I’m just going to start this review by stating that this is my favorite part of the trilogy. For those who think that The Two Towers is the best, then don’t be disappointed. A lot of the book, The Two Towers, is covered in this movie. I’ll get to more of that at the end of this review. But let’s get to this movie and we’ll get to why it is important for this blog.
Watch this as alternative to reading post (Part 1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSZsyPFJxUU
(Part 2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnVCXYakexo
We begin rather simply with two people fishing in a boat. Well, two hobbits, really. One of them is Semagol. The other one finds the ring in the stream after a fish takes him out of the boat. Both of them become ensnared by the ring and they start to fight over it. Ultimately, Semagol kills the other one other this and slowly loses his humanity or hobbitity as I should say. He took it into a cave.
Back in the present, Frodo takes out the ring that is a huge burden on his neck. Semagol tells Frodo and Sam that they must go at once. The others in the company see Merry and Pippin there. They talk to Treebeard and talk some about Sarumon who they say is locked in the tower and powerless. Pippin sees something in the water and Gandalf takes it from him. It is the seeing stone.
The company returns to Ederas in Rohan. They celebrate their victory. Gandalf is convinced that Frodo is alive, although there is still no word officially. Gollum talks to himself and reveals his plan to the others about sending them up the stairs and having an unknown she take control. He doesn’t like to eat orcs as they don’t taste very nice, although I’m not sure how or why Gollum would know that. Were they dead at the time? Sam notices Gollum talking to himself saying that he wants the hobbits dead. But Frodo wants to use Gollum still and doesn’t believe that Gollum is evil.
Back in Ederas, Legolas and Aragorn talk outside while Pippin takes the seeing stone from Gandalf, much to the chagrin of Merry. Sauron sees Pippin with Legolas, Aragorn, and Gandalf all alerted to this right away. Aragorn briefly holds the stone before Gandalf covers it. In fear, Pippin tells Gandalf what had happened and revealed nothing of the ring or Frodo. He also saw a glimpse of Sauron’s plan.
Gandalf gathers some of the company with King Theodon and now knows that Sauron plans to strike the city of Minis Terith. Theodon is reluctant to help. Aragorn wants to go right away, but is told by Gandalf to go through a different route. Gandalf rides out with Pippin, but Merry stays behind.
Arwen was still heading to the Undying Lands until she sees a vision of a son that she has with Aragorn and she returns to her father Elrond in Rivendale. He says that this future is almost gone, but since it is not lost, she has a hope for it. She wants the sword that Isedor had to be remade.
Gandalf and Pippin arrive at Minis Terith. Gandalf tells Pippin about a lot of things not to talk about and just settles on him not speaking at all. But this plan is dashed when this steward of Gondor, Denathor, holds the horn of his dead son Boramir. Pippin decides to pledge his loyalty to this man in payment of the sacrifice that Boramir made for them. There are some tense words as Denathor doesn’t want to defend the city like he’s supposed to. He also doesn’t want Aragorn to return to the throne that he belongs to. Gandalf is worried that if things don’t go their way, it will be the end of Gondor as we know it. I feel fine. It’s time I find myself alone.
Continuing to talk about what is currently going on, Gandalf reveals that the witch king (who?) is the deadliest servant of Sauron and was the ringwrath that stabbed Frodo back in the first movie. He says that Osgiliath could fall which would then open up the city they are in now for attack. This will be the great battle of their time.
While he is talking, Frodo, Sam, and Gollum approach Minis Morgol and the draw of the ring winds up almost sucking Frodo into this place. The others pull him back and a bunch of orcs start to march from this place. Gollum leads them up the stairs.
We then return to Osgiliath and the attack by the orcs that are taking place. They come two if by sea. Faramir and various others start fighting back against the orcs. Wasn’t there still a battle going on in this when we last left these people in The Two Towers? Is it the one that is still going on? Is this another wave of orcs that are coming then?
Gandalf convinces Pippin to light the beacons and all of the people who just happened to live in all of the various places that they need to with not one of them missing a link in the chain thankfully light all of the signals throughout the day and night and next day it seems? Aragorn notices this and goes to run into the hall where he tells Theodon about this with a bunch of other people around. I’ve always felt that this is kind of a dick move like a public proposal where he is now being pressured to say yes. And Theodon does say that Rohan will answer with their aid. I do wonder if the timeline makes sense. If this is supposed to be the same day, why were shots of the beacons being lit shown at night then? Is there some jumping around in the timeline?
With Osgiliath being overrun by orcs, the men are told to leave for Minis Terith and thus retreat. The nazgul show up to join the attack, although I’m not sure where they were this whole time. It does make sense if this battle were still ongoing from the last movie since the ringwraths would have been among those occupied by the fighting and not the ring itself escaping. While the nazgul seek to follow the men who are returning to Minis Territh, Gandalf uses his powers to prevent them from following. Pippin is on this ride as well as they never filmed a version with just Gandalf riding out when they moved the arrival of the pair to earlier in the story. But it is good that Faramir saw Pippin as he reveals more of what had gone on with Frodo and Sam since these are other hobbits that he saw recently.
Lots of things happen in the meantime. Frodo, Sam, and Gollum continue up the stairs as the orcs continue marching towards battle. The distrust between Sam and Gollum grows stronger while Frodo might soon turn on Sam. The orc leader talks to the witch king about taking out Gandalf. Pippin pledges his loyalty to Denathor while Denathor wants his son to retake the lost city with other men too.
Gollum frames Sam for eating the rest of the bread, putting crumbs on his shoulder and throwing the rest of it to the bottom. This leads to a huge fight. Sam offers to take the ring for a while, something that Gollum had warned Frodo that Sam would do. Did Gollum know that such a thing would happen if he played his cards right? Frodo tells Sam to go home. Frodo and Gollum continue up on their own without Sam joining them yet.
Gandalf doesn’t want Faramir and the others going off into this battle, but Faramir wants to do this in order to earn his father’s respect since Denathor wishes that Faramir had died instead of Boramir. The steward seems disinterested in everything, eating food while Pippin sings to him as the men that go out to reclaim Osgiliath are quickly slaughtered with Faramir’s fate currently unknown.
The people from Rohan encamp near a mountain. The path into it isn’t a place that people return from as the mountain is evil and none who enter it ever returns. I feel like any time this happens, you are basically telling the audience that someone in the story will go there and then return. Eowen wants to train Merry who wants to fight, but others doubt that he can provide much help.
Aragorn wakes up and sees Elrond here. Arwen is dying somehow. But the hour is come. Elrond reveals that ships will be coming from the south to attack Gondor. Elrond wants Aragorn to go to the people in the mountain to bring them to their side since no force would be able to withstand them. Elrond also reveals that the sword was remade, meaning that he can summon them.
Eowen doesn’t want them to leave on the eve of battle. Aragorn is joined in his task by Legolas and Gimli. They think that he is leaving because there is no hope. Theodon admits that there might not be any hope, but they are still to meet their enemy in battle nonetheless. He wants Eowen to lead in the event that he is to die. But she still feels that there is more she can do.
Legolas goes through the story of how Isealdor cursed the men who didn’t fight for Gondor and that is how they are cursed. Aragorn does not fear death so he goes through the doorway even though the way is shut since the dead made it and keep it. Legolas quickly follows and Gimli reluctantly joins not wanting to be known as a dwarf who wouldn’t go underground when an elf would.
Meanwhile, Merry is almost left behind, but Eowen in disguise (a fact that was secret in the book for a while) takes him with them and the rest of them. Aragorn and the others arrive in the city of the dead. It doesn’t appear at first that he is getting help from them. The company is surrounded and has no way of fighting them. That is until Aragorn reveals that he is the king of Gondor and he wants them to join him in their fight to hold their oaths fulfilled. The scene ends here with any answer as to whether or not these men will fight yet unknown.
Sure enough, it seems that all of the men from the fight at Osgiliath died, but Pippin notices that Faramir is still alive. Denathor is convinced that his line is dead. Upon seeing the hoard of orcs that are starting to fight the battle and thinking that Rohan betrayed them, Denathor tells people to flee. But Gandalf takes charge and orders the citizens to fight. The men of Rohan catapult parts of their own city against the orcs as the orcs attack the people as well. Pippin tries to fight too, but is told to leave by Gandalf.
Frodo is sent into a tunnel since the only other option was to turn back. It is a scary place that he is now at with Gollum not taking him far from it. He uses the light he got from Galadriel to see a big spider in this area that he’s at. While this is going on, Sam notices the bread from earlier and turns around to go help Frodo. Gollum reveals his true colors, trying to take the ring from Frodo.
When Frodo gets the edge in the fight, Gollum says that it was the ring that made him attack Frodo. This is when Frodo reveals that the ring must be destroyed, which causes Gollum to attack Frodo and then fall. But I know enough from watching these movies that just because a character falls, doesn’t mean that they are dead. Also, this did not happen in the book. Frodo seems to have lost his will to continue for a bit until he sees a vision of Galadriel there and continues.
Back in Gondor, Pippin sees that they are preparing to burn the body of Faramir. Gandalf continues to lead the fight against the orcs who have breached the wall. Frodo continues on his path forward and the giant spider is able to sting Frodo before quickly wrapping him in a web. Sam shows up, wanting Frodo to be let go. I’m glad that Frodo wasn’t being held above something high when Sam said this. The two of them fight some until the spider retreats at his magical light. Sam looks at Frodo but he doesn’t seem to be alive anymore. Sam notices the sword glow blue, meaning orcs are around. Sam leaves Frodo alone and the orcs take Frodo away. But Frodo is revealed to be alive. What happened to the ring?
Pippin tries to convince Denathor that his son isn’t dead. Denathor releases Pippin from his service. He then seeks to find Gandalf. The orcs have set fire to the city. Gandalf tells them to retreat to the second level. This is when the company from Rohan shows up. The orcs notice this and prepare to fight. King Theodon rallies the troops by giving an inspiring speech. The orcs fire and them while the men charge. I don’t know why the orcs just stood there the whole time. Maybe they went to the Power Rangers villain school of fighting others.
Pippin finds Gandalf and they seek to go to where Denathor is. Denathor seeks to kill himself as well. Pippin is able to save Faramir. Denathor sees that his son is alive and catches fire. He is able to run all the way from the room he was in while on fire all the way to the top of the building which he jumped off. Now the fighting continues down on the ground with the men from Rohan having made quite an advantage when more of the villains show up to fight includes lots of oliphants.
Back in the battlefield, Gandalf talks about how death is just the beginning of a new adventure. The witch king attacks Theodon which causes his horse to fall on top of him. Eowen fights against this person as she cuts off the head of the fellbeast. She battles with this nazgul in the meantime.
The ships arrive in the meantime and it is Aragorn who shows up with Legolas, Gimli, and the entire ghost army joining the fight. Merry assists Eowen. She is told that no man can kill him. She’s not a man and she stabs him in the face, taking him out. Legolas takes out an Oliphant and the people who were riding on it. Gimli is not that impressed by it. Theodon talks to Eowen some before he dies. The ghost army was able to win the battle at hand. Gimli wants to use them further, but Aragorn still decides to hold their oaths fulfilled and they all fade away. Pippin sees Merry in the battlefield.
We then return to where Frodo is, bound and held captive by the orcs. They fight over a shirt. Frodo notices that the ring is missing. This does lead to infighting among the orcs here. Sam is then seen there approaching where Frodo is at. He sees others already beaten. He fights against others. Sam arrives to save Frodo and untie him. This is when we learn that Sam has the ring. Indeed, in the book, he was known to have taken the ring and even used it while Sauron was distracted by the battle at Minis Terith. Sam seems reluctant to give the ring back, having possibly been ensnared by it in the short amount of time that he has had it. But Frodo takes it back.
Needing clothes for Frodo, both he and Sam wind up dressed like orcs to blend in. Gandalf admits that he cannot see Frodo. Gandalf thinks that Frodo could be sent to his death. Aragorn suggests that he and the others should go to the black gate to fight against Sauron as a distraction against what is going on. But he still wants to do this to obtain victory for Frodo. The orcs move to the black gates as do Aragorn and his company of fighters. Frodo and Sam move, having magically changed clothes at some point in time. The eye seeks to find Frodo and the ring before focusing back on the ensuing battle.
It seems like the heroes are getting surrounded by the orcs. Why would they willingly do that? And we also see Frodo and Sam continuing to make their way to Mount Doom. Sam carries Frodo since he can’t carry the ring for Frodo. Frodo sees a vision of darkness that Sam seeks to get rid of. The big group of heroes fights for Frodo. Gollum reappears and fights against Frodo and Sam. The ringwraths appear in the fight while the eagles finally return to the story. What is this? Eagle ex machina? Frodo is able to potentially destroy the ring, but resists the urge to do so. Instead, he puts the ring on. This alerts the eye and the ringwraths to what is going on.
Gollum comes out and takes out Sam some. He tussles with the invisible Frodo for the ring, biting off part of Frodo’s finger for it. Gollum winds up with the ring. Frodo fights for it back leading the two of them to go over the edge. Only Gollum and the ring fall into the fire with Frodo hanging off the cliff above the lava below. The ring takes a while to be destroyed, leaving the eye to fall and explode with the tower instantly crumbling beneath it. The nazgul die as the volcano erupts. Frodo and Sam quickly get out of the area, but seem like they might die before too long. Frodo talks about how the ring is gone. The orc army winds up defeated in the meantime through an earthquake like event as the ground winds up crumbling beneath them.
Gandalf is somehow able to get on an eagle as they rescue Frodo and Sam. The rest of the company is able to reunite. We then see a crowd of people gather for the crowning of Aragorn as king of Gondor. Gandalf is able to do this although I don’t know how he had this authority. Aragorn reunites with Arwen as they kiss. The four hobbits are told that they bow to no one. They return to Hobbiton.
Unlike the book, this Hobbiton doesn’t know anything about the fight that happened as the longer ending to the story isn’t in the movie. Indeed, we never find out what happens to Sarumon unless we watch the extended editions which I plan to cover later. Sam winds up marrying Rosie. Frodo writes the story about what happened to him and the others in a book. He adds it to what Bilbo wrote. Sam sees the book and says that there is room for more in the book. Frodo says that his wound from Weathertop never truly healed. There is one last journey for Bilbo. Bilbo even mentions the ring that he doesn’t know was destroyed, possibly being overcome with a type of dementia.
At the harbor, Biblo says that he is ready for another adventure as the elves seek to take him to the Undying Lands. Gandalf is with them, as is Galadriel and Elrond. The four hobbits are there as well to see them off. Frodo is revealed to be leaving the others behind. Frodo gives Sam the book, saying that the last pages are for him. The other hobbits tearfully say goodbye to Frodo. After they sail off to the Undying Lands, Sam returns to his family at the Shire. His part of the story will go on as he’s back. And that is how the story ends.
As stated before, this is my favorite of the Lord of the Rings films. In fact, if I were given 24 hours to live, I would watch this film again during that time. I love the ending. I may get sad at the end because the movie is over, but it doesn’t matter too much as I can and will just watch the movie again. Besides, some of us know that sad is happy for deep people.
This one has a lot changed from the book, although the biggest change is what was delayed from the second book to this one. Shelob, the giant spider, is the end of The Two Towers book from Frodo’s perspective with Sam’s story continuing on from there starting his half of the book. It does take place during this same time frame as stated in the book as the battle at Minis Territh was going on at the time that Sam was going after the captured Frodo. Gandalf’s and Pippin’s arrival at Minis Territh was also the start of The Return of the King book with other details seen in this movie having been delayed until later as well. But I think that Peter Jackson is right and it works better this way.
There is a reason that this film swept the Oscars. I do feel a bit bad for all of the films that competed against it as only the films that weren’t in the competition against this film won Oscars. I feel that this film more than deserves what all that it got and I encourage everyone to watch these films if they have not seen them already. I also hope that people like it who read the books as there still might be a bit of animosity between these purists and the changes that the movies made (although it did much better in some ways then The Hobbit did). But I love this film and recommend that everyone sees it at some point in their life. For now, this is Adam Decker, signing off.
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