As the semester winds down, many are frantically trying to salvage grades, while others are looking forward to returning home for the holidays. However, there is another event that has captured the imagination and interest of many at AU: the final chapter in what may be one of the biggest events in film history: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."
When "The Fellowship of the Ring," the first film in the trilogy, based on three novels by J.R.R. Tolkien, debuted in 2001, the reaction was almost unanimously positive. The reason behind this was the vision of director Peter Jackson (who has helmed such previous cult-classics like "Dead Alive" and "Meet the Feebles") and his New Zealand crew.
Their attention to detail and respect for Tolkien fans, as seen in documentaries on both the "Fellowship" and "Two Towers" extended DVDs, have raised the bar in fantasy filmmaking and left George Lucas in the space dust.
These films haven't only been acclaimed by obsessed fans. They have been an extremely lucrative franchise. The first two films brought in more than $300 million each, according to the Internet Movie Database. These films have been breaking records and winning awards: Both were nominated for Best Picture Academy Awards, "Fellowship" won Oscars for Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Makeup, and Best Visual Effects, and "Two Towers" won Oscars for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound Editing. So the final installment has a lot to live up to.
Ending a film series, or sometimes even continuing it into sequel territory, is risky business. Take a look at "The Matrix" sequels - despite the two films' financial success, some feel that the series was botched.
"'Return of the King' should be really good because it's the third part of one long movie," said sophomore Frankie Martin. "The first two were fantastic. I can't see the third being less than that. It will be better than 'The Matrix: Reloaded' and 'Revolutions,' which were filmed a couple of years after the original, and lost all sense of what made that movie so captivating in the first place."
The question is, with "Return of the King," can Jackson and his crew deliver the same quality of filmmaking, and live up to the hype created by the first two highly successful films, or will "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy leave audiences unsatisfied? The only way to find out is to see the film when it debuts Dec. 17, and if that seems like an eternity, the Loews Cineplex Uptown in Cleveland Park will be screening the extended editions of the first two films: "Fellowship" starts Dec. 4 and "The Two Towers" begins Dec. 12, according to MovieFone.com.
But they may not be enough to keep fans satisfied.
"I'm getting tired of watching the first two movies on my TV," said freshman Laura Matteo. "I am looking forward to seeing them again on the big screen. I can't wait to see Legolas, he rocks my world."
The Uptown Theater will also hold a "Trilogy Tuesday" marathon screening of all three films, including the brand new "Return of the King" on Dec. 16. However, it is currently sold out, according to Fandango.com.
"The 'Trilogy Tuesday' screening wasn't advertised enough," said freshman Chris Marquart. "If I had known about it before it sold out, I would've tried to get tickets."
In the coming weeks the hype for "The Return of the King" will saturate entertainment news - whether it is met with rejoice or rejection, there will be plenty to discuss after the credits roll. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" will play at Loews Cineplex Uptown and United Artist Bethesda 10 starting Dec. 17, according to Fandango.com.
Check back for The Eagle's review of the film before it's released Dec. 17.
