not visible that it actually breaks.

289. Aw, Éowyn and Faramir. I wish we had more of their relationship together, especially the bit where she goes to him to beg to go to battle again.


290. Aragorn and crew successfully draw off the orcs to the gate, and very nearly get Frodo and Sam discovered within the borders of Mordor as well.

291. Busted! That could really have backfired if they hadn't been able to get away unnoticed.

292. Poor Sam having to throw away his cooking stuff. He's carried it so far.

293. I like the bit in the book where Sam spots the star. I actually used that in an essay I wrote about The Lord of the Rings in school, about light versus dark in the story.

294. I know he's practically at death's door, but Frodo wastes a fair bit of that water he drinks. There might not be a return journey, but they'll still need enough to get to Mount Doom!


295. Did the Eye of Sauron actually see Frodo then? Or was it like that moment where you catch something out the corner of your eye, try to focus on it, but it's gone? Actually I'm just generally curious about the Eye. How does it feel? Can it feel? It doesn't have an eyelid, so it can't blink? How does it think or tell its armies what it wants them to do? We'll probably never know.

296. Ooh, someone needs a chapstick.

297. I didn't realise until I watch the special features, but apparently the Mouth's mouth is scaled up in size to make it just a little bit more unnatural looking. And something they toyed with was turning it ninety degrees to make it even weirder.

298. Aragorn's reaction to the Mouth of Sauron is perfect. That certainly got Sauron's attention.

299. Those soldiers look like no one actually told them they were headed to certain death.


300. Lucky Aragorn was there to rally them all, otherwise I suspect the leaders and remaining members of the Fellowship would've been left standing in front of a cloud of dust as the soldiers beat a hasty retreat.

301. Aw, I love Legolas and Gimli. That moment there shows how far they've come since the beginning.

302. Go on Frodo and Sam. You're so close! You can do it!

303. Sam's trying so hard to cheer Frodo up and Frodo's just like 'nah, don't remember any of it'.

304. 'I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you!' + dramatically swelling music = brilliant moment in film.


305. Go Aragorn!

306. I love that it's Merry and Pippin who are right behind him. Even if they are overtaken by everyone else about ten seconds later.


Next week get ready for lots, and lots, and lots of endings.

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