Evaluate a famous action adventure movie and explain why it works for the audience
The Lord of the Rings series is one of the most famous action adventure movies of its time and is an acclaimed classic as well. It is an epic tale of action and adventure that goes far and beyond cultural boundaries and leads the audience to a mythical world that is suspended between the world we know and the fantasy we all wish we lived in. This movie has gained international fame and set a benchmark for the action adventure/ fantasy genre with its classic good versus evil plot, the mythical references and the magical realism that is artistically woven into the plot. The film is inspired by the series of books written J.R Tolkien and according to the author, he created ‘a secondary creation' that became reality that pulled the audience in as soon as they start watching the movie.
Another reason why this movie was a ground breaking success is that it offers detailed battle scenes, hand to hand combat, thrill, suspense and a splash of romance on the side. Let’s not forget the mind blowing locations, costume and the superb animation that never fails to amaze the viewers of all ages. The audience is captivated by the conflict that arises in the main plot and spreads through the various subplots that are introduced in the later parts of the movie. Each aspect of the storyline is given due homage by the actors. The Middle world also takes on a universal appearance with which the audience can relate to on a personal and political level. The subliminal messages that the movie propagates so successfully and in such a powerful manner is another huge factor that plays well in the movie’s fame.
Lord of the Rings works for the audience because it presents fantasy in a very realistic package. The human emotions of fear, courage, friendship and power are delivered perfectly making the movie more relatable for the audience. The epic tale, beautiful majestic sites and captivating characters also account for the allure of the movie. The language, music and dialogues that Tolkien used in his books and later on used in the movies add to the magical world that is portrayed in the movie. All these elements help the audience to overcome the wall that is present between illusion and reality. They simply lose their grasp of the real world and travel through the ‘middle world' or the ‘secondary world' and start to believe in it as their own.
Lord of the Rings portrays characters that are heroic, noble, honest and strong. They have the element of innocence, youth and indomitable courage in the face of fear that make them all the more appealing to the viewers. The prolog of the movie is a detailed history of the world being depicted in it and how evil prevailed in that time. As the audience watches, within minutes the dynamics shift, the peaceful hobbit village setting transitions on screen to reveal the evil Sauron in his full malicious form.
In-depth analysis of the movie leads us to conclude that modern sensibility allows the audience to relate their own situation with that of the characters in the movie. Many metaphors, similes are used in the dialogues and songs of the movie that subtly point out the follies of human condition and how it can be dealt with. Gollum is one such character who is a perfect personification of human experience and how it is affected by the evils of the world. Lord of the Rings balances the fantasy and makes the storyline all the more believable by keeping human emotions and weaknesses in check. The movie pulls the viewers in a world full of magic, excitement, thrill, action, adventure, mythical beings, good vs evil and last but not the least- love, friendship and courage.