Riburgundy

I think just about very praise that I had for the first movie carry’s over to this one with the biggest standouts for this movie being the bigger focus on action, the battle for helms deep, Gollum as a whole, Legolas’ snowboard down the stairs and Karl Urban (even if it’s only a small role). Peter Jackson was just really in his bag here and it shows from top to bottom and it’s just insane to think that he and the whole cast and crew keep this same energy for the finale.

Honestly, just about the best fantasy adventure that you can get from top to bottom. Beautiful, lush sceneries, large scale grand architecture, star studded cast who bring life to the larger (and smaller) than life characters who are still all grounded in their own sense of humanity and motivations, unbelievable practical and digital effects that have aged insanely well, pacing that makes a four hour epic feel like two, one of the best and most heartfelt friendships in all of cinema and one of the most iconic and memorable scores of all time. It’s also insanely impressive to add at least 30 extra minutes to an already amazing film and have the extra footage not feel shoehorned in. Crazy thing is, there’s two more of these that are just as good.

I can see why people thought this movie was real at the time. A pretty well made and acted film that pioneered the lost footage genre for horror that did so on a shoestring budget. Not the scariest but does have some pretty good psychological horror moments that shows the deterioration of our protagonists pretty well.

A little bit of It’s a Wonderful Life, a little bit of Freaky Friday, but overall a really good and hope filled comedy about the importance of human connection and empathy, the minimalistic beauty of being human, and the importance of not giving up even when it feels like nothing will ever get better. It’s also anchored by fun performances by all involved with the clear standout being Keanu Reeves in a role that feels like it was written with him in mind. The only real negatives is that the dialogue can be a little clunky at times and the message, while still delivered in dialogue that is realistic, satisfying and entertaining and even though I agree with it, can still feel a little heavy handed at times. Even with these small negatives in mind, this film still finds a way to be a really good time and worth a watch.