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Show D4 he Salt Lake Tnbune ENTERTAINMENT Wednesday, December 17, 2003 ‘Return ofthe King’ ends trilogy in unforgettable style Aragorn, the future king (Viggo Mortensen, left) and the wizard Gandalf (lan The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King By SEAN P. MEANS The Salt Lake Tribune There are two things not to like about “The Return of the King”: that Peter Jackson’s ren dition of J.RLR. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy has come to an end, andthat it will be a long time before we see a movie event as visually epic and emo tionally gripping as these three McKellen) Ak hk ponder fashion, at once epic and personal Rated PG-13 for 1 pic battle sequences and hens ning images; 20 minutes Opening today everywhere movies have been. In every other way, “The Re turn of the King” builds on the spectacle and drama of the first Walsh and Philippa Boyens) surefootedly balancesboth plots, two installments, and bringsit never all home with thrilling battles, terrifying monsters and quiet whelm the other. (hrough the effects and the bigness of the enterprise, indi vidual performances standout. Mortensen brings a soulfulness to Aragorn’s acceptance of his kingly destiny, Wood makes Frodo’s vulnerability quite touching, Noble adds a streak of moments with its characters so compelling it’s almost too much to bear. If, like millions around the world, you have stuck it out so far, the payoff is incredible After an opening flashback that chronicles Smeagol’s dis covery of the One Ring and his devolution into the hideous Gol lum, “The Return of the King” picks up where “The Two Tow ers” left off. The tormented Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), his loyal friend Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) and the duplicitous Gol lum (voice and computer animated movement by Andy Serkis) are trudging toward Mount Doom to destroy the Ring. The journey is perilous, as Gol lum has plans to recapture the Ring and Frodo, weakened by the Ring’s burden, continues to fall prey to its seductive power, Meanwhile, Prince Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), the elf Lego las (Orlando Bloom), and the other members of the Fellowship are finishing up business in Ro. han. Gandalf (lan McKellen) rides to Gondorto urge Denethor (John Noble), steward of Gondor and the father of Faramir (David Wenham) and theslain Boromir (Sean Bean), to mobilize before the evil Sauron’s armies attack the capital of Minas Tirith. But Denethor nurses his grudges, against Rohan’s King Theoden (Bernard Hill) for a perceived usurpation of power and, dev astatingly, against Faramir for allowing venality and one to over arrogance as Denethor, and Serkis’ voice and mannerisms make the computer-generated Gollum dis turbinglyalive. But if there is an unexpected MVP, it’s Astin, who gives Sam a tearful humanity (or Hobbit-ity, if you prefer) and a grim determination to soldier on THERE IS NO FINER GIFT Frodo(Elijah Wood, left) and Samwise Gamgee (SeanAstin) battle their way to Mordor to throw the Ring into the fires of Mount Doom. ‘The Grand America has a gift certificate for everyone on your list; spa services, men’s and women’s fashions, at all costs Jackson mines the unique gifts, romantic weekends, afternoontea, and deep fine dining. Order your gift certificate at 258-6542. themes of ‘lolkien’s masterwork and finds them applicable to modern times: the reticence against going to war, the resolve to fight evil when necessary, the nobility required to achieve vic tory in spite of humanpettiness, anda bittersweet understanding of how war changes those who wage it. “How do you pick up the threads of an old life. ... when you know in your heart there’s no going back?” asks someone during the poignant and deserv edly lengthy ending, a curtain call in which everyone gets to say farewell. It’s a fair question for the makers and viewers of “The Return of the King”: After such a movie feast, it will be a long time before the usual morsels will seem as satisfying. 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