LOTR –ROTK Rebuttal

While I usually agree with my writers, or at least do not publicly challenge them, I must take exception to Chris’s last blog post about the faults of the last Lord of the Rings movie, The Return of the King.

Yes, it is long. Too long to sit in a theater. Or is it? If your viewing was anything at all like mine, the first fifteen minutes of the movie was not the movie at all, but rather one LONG running commercial for Coke, some credit card company, and other made-for-television commercials which look horrible and pixilated as heck on the big screen. Then I had to sit through five movie trailers, which are of course commercials themselves. I don’t mind the trailers, actually. Up until this, it was one of the only places to see previews of upcoming flicks. But the product commercials are getting overbearing. From this point on, if I see a product ad before a movie, I will try my best NOT to purchase that item. Advertise Coke-a-Cola before a movie? Not buying any Coke, Sprite, Diet Coke, etc… for at least a month. Credit card ad? Nope, not applying. Already have that card? Will try not to use it for at least thirty days.

The trailers are a different matter. For the most part, there are usually no more than three or four trailers. Unless, of course, it is a Disney movie, in which case they will pimp every movie they plan on making over the next five years. Disney is the biggest offender of showing trailer after trailer after trailer before one of their flicks. Especially if it is a Pixar movie, as those are about the only decent movies coming out of the Disney camp the last five years. So they ride the coattails of a great movie (Monsters, Inc, Nemo, Toy Story, etc…) to pimp out the drivel that is a Disney created movie. Disney sucks…

I digress. Return of the King, as Chris feels, was a waste of time. I could not disagree more. And here’s why.

Most movies today are either decent or really bad. In fact, very, very few movies made today would be considered excellent or a classic. The last few movies I have watched, Kill Bill, Matrix Revolutions, and Bad Santa, have all been HUGE disappointments. Kill Bill was simply one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Lame story, HORRIBLE acting, no character development, and a complete waste of money. Bad Santa had a great premise, and I actually think Billy Bob Thornton is a good actor. But this movie was bad. Really, really bad. NO characters worth liking. Plot holes you could drive a locomotive through. Crummy cinematography. Just bad, bad, bad. Bad Santa, indeed. And Matrix Revolutions… Talk about a disappointment. The first Matrix was a fun, interesting film. Groundbreaking in a lot of respects. Unique, even. But like so many sequels, it was all downhill from there. The first Matrix was a complete movie, cyber-punk done right. The second movie was boring and did nothing but setup the third movie. And Revolutions? Yawn. Sad, really.

So how does ROTK fair? Here, there are no shades of grey. You know who the good guys are, and who the bad guys are. You want the good guys to win, not just because they are good, but also because you really, truly care about the characters in the film. You completely believe in the pain and suffering Frodo goes through as the bearer of the One Ring. You see the conflict in Strider, as he grapples with who he really is, and who he must become. You respect Gandalf, and know intuitively that he is the general. You also feel his goodness, and his care and concern for those around him. Sam is loyal, trustworthy, and completely steals the trilogy. And more, all three movies stand on their own, but together tell ONE tale, a tale of good vs. evil. Here are the bad guys, and you fear them. Here are the good guys, and you worry for them.

When the machines attack the human city, the audience wants the humans to win to save humanity. But the Human city of Zion never feels like a real place. We really don’t get to see that this city is a living, breathing place full of people with hopes and dreams. In ROTK, and all the LOTR films, the world is a completely real place, full of real people with hopes, fears, frailties, strengths, weaknesses, and love. And not because they live in a real-world type of setting, but because the creator of this movie, Peter Jackson, let the actors be real. The special effects in Matrix are awesome, and you marvel at all the eye candy. But you know that what you are seeing is a special effect. In LOTR, there is just as much special effects, but you completely accept them without thinking about it. (Remember, the Hobbits are NOT really that small, so every shot you see them next to a full-sized person is an effect, but you completely never think about it.) The special effects never get in the way, while movies such as Star Wars, Matrix, and Hulk spotlight the special effects and CGI work, because underneath there is nothing else.

So, is ROTK a waste of almost four hours in a theatre? Not if you appreciate great, epic filmmaking. The tale of Frodo Baggins is one worth telling. Middle Earth feels like a part of our own history we simply never knew about. The story is a simple one at its core. But it is told masterfully, reminding all who watch it why many of us fell in love with the movies in the first place. There is a place for fun, special effect films. I love those, too. I will be at the next Star Wars, SpiderMan, Hulk, Aliens Vs. Predator, and Matrix-type of movies. They are, really, a dime a dozen today. Big-budget popcorn action flick escapism in all its glory. But movies like LOTR are unique, rare, and should be applauded for what they are, and what they represent. Film-making at its finest. And personally, I cannot wait to get my hands on the five-hour extended DVD edition when it comes out. Anyone up for a weekend in front of my HDTV to watch all three LOTR extended format next summer over a weekend? Just be sure to bring a LOT of popcorn!