The Goonies

Year: 1985
Running time: 114 minutes
Certificate: 12
Language: English
Screenplay: Chris Columbus
Director: Richard Donner
Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Jonathan Ke Quan, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, Robert Davi, Joe Pantoliano, Anne Ramsey, John Matuszak

Mouth still hadn't realised the map was upside down.

There are many films that you remember fondly from your childhood, but a good percentage of them aren’t so wonderful when you revisit them in later life. Fortunately, The Goonies is one film definitely not in that camp. It's great fun right from the off, with intro music that catches the mood of the period exactly (somehow the film feels stranded in its 80s time period and yet is still timeless) sound-tracking great introductions to our main characters.

A group of kids are soon to be evicted from their homes by evil developers and only a big pile of money coming from nowhere will save them. After finding an old treasure map, they decide to go on an adventure in the very best Spielberg tradition, but the criminal Fratelli family - Mama (Anne Ramsey), Jake (Robert Davi) and Francis (Joe Pantoliano) - are giving chase.

The scenes of the central cast together are buzzing with a natural comedic energy that only kids having fun have, going off at bizarre tangents, but the plot still races along like it’s on rails. Every one of the characters, with the unfortunate exception of the girls Andy (Kerri Green) and Stef (Martha Plimpton), who are there mostly to scream and kiss, is a gem, but in particular it is Mouth (Corey Feldman) and Chunk (Jeff Cohen) who stand out as the comedy highlights – witness the ‘translation’ of simple house-keeping instructions into Spanish (not real Spanish, but, hey, it's a kids comedy/adventure/fantasy movie, accuracy be damned!) and a well-timed Marx Brothers-esque line by Mouth and the time when Chunk is locked in the freezer with a corpse, or he tells the Fratellis everything, culminating in a genius confession of a time when young Chunk had fun with some fake vomit. These were talented youngsters to have such outstanding comic timing and delivery.

One-Eyed Willie was proving a poor choice of dinner guest.

The central character of Mikey, played by a young Sean 'Samwise Gamgee’ Astin is a little less convincing, but still good enough. The more sombre moments don’t come across as well as the comedy, with the exception of Corey Feldman’s Mouth, who is surprisingly effective when he turns off the laughs and reveals the disillusioned kid underneath who’s bitter about losing his home and effectively his childhood before he was ready.

On top of everything, the character of Sloth (John Matuszak) is simply a masterstroke – what kid could fail to love this neglected, ice-cream and chocolate-loving giant? The gang finally make their way to the X on the map, realised by an impressively large set filled with water and a huge pirate ship captained by the skeleton of One-Eyed Willie himself, where the showdown with the Fratellis takes place (complete with another great physical gag from Feldman who, thanks to some clever cutting, appears to have a mouth that can hold enormous quantities of treasure).

Huge fun and a childhood classic (depending on your age, obviously) that has never lost its touch.

Score: 8/10

As you might expect, the strong streak of nostalgia mixed with the quality of the mood and cast chemistry makes The Goonies well loved out there - see these reviews by the Massie Twins and Josh at Blog Critics.

Almost Famous

Year: 2000
Running time: 122 minutes
Certificate: 15
Language: English
Screenplay: Cameron Crowe
Director: Cameron Crowe
Starring: Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Jason Lee, Frances McDormand, Zooey Deschanel, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, John Fedevich, Mark Kozelek, Noah Taylor, Jimmy Fallon, Anna Paquin, Fairuza Balk, Liz Stauber

Penny Lane: Queen band-aid.

Almost Famous is, 12 years on, still Cameron Crowe's high watermark. Borrowing from the time he blagged a job as a rock journalist for Rolling Stone magazine, it is a loving tribute to lost youth and discovering rock 'n' roll. Stuffed full of beautiful moments that highlight Crowe's contagious love of music, the 15 year-old William Miller (Patrick Fugit) is introduced to life-enhancing rock 'n' roll music by his rebellious sister Anita (Zooey Deschanel who, as always, makes you fervently wish she was never off the screen) before she leaves home to be an airline stewardess. Their mother Elaine (Frances McDormand, also every bit as consistently wonderful as you'd expect) has previously banned rock music from the house based on the assumption that all the musicians are on drugs. Derailed from his prior ambition, William finds himself on tour with the fictional band Stillwater.

While trying to get interviews with the band he has an experience of a lifetime; including falling in love with the irresistible Penny Lane (Kate Hudson, who has never topped this role and thanks to a descent into a McConaughey rom-com nightmare from which she may never escape, probably never will) and losing his virginity to three girls at once. There are comedy moments approaching Spinal Tap-levels of hilarity, such as Stillwater's lead guitar player Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup) turning up with William at a house party, getting wired on LSD and screaming “I am a golden god!” from the rooftop before jumping into the swimming pool and the argument about a T-shirt that preceded it, including the great line from lead singer Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee): “Your looks have become a problem!” Both of these moments are topped by the great confession scene when, assuming they're all about to die in a plane crash, they all start to come clean about what (or who) they've done. At other times it can be genuinely touching, such as the time the band make up after falling out simply by singing along to Tiny Dancer.

Stillwater take to the skies with their new manager.

It’s made with such love that to watch it is to feel like you’re in a comfortable bubble of nostalgic childhood memories of one unforgettable experience – never mind that the experience was neither yours nor mine. The final scenes are beautifully poignant - deflated, without his interview, Anita spies William sitting dejectedly in an airport lounge and takes him home, fitting, as it was Anita who indirectly sent William on this journey in the beginning. The point of the film is summed up when William finally gets his interview with Russell: "So Russell...what do you love about music?" "To begin with, everything."

That is what the film is about. It's all about the music. Everything else is unimportant. It's a simple point, but the film spends two hours making it in the most joyous way possible.

Score: 9/10

This review by Roger Ebert is illustrative of how well-loved Almost Famous is, and it wouldn't be right not to read the review by Peter at Rolling Stone, would it?

Young Guns

Year: 1988 (Young Guns), 1990 (Young Guns II)
Running time: 107 minutes (Young Guns), 104 minutes (Young Guns II)
Certificate: 18 (Young Guns), 12 (Young Guns II)
Language: English
Screenplay: John Fusco
Director: Christopher Cain (Young Guns), Geoff Murphy (Young Guns II)
Starring: Emilio Estevez, Keifer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Charlie Sheen, Dermot Mulroney, Casey Siemaszko, Terence Stamp, Jack Palance, Alice Carter, Christian Slater, William Petersen, Alan Ruck, R.D. Call, James Coburn, Balthazar Getty, Viggo Mortensen, Leon Rippy

Billy the Kid: liked to shoot stuff.

The Brat Pack stir many nostalgic memories for me, because I saw those films at just the right time to influence my youth – Sixteen Candles ignited a sense of romance, The Breakfast Club made me realise that there's no shame in being different and to never let anyone fix a label to me and Ferris Bueller's Day Off just made me laugh a lot. However, save Flatliners and The Lost Boys, it was these two movies that stayed with me the longest from that era.

They were just so cool. Having that Brat Pack sensibility applied to the western, America's most classic and self-identifying genre was a beautiful touch, and made for a hugely enjoyable couple of films. Each character is played with such relish, the cast are obviously having the time of their lives, riding horses and shooting guns. Pretty much everything about these films rested on Emilio Estevez as Billy the Kid, and he gives the part such a manic energy, you begin to doubt his sanity.

The Regulators, regulating.

William H. Bonney is a no good scrote who gets taken in by John Tunstall (Terence Stamp) and begins to form a more useful existence as one of Tunstall's 'regulators'; other young men taken in and mentored by Tunstall. That is, until Tunstall is gunned down by rival cattle ranchers. The six young men he had taken in are made sheriffs and given the task of bringing the killers to justice. But Billy is a loose wire and kills them instead, forcing them to turn outlaw.

Revisiting the films recently, I could see the 80s sensibility as clear as day, and in no way could they ever hope to compare to the magnificence of the classic John Ford westerns, but, then again, that isn't was it was ever trying to do, and they are as much fun as they ever were. The drug-trance scene from Young Guns remains one of the funniest scenes I think I've ever seen ("Did you guys see the size of that chicken?"). Both films are peppered with cheesy but memorable and ever-quotable dialogue – “Hello Bob! (Shoots Bob) Goodbye Bob!”

"Yoohoo! I'll make you famous!"

The sequel is given an extra depth and a sense of melancholy, as Billy begins to feel remorse for some of the people he kills, and it soon becomes clear that the title Young Guns II: Blaze of Glory is more than just a meaningless phrase (particularly for Keifer Sutherland's Doc, who genuinely does go out in a blaze of glory after trying so hard to get away).

Not exactly high art, but still cracking good fun.

Score:
Young Guns: 7/10
Young Guns II: Blaze of Glory: 7/10

It seems I may be viewing these movies through rose-tinted nostalgia specs, judging by this review of Young Guns by Alex at The Guardian and this one of the sequel by Andrew at The Stop Button, not to mention Empire's thoughts on them: Young Guns & Young Guns II.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

Year: 1992
Running time: 85 minutes
Certificate: U
Language: English
Screenplay: Jerry Juhl
Director: Brian Henson
Starring: Michael Caine, Steven Mackintosh, Meredith Braun, Raymond Coulthard, (voices) Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson

"Marley & Marley".

I was never really a big fan of The Muppets when I was a kid; I always found it kind of boring. When I got a little older I started to have an appreciation for the characters, the cameos and the comedy, which mixed broad strokes of madcap zany slapstick for kids, but retained a tongue-in-cheek knowing wink, helping to make it accessible for all. However mixed my feelings for the show in general, I will always love this film.

Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in 1843, and it is a testament to its brilliance that even now it remains a staple of the traditional Christmas period. It taps into that feeling that is particular to this time of year, that of goodwill and kindness stepping to the forefront. No matter how despicable Scrooge is in the beginning, he is a character to root for - you really want him to come to the realisation that acting like Donald Trump is really no way to live your life. The message, that one should take this feeling and keep it the year round is a powerful one that too many people ignore.

Gonzo as Dickens as narrator.

There is a huge number of adaptations of A Christmas Carol, so in order to standout from the crowd, new twists must be employed (like Scrooged, which successfully transplanted the story into a contemporary setting, turned it into a comedy and had the stroke of genius that was casting Bill Murray as Scrooge). The Muppet Christmas Carol certainly does that - while there have been musical versions and comedy versions before, using the Muppets to make a musical comedy version is one of those perfect ideas that is so obvious with hindsight, it is amazing it wasn't thought of before 1992. It has some outstanding casting ideas - Gonzo was, apparently, born to play Dickens, brilliantly funny writing (“Light the lamp, not the rat, light the lamp, not the rat!”), good musical numbers, in particular the song sung by the ghost of Christmas present (voiced by Jerry Nelson), which reiterates the lesson to keep the way you feel at Christmas throughout the year in the line "It's true wherever you find love it feels like Christmas".

The masterstroke is the casting of Michael Caine to fill the slippers of the famous old grouch - despite being in a musical comedy version aimed mostly at children, Caine's Scrooge is one of the most affecting - he does a fine job of bringing out the heart of Dickens' story, despite acting mostly opposite felt.

The best muppet movie and up there with the best versions of A Christmas Carol.

Score: 8/10

As you might expect, those who don't fall for this heart-warming adaptation are few and far between, as shown by these reviews by Matt at The Movie Buff and Groucho Reviews.

Spirited Away

Year: 2001
Running time: 125 minutes
Certificate: PG
Language: Japanese
Screenplay: Hayao Miyazaki
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Starring (voices): Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Bunta Sugawara, Yumi Tamai, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Takashi Naitô

Yubaba tries to dissuade Chihiro from working for her.

There are so many fantastic coming-of-age stories that it is difficult to see how the well-worn trope could be utilised again with any originality. Enter animation legend Hayao Miyazaki. Ten-year-old girl Chihiro (voiced by Rumi Hiiragi in the original Japanese language version, which is how I like to watch foreign language films, and by Daveigh Chase in the English language dub, if subtitles aren't your thing) is moving to a new house and a new school. Forced to leave her friends behind, we first see her as a petulant little girl. This doesn't make her unlikable, however, it makes her believable - uproot a ten-year-old and move them from everything they've ever known and see how they take it.

When a wrong turn leads her and her parents to an abandoned theme park, things begin to get a little creepy.  There is no one around, but there is a stall with masses of delicious food. Mom (Yasuko Sawaguchi) and dad (Takashi Naitô) dig in with gusto, but Chihiro is freaked out and goes to look around. As she is away, night begins to fall and she is warned to leave by a stranger called Haku (Miyu Irino). As she heads back to her parents, lights come on and mysterious spectres begin to materialise everywhere. Finding her parents have been turned into pigs, she is stranded in the strangest world imaginable with no way home, which is scary even if you’re not a child. Things haven’t even begun to get weird yet. Advised to work to survive, she begs for a job from the sinister sorceress Yubaba (Mari Natsuki), who runs a bathhouse where six million gods come to rest every night.

The imagination that has gone into this film is astounding. Every frame is a work of art (I’m serious – pause it anywhere and literally bask in the quality), hand drawn and then enhanced by computer; it has got to be one of the most beautiful films ever created. The mixing of the mundane and the fantastical is seamless and incredibly effective - the steam powered basement where living soot supplies the fire with coal, or the bathhouse floor where legions of staff, including Chihiro, now called Sen since Yubaba took her name, work to scrub baths and floors between visits by the many and varied gods. One stand-out set-piece involves a visit from a river god who is so clogged with muck, rubbish and pollution he is mistaken for some kind of stink spirit.

Chihiro relaxes during a rare moment of peace.

With so much strangeness and action going on, it comes as a surprise that the most emotionally affecting scene in the film is a simple train journey. It is the moment that Chihiro has passed through the worst of it, has begun to take responsibility for her actions, and is no longer scared of being alone or of the monsters this world contains, but is only afraid for her new friend, Haku, who can no longer remember the name Yubaba took from him. The uneventful scene, mostly involving Chihiro simply sitting there, pinpoints the precise moment the girl bids goodbye to her childhood and is so bittersweet it provokes a reaction strong enough to be almost painful. He who can evoke this feeling from simply animating cartoons is a genius like no other.

Not only one of the best animated films I’ve ever seen, but one of the best films ever made, animated or not.

Score: 9/10

Spirited Away is universally adored, as it should be - see these reviews by Chris at Silent Volume and Bill.

The Wedding Singer

Year: 1998
Running time: 95 minutes
Certificate: 12
Language: English
Screenplay: Tim Herlihy
Director: Frank Coraci
Starring: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Christine Taylor, Allen Covert, Matthew Glave, Angela Featherstone

Robbie Hart, crooning for newlyweds.

Most Adam Sandler movies are the cinematic equivalent of root canal surgery – painful to experience, with nothing funny about them – for example, I Now Pronounce you Chuck and Larry (look everyone, isn’t homophobia funny!). Generally, with the exception of the decent Funny People, the further back you go, the less dreadful it is - Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison prove to be just about watchable. Having established that every now and again, even this monkey hits pay-dirt, this '80s homage is, along with The Waterboy, easily his best, and The Wedding Singer was the movie that made Sandler a household name in this country (something I’m sure most of us have now come to regret).

Enough Sandler-bashing (for now), back to The Wedding Singer. Sandler’s Robbie Hart is a wedding singer who suffers the indignity of being stranded at the altar when his bride-to-be Linda (Angela Featherstone) decides he’s not cool enough anymore. He meets Julia (Drew Barrymore), a girl who’s engaged to Glenn (Matthew Glave), a guy she’s too good for, yada yada yada, they end up together (I know that’s a bit of a spoiler, but I mean, come on, of course they were going to end up together).

Drew Barrymore: impossible not to love.

Sandler is genuinely likable, and Barrymore is as effortlessly sweet as she was in E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, and the two of them are helped out by a decent supporting cast, including the eminently unlikable Glave, nailing that '80s moral vacuum yuppie stereotype to great effect. The movie has an absolute heart of gold, and there are countless comedy moments that make up a really great whole – favourites being Robbie playing his Cure-influenced break-up song to Julia, Steve Buscemi (obviously), the rendition of Love Stinks and Sandler employing his angry-guy shtick before it got old at a newlyweds’ reception ("I have a microphone and you don't SO YOU WILL LISTEN TO EVERY DAMN WORD I HAVE TO SAY!") and, best of all, Billy Idol saving the day!

Funny, romantic, with a great soundtrack.

Score: 7/10

The Ace Black Blog is in broad agreement, but Vince at Qwipster is not a fan.

The Lord of the Rings

Year: 2001 (Fellowship of the Ring), 2002 (Two Towers), 2003 (Return of the King)
Running time: 208 minutes (Fellowship of the Ring), 223 minutes (Two Towers), 251 minutes (Return of the King)
Certificate: PG (Fellowship of the Ring), 12 (Two Towers, Return of the King)
Language: English
Screenplay: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson (Fellowship of the Ring, Two Towers, Return of the King), Stephen Sinclair (Two Towers)
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Sean Bean, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Marton Csokas, Lawrence Makoare, Craig Parker, Sarah McLeod, Bernard Hill, Miranda Otto, Karl Urban, David Wenham, Brad Dourif, Bruce Hopkins, John Noble, Bruce Spence

Gandalf: Frankly, fucking kick-ass.

A quick note before we go on. As mentioned here, these things are nothing but some bloke wittering on about one of his favourite subjects: film. Just because these films are, probably, my favourites, it doesn't mean they are the best-made pieces of cinema ever. It just means I like them a lot.

When the news first broke that Peter Jackson of cheap splatter-movie fame was going to undertake the filming of this complicated but much-loved story, I don’t imagine anyone dared hope that the result would be quite this phenomenal. The fears that too much of the essence of the story would be lost in the transfer turned out to be unjustified (and the people that still complain about the absence of Tom Bombadil, the lack of The Scouring of the Shire and Frodo’s relative youth are missing the point entirely), as although changes have been made, and details have been lost, this film is undoubtedly imbued with the spirit of J.R.R.’s classic story. One of the main reasons for this is the extraordinary lengths the filmmakers went to in creating the detail of the world behind the main story (just like Tolkien himself did with The Silmarillion and other books on the history of Middle Earth, all unreleased notes until son Christopher brought them to light after his death). Most of the detail passes unnoticed until it’s pointed out to you (which, thanks to the most comprehensive collection of extra features imaginable you are able to explore in forensic detail), but it all helps to create an overall effect of history and depth.

Pursuing ringwraiths.

Jackson works hard to keep you wrapped up in the world and invested in the story and characters, and barely a moment goes by when he doesn't succeed. He doesn't do it all by himself however; credit must go to the cast for creating characters from the page that must have already been so firmly set in other people’s minds. It’s true that not every character is exactly as I imagined before the film, but it could never have been as everyone imagines these things differently, and every cast member does a nigh on perfect job. Every set, every scene, every moment is gloriously filmed, taking every opportunity to show off the spectacular New Zealand landscape, all put to music that compliments the tone of the story perfectly. The fact that this was compared to Harry Potter is beyond ridiculous and unfair on the boy wizard, as very little comes close to this in terms of scale and execution.

Sauron, being evil, hatched a long-running scheme to destroy or dominate all life on Middle Earth by fashioning magic rings which would allow him to inflict his will upon the leaders of the free folk - men, elves and dwarves. He then manages to go and lose his master ring - the one to bind and rule the others. Well, when I say lose, it is more like he gets his hand chopped off. Still, that's what you get for being an evil overlord wannabe. The ring finds its way to a little fellow (or hobbit, if you prefer) called Sméagol (Andy Serkis), who promptly falls under its spell and murders for it, steals it, and lives for half a century in a dank dark cave fawning over his 'precious'. Following some random chance and some Riddles in the Dark (see The Hobbit),Sméagol, now known as Gollum, due to the odd damp coughing noise he makes, loses the ring to a much nicer hobbit by the name of Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm), who takes it back to his cosy rural home Bag End in the Shire. And that's kind of where we come in at the opening of Fellowship. As noted above, Tolkien invented a staggering amount of detail - thousands of years of history, countless other characters, places, peoples, languages that are not even a minor part of either the book or the film, but the makers know it is there and it gives the book and film a sense of weight unmatched in fiction.

Hero pose #16.

In an attempt to banish the newly powerful Sauron, a company of nine - the eponymous fellowship - take on a quest to destroy the ring in the only place it can be - Mount Doom, the volcano in Sauron's back yard where it was originally forged. Bilbo's favourite nephew Frodo (Elijah Wood) is given responsibility for the ring, and is joined by friends Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin), Peregrine 'Pippin' Took (Billy Boyd) and Meriadoc 'Merry' Brandybuck (Dominic Monaghan). Also along for the ride are the dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), Legolas the elf (Orlando Bloom), humans Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) and Boromir (Sean Bean) and the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen).

The whole thing comes together beautifully; writing, acting, cinematography, soundtrack, art direction and visual effects (including the use of digital colour grading which helps to give each frame a unique look, be it vibrant green for Hobbiton grass or otherworldly silver for Lothlorien). As wonderful as Fellowship is, it is largely a road movie, so the challenge for Jackson and the others would be to successfully up their game for the larger scale Two Towers and Return of the King.

Gandalf brings victory with the sunrise at Helm's Deep.

What’s one of the highlights of a classic Bond movie? It’s the insane action sequence at the start, right? Well, The Two Towers’ opening scene of Gandalf following the Balrog of Morgoth into the depths of Moria manages to trump every single one of 007’s openers with ease, and is the perfect way to get yourself re-acclimatised with Middle Earth for the second and middle part of Peter Jackson's stonking trilogy. The second part of your standard trilogy is usually the weak link (apart from the noticeable exception of The Godfather Part 2), and this is due to the story being dragged out to fill the hole left in the middle of the plot. The first part usually sets up the story and characters, and the finale has the climactic moments and the sense of completion, leaving the middle part to simply bridge the gap. Well, The Lord of the Rings has no weak links. Instead of serving as simply a link, The Two Towers expands the scope of the story dramatically, introducing us to new major characters and countries without losing any of the tone of the first, much like The Empire Strikes Back, only, much better. Obviously a big part of this is down to the filmmakers working on all three films at once, allowing them to keep the feel of the story intact - a gamble that has paid off in spades.

The most notable part of the second piece is the battle at Helm’s Deep, in which a few straggles of men and elves take on the might of Saruman’s (Christopher Lee) Uruk-Hai army. Taking a cue from Zulu, and serving as the final third of the film, it really has to be seen to be believed; in particular, the sight of 2000 horses galloping full throttle down a mountainside will leave you a gibbering puddle of awe and wonder.

The music deserves a special mention; Howard Shore has created some wonderful themes, especially the lovely Rohan theme and the accompaniment to the last march of the Ents. But more than this, there are little snippets here and there that come in at just the right moment and are never heard again, three examples being the moment from Fellowship when Frodo first sets out from Rivendell, then in Two Towers when Gandalf and the others are riding to Rohan on Shadowfax and also when Aragorn is making his way towards Helm’s Deep; these small moments of music take the breath away and can bring tears to the eyes.

Oliphants at war.

The third and final slice of Jackson’s Middle Earth epic somehow manages to outdo even the two that have gone before, although how this is possible is difficult to fathom. This film goes so far beyond original expectations it’s mind-boggling. It should be noted that these are reviews of the extended cuts of the films available on DVD as opposed to the versions originally seen at cinemas, as these are more definitive cuts of the films (although the Blu Ray extended editions, which I do not yet own, are seemingly longer still). It is particularly important in the third piece, because it includes the demise of Saruman, a moment which was strangely absent from the cinematic release. With this scene reinstated, we quickly move on to the most astonishing set of the entire trilogy, and the unveiling of the seven-tiered mountain-high Minas Tirith; following Gandalf as he gallops to the top accompanied by the triumphant Gondor theme is an incredible vertigo-inducing moment that increases the huge scope of the story even further. The film continues to one up itself in this fashion throughout. Gandalf's arrival at Minas Tirith is followed by the explosive unveiling of Sauron's army marching out of the sickly corpse-light green gates of Minas Morgul right past the terrified Frodo. Next comes the sequence of the lighting of the beacons, where Minas Tirith calls for help from Rohan (much against the will of steward Denethor (John Noble)), in which fires are lit across a mountain range, Jackson's camera glorying in its eagle-eyed view of yet more incredible natural New Zealand scenery. Pippin's frightened singing soundtracking Faramir's (David Wehnam) heart-breaking charge to almost certain death, King Theoden (Bernard Hill) making a stirring call to arms before the charge of the Rohirrim, and on and on until the viewer is left dazed and in a perpetual state of unbelieving amazement. That this was done by a home-grown Kiwi director and his home-grown Kiwi production company must have ILM and Hollywood green with envy.

Despite the title referring to Aragorn, the real star of the third part of the trilogy is undoubtedly Sam, played to perfection by the under-rated Sean Astin, managing to carry Frodo the last few feet on his back after the ring bearer loses all strength. Elijah Wood also does a magnificent job and when at the very end of his quest, Frodo loses his fight and claims the ring for himself, your heart is left broken and you can hardly bear to watch as Frodo’s mouth turns into a twisted smile and his unblinking eyes reveal nothing of the innocent and joyful hobbit you remember from the opening of Fellowship 11+ hours ago. Thankfully, Frodo is saved from himself by the unsung hero of the piece, Gollum.

Frodo is finally broken.

Gollum is such an incredible feat of acting / animating that it is not possible to over-estimate the impact it has on the success of the story. Jar-Jar Binks he ain’t. You feel so much pity for the unfortunate Sméagol that you cannot bring yourself to hate him even after he betrays the characters you love. Andy Serkis and Weta Digital have genuinely worked technological miracles, paving the way for the almost photo-real CGI in Avatar.

The bittersweet ending (which is not too long for me, despite the numerous criticisms it received) may be hard for some to bear, but the fact is Frodo was never going to recover, and to pretend otherwise would have been an injustice to the noble hobbit, and the anti-climactic way in which Sam utters the final words is perfectly in keeping with the story. Quite simply, The Lord of the Rings trilogy is among the most astonishing achievements in the history of film and is the film I would always choose to watch before all others.

Score:
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: 10/10
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers: 10/10
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: 10/10

Empire magazine is also a big fan of this franchise, judging by these reviews by Colin, Caroline and Alan, as is Ram. Roger Ebert's take on the trilogy is a little less overwhelmed: Fellowship, Two Towers, Return of the King.