8A - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, January 6, 2003 BOW TO TI)e ikMQ< TRLoGy coNlsu)es im epic zPasl)lo ' ARTS By Ryan Lewis Daily Film Editor MOVIE REVEW ** The end has come. Peter Jackson's unenvi- able task of adapting J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" that began just two years ago has now officially concluded with the release of "The Return of the King." As sad as it is to know that no more are coming, this final chapter of the greatest fantasy epic in literary history now pro- The Lord of vides the single most the Rings: gratifying movie-going The Return e of a- of the King mak t, :'s the * ~At Quality 16, thefie y Showcase and tort, kMadstone tar~to fiyyniNew Line Lee's as Saruman) is ultimately forgivable, even laudable, in light of the fantastic result. Still, Jackson's faithfulness to the novel is on par with the likes of "The Godfather," and his visual poetry rivals even the most emotive scenes in any tear-jerker in sheer poignancy. "Return" opens in a past when Gollum (Andy Serkis) was still Smeagol at the moment he comes upon the Ring, or more exactly, when his brother, Deagol, finds the Ring. After a startling montage of Smeagol's deterioration into the creature Gollum, the story continues where "The Two Towers" concluded. Smeagol has officially been taken over by his evil self- doppelganger and leads Sam (Sean Astin) and Frodo (Elijah Wood) into the depths of Mordor. Though Sam suspects Gollum's disposition as a villain, Frodo refuses to go on without him. Outside the walls of Mordor, the rest of the Fellowship braces the good men of Middle Earth for war. Gandalf (Ian McKellen) rides to Gndor and prepares Denethor, the cynical offGondor, for the ultimate battle; King z= en musters all his forces, and Aragorn ~(VigMortensen),,entures under the moun- o s it an myheld to an unfulfilled oath o .tfageAll the while, the dark lord n sezs out 4j4g ings to besiege 4 Above: This day, we fight! Right: Every day Frodo moves closer to Mordor. Still more impressive, the acting in "Return of the King" is by far the finest. Sam's anguish over protecting himself and Frodo from Gol- lum and his despair at losing the faith of his master - not to mention his fight with Weta's nasty giant spider Shelob - showcases Sean Astin's talent in a manner unseen in his early- '90s heyday. In fact, each of the hobbits has his moment, especially Pippin (Billy Boyd) as he sings in the great hall of kings while Denethor's son Faramir gallops to imminent death. Viggo Mortensen displays his finest act- ing as he transforms himself from Aragorn, the ranger from the north, into Elessar, King of men, and Ian McKellen, as Gandalf, is infalli- ble as always. Hcvver, the cohesiveness and subtle power of the film results from Andrew realm of G d&m' Main' t ist ofin-s Deep, the ental denouemenis e'ge n on iennor Fields and the 4Irse noto mention well'i .es 'f tlusacef hi' ixcssthe d~ n idei put, more tha Ituttitate xpr i f dial effects integra- a oToi i ftin into a mere 2$mi5' t a dng awe-inspiring seem hard- ute bf film.' ly °hough to characterize Weta Workshop's ~Whileit in many ways has the most signifi- incredible creation. Even more notable, howev- *ti dartures fron 'Tlken's novels, each er, tle white city/frtresof Mias Tiri -A bot aisfoination or omni .- . ,Ct pher sift'andi is truly a sight tNAGho. Lesnie's cinematography and the work of the entire sound editing crew. Following the lighting of beacons from Gondor to Rohan and the arrival of the Rohirrim at the foothills of Pelennor superbly visualizes Tolkien's words. Seeing thousands of horses lined up and striding into battle, even as some ultra-realistically fall to their deaths, is a sight to behold for the sake of seeing beau- ty through a projector. And when Gandalf rides to the aid of retreating soldiers from Osgiliath, never have light, color and sound mixed so perfectly. So perfect and unnotice- able is the soundtrack that paying close atten- tion to it makes Jackson's craftsmanship all the more uncanny. Somehow Jackson undertook the most daunting task a director could and gave the frothing masses eye candy of the highest quality. "Return of the King" is not only the cinematic achievement of the year but also the crowning directorial achievement of the decade thus far. Managing an ensemble cast and a pseudo-period-piece to such indelibili- ty cannot be overlooked. Alone, "Return of the King" stands as one of cinema's instant classics. As a single film upwards of 12 hours combined with "Fellow- ship" and "Two Towers," "The Lord of the Rings" encapsulates the expression of film as art and mass consumer culture. I 4 Introducing The Michigan Daily's Newest Special Page Did you know that as a UM Student, YOU can SPONSOR your spouse, partner, and a friend to a membership with Rec Sports? RLill Need a pick-me-up to get back into the swing of things after your winter vacation? Well, The Daily has a few suggestions to keep you healthy and in shape during the Winter 2004 semester. 4 eblnce .U MFiI The Running & Walking Store 123 E. Liberty at 4th Ave. Ann Arbor-734-769-5016 $8 OFF your next pair of shoes! 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