science fiction

The Return of the King Movie Review

Starring: Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, Andy Serkis, Miranda Otto, Liv Tyler
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TOP SCHOLAR: David Loftus

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Review Summary
Frodo continues his journey to destroy the One Ring. Gollum, meanwhile, is plotting to kill Frodo, but Sam is on to him. Saruman thinks that Pippin has the Ring, so Gandalf takes him to Minas Trith to protect him. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Merry are off to fight in the ongoing wars. Soon, Frodo is turning away from Sam, and believes that Gollum will help him destroy the ring.
Estefan Ellison, Resident Scholar

On a quest to destroy an evil Ring and its owner, the Dark Lord Sauron, the young hobbit Frodo Baggins treks through the dark land of Mordor to throw it into Mount Doom, the volcano where it was made. Meanwhile, his friends, miles away, go to war with Sauron and his armies of foul orcs to save the world of men and buy Frodo some time.
Gwahir, Resident Scholar

In the final installment Frodo and Sam have to destroy the ring of power in the fires of Mt. Doom. Meanwhile the remaining fellowship must fight Sauron's forces. To add to that Gollum is planning on turning against Frodo and Sam and there are several new monsters that the resistance must deal with.
Jack Bauer, Resident Scholar

The war for control of Middle Earth reaches its climax, with Sauron's giant army of orcs and other nasties moving on Gondor and the citadel of Minas Tirith. Frodo and Sam inch their way to Mount Doom in Mordor on their mission to destroy the One Ring, with Gollum/Smeagol alternately guiding and fighting them. While Gandalf rallies the forces of Rohan and other potential allies to the rescue of Gondor, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli take a side trip to the Land of the Dead to ask them to honor a pledge to support the forces of Middle Earth. There's sword and CGI action a-plenty (Legolas's efforts to bring down a giant elephant singlehandedy is one of the best of dozens of eye-popping stunt sequences), a little forgettable romance, terrifically stirring acting by many of the principles (especially Astin, McKellen, Otto, and Sirkis), and New Zealand once again does itself very proud with the location work. An exhausting 3 hour and 20 minute mega-epic that earned a record $34.1 million on the first day it opened.
David Loftus, Resident Scholar


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Plot

Composition of Movie
Actual chase scenes or violence - 30%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzle - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%




**Fantasy or Science Fiction?** - fantasy story on another world/distant past
Technology/$$$$/Info hunt Yes
Stealing/recovering/destroying - magical artifact
War and Invasion Yes
Major kinds of combat: - sword fights

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Hair color? - brunette (Brown)
Hair type - (man) short/medium wavy
Body type - average (man)
Events of movie makes character more... - tougher
Ethnicity/Nationality - English/British
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor? - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Secondary Main Character
Identity: - Male
Hair color - white/grey
Hair style - (man) long, like a girl
Body type - average build (man)
How much in movie? - 80%
Ethnicity/Nationality - British

Main Adversary
Identity: - magical being, male
Age: - long-lived adults
Has special powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - fire/thunder/weather cntrl - mind reading - mind control - can read emotions
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - 20%
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant

Setting
Earth setting: - during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times - middle ages
A substantial portion of this movie takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a primitive/fantasy society
Takes place on Earth? Yes
Planet outside our solar system? Yes
Mountains? Yes
Misc settings - fort/castle

Style
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
Tone of movie - upbeat - fearful
Non-American film? Yes
What language? - English
Subtitles? - No
Any profanity? - None
Kinds of F/X - exotic aliens - exotic big cities - exotic alien landscape
If Soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE... - Orchestra/classical
Is this movie based on a - book
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