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How ‘The Return of the King’ Extended Edition Created One of the Best Character Arcs

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How ‘The Return of the King’ Extended Edition Created One of the Best Character Arcs

One of the greatest strengths of The Return of the King is that, despite its epic scope and massive runtime focusing on the great battle for the fate of Middle-earth, it is somehow also able to emphasize the small and intimate personal moments that make the plot and characters the most compelling, as the story of The Lord of the Rings comes to its close. The dedication of Frodo and Sam is tested in different ways but to the limits of both characters. Aragorn finally takes up his destiny as the King of Gondor and shoulders all of the responsibility that comes with it. Merry and Pippin are separated for the first time in the story, and both have to develop without the support of the other. In many ways, the characters of the Fellowship are more separated and isolated than ever before, and it is because of this that each player in the story has more distinct character development than at any point before.

What can be lost in this impressive juggling act of characters and storylines, however, is one of the most dramatic story arcs in the entire movie: the internal struggle of King Théoden. Part of the reason that it is easy to overlook is due to the focus of the story. While The Two Towers focuses heavily on Rohan, Théoden, and the Battle of Helm’s Deep, The Return of the King shifts the drama from Rohan and Théoden to Gondor and the Steward Denethor. Théoden’s role consequently shifts, and his purpose in the story is more as an aid and support in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields than anything else.

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The other major reason that it is easier to overlook Théoden’s dramatic storyline in The Return of the King is that the theatrical cut of the film eliminates one of the most important scenes that sets up Théoden’s struggle in the first place. The outline of his drama is present in the theatrical cut but only becomes fully understandable with the scenes included in the Extended Edition. The scene in question is the conversation with Saruman at the very beginning of The Return of the King, and it provides a context that shapes almost all of Théoden’s subsequent actions in the story.


RELATED: ‘Lord of the Rings’ Cast: Where Are They Now 20 Years After ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’

In the scene in question, Gandalf, Théoden, and others come to question the defeated Saruman, who has holed up in his fortress but addresses them from the top of his tower. While this scene has significant outcomes for the rest of the story and ends with the death of Saruman, when the wizard addresses Théoden, he ends by insulting the king, calling him a “lesser son of greater sires” and implies that Rohan has fallen into ruin under his rulership while denying that Théoden had any responsibility for the victory at Helm’s Deep. This is a comment that clearly cuts Théoden deeply, and one that he dwells upon for the rest of the film. It is evident in his next scene with Éowyn when he denies her praise by repeating Saruman’s line that the victory at Helm’s Deep did not belong to him.


Another layer added by these early scenes with Théoden is his concern with the past. He royally intones “Hail the victorious dead!” at the celebration of the victory, voicing his own respect for the deeds of older generations and their heroism. But he also gradually reveals that he fears that he and his own time do not measure up to the heroism of his storied ancestors. He is torn between the two sides of his character – drawn on the one side by the call of ancient heroism, and on the other by the everyday practicality of ruling his kingdom. When he is told of the plight of Gondor, initially he responds, “Why should we go to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor?” His protective and pragmatic side makes a point: there is no practical obligation to go to the help of Gondor, and it looks like he will not take up that responsibility.

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However, despite his initial reluctance, when Gondor does call for his help, the pull towards heroism again ignites and he leaps into action, calling out for the marshaling of all his forces. Whether consciously or not, when the intersecting concerns of heroism, practicality, and responsibility are all deadlocked in his unquiet conscience, the desperate situation of Gondor finally tips his character in one definitive direction.

As the rest of the story develops, this determination grows in intensity, accelerating towards the final climax of his character on the battlefield. Although he holds to his determination to help Gondor, he understands more and more that he does not have a strong enough force to break through the enemy forces. The practical concern gives him pause and his concern over the battle clearly grows as his horsemen ride closer and closer to the city of Minas Tirith. Strangely enough, however, with his growing practical concern also comes a growing determination to follow through on the commitment he has made in deciding to come to Gondor’s aid.


With the growth of both of these opposing forces weighing on Théoden’s mind, the climax of his character comes as his Rohirrim crest the final hill and see the battlefield laid out in front of them. While many have sung the accolades of the magnificent scene that is the charge of the Rohirrim in The Return of the King, one moment in that glorious sequence that is easy to overlook is the momentary hesitation on the part of Théoden, as he looks out over the massive armies of Mordor, as if considering one last time if he is doing the right thing. The scene in the movie is heightened by its description in the book: “The king sat upon Snowmane, motionless, gazing upon the agony of Minas Tirith, as if stricken suddenly by anguish, or by dread.”

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Finally, though, he makes his decision, and his resolution is clear. The two motivations and concerns growing in his mind have reached their peak. What was once merely a foreboding that he could not win the battle has now become a certainty: he sees the evidence of his insufficient numbers right before his eyes. But despite that certainty, he charges into battle nonetheless, rallying his cavalry and leading them from the front, shouting out the certainty for all to hear: “Death! Death! Death!” It is part of the great emotional swell of the scene, accompanied by Howard Shore’s magnificent score, but the emotional weight of the scene is heightened in this final decisive climax by Théoden’s choice.

His final moments, after this decision, give the resolution to the interior drama he has endured for the entire film. With the intersecting pulls of duty, heroism, and practicality, Théoden ends ultimately with hope – hope for the future of his people – as the scene is framed around his conversation with Éowyn, who he hopes will lead his people after his death. But, he also hopes for himself and the greatness of those who came before: “I go to my fathers, in whose mighty company I shall not now feel ashamed.” It is a moving scene on its own, but only reaches its full significance if you reflect on the concerns that began Théoden’s story of The Return of the King in the first place. The deep cut made by the comment of Saruman has finally been decisively answered.


Ultimately, Théoden plays into many themes of the overall story, primarily in its images of rulership, heroism, hope, and despair. In many ways, he plays off as a foil to Denethor, meeting a heroic and hopeful end where the Steward of Gondor gives in to despair. Heroism, honor, and salvation are all part of the intricate juggling act that is the plot of the movie itself, seen even in the redemptive deeds of the Army of the Dead who redeem their honor to gain final peace for their restless souls. In Théoden, though, The Return of the King plays out a desperate conflict that runs deeply in his mind, which can only be fully appreciated with an understanding of where it all began.

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Review: SAMARITAN, A Sly Stallone Superhero Stumble

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Review: SAMARITAN, A Sly Stallone Superhero Stumble

Hitting the three-quarter-century mark usually means a retirement home, a nursing facility, or if you’re lucky to be blessed with relatively good health and savings to match, living in a gated community in Arizona or Florida.

For Sylvester Stallone, however, it means something else entirely: starring in the first superhero-centered film of his decades-long career in the much-delayed Samaritan. Unfortunately for Stallone and the audience on the other side of the screen, the derivative, turgid, forgettable results won’t get mentioned in a career retrospective, let alone among the ever-expanding list of must-see entries in a genre already well past its peak.

For Stallone, however, it’s better late than never when it involves the superhero genre. Maybe in getting a taste of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) with his walk-on role in the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel several years ago, Stallone thought anything Marvel can do, I can do even better (or just as good in the nebulous definition of the word).

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The property Stallone and his team found for him, Samaritan, a little-known graphic novel released by a small, almost negligible, publisher, certainly takes advantage of Stallone’s brute-force physicality and his often underrated talent for near-monosyllabic brooding (e.g., the Rambo series), but too often gives him to little do or say as the lone super-powered survivor, the so-called “Samaritan” of the title, of a lifelong rivalry with his brother, “Nemesis.” Two brothers entered a fire-ravaged building and while both were presumed dead, one brother did survive (Stallone’s Joe Smith, a garbageman by day, an appliance repairman by night).

In the Granite City of screenwriter Bragi F. Schut (Escape Room, Season of the Witch), the United States, and presumably the rest of the world, teeters on economic and political collapse, with a recession spiraling into a depression, steady gigs difficult, if not impossible, to obtain, and the city’s neighborhoods rocked by crime and violence. No one’s safe, not even 13-year-old Sam (Javon Walker), Joe’s neighbor.

When he’s not dodging bullies connected to a gang, he’s falling under the undue influence of Cyrus (Pilou Asbæk), a low-rent gang leader with an outsized ego and the conviction that he and only he can take on Nemesis’s mantle and along with that mantle, a hammer “forged in hate,” to orchestrate a Bane-like plan to plunge the city into chaos and become a wealthy power-broker in the process.

Schut’s woefully underwritten script takes a clumsy, haphazard approach to world-building, relying on a two-minute animated sequence to open Samaritan while a naive, worshipful Sam narrates Samaritan and Nemesis’s supposedly tragic, Cain and Abel-inspired backstory. Schut and director Julius Avery (Overlord) clumsily attempt to contrast Sam’s childish belief in messiah-like, superheroic saviors stepping in to save humanity from itself and its own worst excesses, but following that path leads to authoritarianism and fascism (ideas better, more thoroughly explored in Watchmen and The Boys).

While Sam continues to think otherwise, Stallone’s superhero, 25 years past his last, fatal encounter with his presumably deceased brother, obviously believes superheroes are the problem and not the solution (a somewhat reasonable position), but as Samaritan tracks Joe and Sam’s friendship, Sam giving Joe the son he never had, Joe giving Sam the father he lost to street violence well before the film’s opening scene, it gets closer and closer to embracing, if not outright endorsing Sam’s power fantasies, right through a literally and figuratively explosive ending. Might, as always, wins regardless of how righteous or justified the underlying action.

It’s what superhero audiences want, apparently, and what Samaritan uncritically delivers via a woefully under-rendered finale involving not just unconvincing CGI fire effects, but a videogame cut-scene quality Stallone in a late-film flashback sequence that’s meant to be subversively revelatory, but will instead lead to unintentional laughter for anyone who’s managed to sit the entirety of Samaritan’s one-hour and 40-minute running time.

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Samaritan is now streaming worldwide on Prime Video.

Samaritan

Cast
  • Sylvester Stallone
  • Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton
  • Pilou Asbæk

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Matt Shakman Is In Talks To Direct ‘Fantastic Four’

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According to a new report, Wandavision’s Matt Shakman is in talks to direct the upcoming MCU project, Fantastic Four. Marvel Studios has been very hush-hush regarding Fantastic Four to the point where no official announcements have been made other than the film’s release date. No casting news or literally anything other than rumors has been released regarding the project. We know that Fantastic Four is slated for release on November 8th, 2024, and will be a part of Marvel’s Phase 6. There are also rumors that the cast of the new Fantastic Four will be announced at the D23 Expo on September 9th.

Fantastic Four is still over two years from release, and we assume we will hear more news about the project in the coming months. However, the idea of the Fantastic Four has already been introduced into the MCU. John Krasinski played Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The cameo was a huge deal for fans who have been waiting a long time for the Fantastic Four to enter the MCU. When Disney acquired Twenty Century Fox in 2019 we assumed that the Fox Marvel characters would eventually make their way into the MCU. It’s been 3 years and we already have had an X-Men and Fantastic Four cameo – even if they were from another universe.

Deadline is reporting that Wandavision’s Matt Shakman is in talks to direct Fantastic Four. Shakman served as the director for Wandavision and has had an extensive career. He directed two episodes of Game of Thrones and an episode of The Boys, and he had a long stint on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. There is nothing official yet, but Deadline’s sources say that Shakman is currently in talks for the job and things are headed in the right direction.

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To be honest, I was a bit more excited when Jon Watts was set to direct. I’m sure Shakman is a good director, but Watts proved he could handle a tentpole superhero film with Spider-Man: Homecoming. Wandavision was good, but Watts’ style would have been perfect for Fantastic Four. The film is probably one of the most anticipated films in Marvel’s upcoming slate films and they need to find the best person they can to direct. Is that Matt Shakman? It could be, but whoever takes the job must realize that Marvel has a lot riding on this movie. The other Fantastic Four films were awful and fans deserve better. Hopefully, Marvel knocks it out of the park as they usually do. You can see for yourself when Fantastic Four hits theaters on November 8th, 2024.

Film Synopsis: One of Marvel’s most iconic families makes it to the big screen: the Fantastic Four.

Source: Deadline

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Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase Star in ‘Zombie Town’ Mystery Teen Romancer (Exclusive)

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Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase have entered Zombie Town, a mystery teen romancer based on author R.L. Stine’s book of the same name.

The indie, now shooting in Ontario, also stars Henry Czerny and co-teen leads Marlon Kazadi and Madi Monroe. The ensemble cast includes Scott Thompson and Bruce McCulloch of the Canadian comedy show Kids in the Hall.

Canadian animator Peter Lepeniotis will direct Zombie Town. Stine’s kid’s book sees a quiet town upended when 12-year-old Mike and his friend, Karen, see a horror movie called Zombie Town and unexpectedly see the title characters leap off the screen and chase them through the theater.

Zombie Town will premiere in U.S. theaters before streaming on Hulu and then ABC Australia in 2023.

“We are delighted to bring the pages of R.L. Stine’s Zombie Town to the screen and equally thrilled to be working with such an exceptional cast and crew on this production. A three-time Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award winner with book sales of over $500 million, R.L. Stine has a phenomenal track record of crafting stories that engage and entertain audiences,” John Gillespie, Trimuse Entertainment founder and executive producer, said in a statement.

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Executive producers are Trimuse Entertainment, Toonz Media Group, Lookout Entertainment, Viva Pictures and Sons of Anarchy actor Kim Coates.  

Paco Alvarez and Mark Holdom of Trimuse negotiated the deal to acquire the rights to Stine’s Zombie Town book.

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