The recent technological advances in film effects have consistently allowed the fantasy film genre to emerge into an epic status once reserved for the occasional live-action war movie. "The Return of the King," the crown jewel of director Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy is one such movie. It is beautifully shot, acted and directed. But the real star of this movie is the animation from New Zealand-based effects house WETA Digital. To say "Return of the King's" animation is the best ever is understated and trite. For those of you who thought there would be a few stand-out pieces of animation wizardry, you were wrong. the film in its entirety is a landmark in special effects animation.
When I went to see "Return of the King" I heard occassional sniffles from the audience, but my own tears were reserved for the stunning artistry created by the film's animators. Here are some highlights:
Gollum: The digital representation of Gollum is enough to make even the novice animation viewer's mouth drop open. His character evolves even further is this film and his evil tendencies are revealed through heightened facial expressions and eye gestures. The photorealism accomplished by the creators of Andy Serkis' alter ego is truly astonishing. Along with the actor's effective capture of the creature's insanity, this digital creation leaves the audience with little doubt that Gollum truly exists.
Shelob: We thought we had seen it all with Gollum, then along came a spider. The realistic rendering of Sam and Frodo's would-be assassin leaves lingering questions about an undiscovered species of spiders. If you are even mildly arachnophobic, beware: Shelob's stalking of Frodo makes for the best white-knuckle scene in the film.
The Mumakil: Just as our heroes start smelling the sweet aroma of success, Middle Earth's version of elephants begin to charge Pelennor Fields. The sequences involving the Mumakil are freakishly photorealistic. Possibly the biggest digital feat of the film comes in the sequence where Legolas single-handedly takes down a warrior-filled Mumakil. The interaction of the digital Mumakil and digital Legolas is virtually flawless and does not exhibit any of the unrealistic "float" in movements seen in digital effects even a year ago.
Eagles: These huge digital birds boast some of the most realistic textures in the entire film. They emanate goodness through their soft appearance and graceful movement, which is exactly the kind of angelic rescuer Sam and Frodo deserve.
The Army of the Dead: The Army of the Dead swarm like locusts over the city, dolling out the big hurt faster than any orc can blink. Their green aura successfully acts as a visual reminder of The Army's supernatural origins, and its willingness to fight is a testament to the power wielded by the new king.
Pelennor Fields: The best evidence of the effectiveness of this battle scene is its ability to inspire empathy. Despite its lack of "Saving Private Ryan" graphic violence, the shear enormity of the realistic digital armies interlaced with close-up sequences of the war's slaughter causes a mixture of anticipation, anger and fear.
The technical brilliance mentioned above is a sampling of an estimated two hours of special effects. "The Return of the King" remains constant in its valuable physical storytelling and visual magnificence. WETA's innovation has resulted in the best effects effort to date and it establishes "The Lord of The Rings" as the one trilogy that will rule them all.
