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Hello Cinephiles,
Today we’re talking about the 2001-2003 films Lord of the Rings Extended Trilogy.
*Disclaimer* I have watched these films as a marathon every year since 2007. They’re basically part of my holiday ritual and I’m completely not objective.
Story
The story is an interpretation of one of the greatest influences on modern Western fantasy. It’s hard to judge the story critically when it is so foundational.
That being said, I think there’s some seriously problematic connotations about people of colour and women.
Score: 0.5
Characters
The movies are filled with fantastic characters. As much as I hate Frodo and the archetypal everyman character, the movies made each character unique and memorable.
Score: 1
Dialogue
Infinitely quotable to the nerds among us. The movie doesn’t deviate too much from the wonderful dialogue of the books and when it does, improves it.
Score: 1
Visuals and Music
For a nearly 20 year old movie the visuals hold up spectacularly (we watched the 4K version and it was worth it.) New Zealand is gorgeous, the practical effects hold up better than some more recent movies, and the CGI looks pretty good. There are some lighting issues and world interaction issues with the CGI.
The music… holy shit the music. The layering and themes… gah, it’s so beautiful.
Score: 1
Fun
The 12 hours were a little hard on the kids, but the adults were as enthralled as ever. I’m constantly amazed at how the movie keeps people’s attention and sparks conversation.
Score: 1
Overall
These movies are a staple of our holiday season; I’ve probably seen them two dozen times since they released and I still find new things every year. Upgrading to the 4K was more than worth it for the colour and sound correction that was done.
They are some of my favourite movies and I admit that I am nowhere near objective.
Final Score: 4.5 Stars out of 5