LOTR: ROTK

I saw LOTR: ROTK last night for the fifth time. I'm not going to write a review about it, no. Let me just say that Peter Jackson and his crew did a really great job on this last installment of the trilogy. Although I still hate the way he shot the fight scenes, I must admit that Return of the King is a true cinematic experience. You can fully experience the work only on the widescreen. And it totally transports you to Middle Earth.

It is so difficult to leave that place where Jackson takes you, back to this dismal existence. It makes me want to die, get on that last ship for the Grey Havens. To finally see those white shores and, beyond that, a green country under a swift sunrise.

We have all become orcs.

And what is that with those Jackson kids? First, they were adorable hobbits listening to Bilbo's account of the trolls. Next, they're in Minas Tirith, forming part of that sad crowd taking leave of Faramir and his small company. It's things like this that ruin the experience. What does Jackson think I am? Needless, it's an insult to my intelligence. It totally stretches "willing suspension of disbelief" beyond endurance.

Despite this, I think that the casting is perfect. I can't think of anyone else playing the starring and supporting roles. But the most perfect, I think, is Cate Blanchett. When she helps Frodo up (in ROTK, after he's fainted on the path toward Minas Morgul), she gives a smile like that of a child. You can really see the innocence on her face.

The attention to detail in this series is amazing. But I really would have wanted a closer look at all the creatures and flora and fauna of Jackson's universe. The orcs, the trolls, the Uruk-hai, the beasts, and especially the dragons. I just love it when they swoop down from the skies.

Another show-stopper is Shelob. The audience just gets into the act when it creeps up behind Frodo. Pure Hollywood. Fantastic. And, yes, the reason why I keep watching it (ROTK) is because audience reaction is such a sure thing, it's just heaven. I can imagine the thrill that Jackson must have gotten when he saw how the test audience was so enthralled by his work. His work. Hmmmm. When the work was produced by hundreds. But I must give him this: leadership counts. A lot. What vision. Entire generations to come will owe him such gratitude for faithfully bringing Tolkien's universe to life.

LOTR, the films, might have been built on Tolkien's universe, but it is Jackson's, entirely.

Did I say I wasn't going to write a review?