The Ending is True to the Book. Review on Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Movie

However, that's about all I'll say; the film hits the high points of the book, though there are a lot of threads left hanging (presumably some of them will be filled in when the extended version DVD comes out next November). It seems pretty obvious when a scene has been dropped out (e.g. ''The Voice of Saruman'' or ''The Houses of Healing''--if you've read the books you know what I'm talking about). The CG is very good, and the actors are all up to the challenge--Sean Astin (Sam) really comes into his own here.

I have been eagerly anticipating the final installment ever since I saw the first two (and even for the past 20 years, in a sense, since I first read the trilogy many years ago). I can truthfully say that I was slightly disappointed, though not at the film as a good representation of the best that is being made today. However, as someone who has read the books many times, I'm a little disappointed at some of the choices the filmmakers felt they had to make (shifting plot lines around or inventing scenes that would probably make Tolkien squirm). I think the films are, all in all, very good AS FILMS, but I think Fellowship was the only one that came near to capturing the spirit of the books. One of the above reviewers thought the ending sad (and also felt that was a drawback); I would rather say it is bittersweet, just like the book, and the book is bittersweet, just like life. And yes, the film is long, but it is so well done and gripping that the 3+ hours running time seems much shorter.

I'm also a little perplexed that anyone could possibly compare LOTR to the ''Matrix'' films. I suppose they do have two things in common: they are both trilogies and both fantasies. However, the ''Matrix'' trilogy (which started with a bang and ended with a whimper) ultimately was just plain silly. What seemed like a deep philosophical exploration at the beginning turned out to be just another feel-good commercial for Shallow Thought. The LOTR films, though they ultimately didn't quite hit the mark that Tolkien had set, only failed because they were attempting something so ambitious--the nature of the True, the Good, and the Real. While they didn't quite make it, they are indeed beautiful failures, and will set the standard for filmmaking for some years to come.

P.S. This is my first submission to Mouthshut, and I have a question. I'm writing from the U.S., where the film has been out for about over a month, and am returning to India in a few weeks. My question: Why does it take so long for American films to open in India? ''Matchstick Men,'' which just opened in Bombay has been out since early last summer (it wasn't a very big hit here). I'm also interested in hearing more about Bollywood films. I have to admit, I really don't get it (I'm an American, remember), but am willing to be tutored...