The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Compensating for the intermittent longueurs and narrative convolutions of the first two entries, the final chapter of Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy ties everything together with a dazzling synthesis of pagan animism, heroic quest mythology, orientalism, Pre-Raphaelite imagery, 1950s sci-fi creature features, and Hollywood war epics. Standing out amid an excellent cast is Elijah Wood, stymied by tweeness in the earlier films but here convincingly developing the character of Frodo as the embodiment of valor and self-sacrifice. Credit is due also to Andrew Lesnie's cinematography and Jamie Selkirk's editing, particularly in battle scenes, like the jaw-dropping attack on the city of Minas Tirith.
Credits
Director:
- Peter Jackson
Cast:
- Elijah Wood
- Ian McKellen
- Liv Tyler
- Viggo Mortensen
- Sean Astin
- Cate Blanchett
- John Rhys-Davies
- Bernard Hill
- Billy Boyd
- Dominic Monaghan
- Orlando Bloom
- Hugo Weaving
- Miranda Otto
- David Wenham
- Karl Urban
- John Noble
- Andy Serkis
- Ian Holm
- Sean Bean
- Lawrence Makoare
- Paul Norell
- Marton Csokas
- Christopher Lee
- Brad Dourif
- Bruce Hopkins
Writers:
- Philippa Boyens
- Peter Jackson
- Stephen Sinclair
- Frances Walsh
Producers:
- Barrie Osborne
- Rick Porras
- Robert Shaye
- Michael Lynne
- Mark Ordesky
- Jamie Selkirk
