‘King’ adds crown jewel to Tolkien’s classic trilogy

“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” •••

A fitting end to one of the most impressive film trilogies ever made, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” is receiving accolades from far and wide. And director Peter Jackson certainly deserves being honored, though what he should get is credit for having directed all three films and having been as true as possible to its source: the half-century-old saga written by J.R.R. Tolkien. As a stand-alone film, “The Return of the King” suffers from too many characters, too many story lines and too many similar names (Sauron-Saruman, Arwen-Eowyn, etc.) for the uninitiated to make much sense of. For those who have prepared by seeing the “extended” versions of the first two, this finale is everything it needs to be: sweeping, majestic and as profound as fantasy can be. In terms of acting, the big names – Shakespearean-trained Ian McKellan, studly Viggo Mortensen, angelic Liv Tyler, wide-eyed Elijah Wood – are overshadowed by the lesser characters. And among those characters, Hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan), Pippin (Billy Boyd) and Sam (Sean Astin) are the most heroic. Especially Sam, on whom the whole future of the world depends. Astin, even though looked over by the folks who hand out Oscars, deserved gold for his performance as the loyal sidekick. – Dan Webster. (DVD, 3:21) Rated PG-13 (intense epic battle sequences and frightening images).

“Welcome to Mooseport” •••

Not every television actor has what it takes to make a successful leap to the big screen. Ray Romano seems to be the exception. Here he plays the owner of a small-town hardware store who, to keep hold of the woman (Maura Tierney) he loves, agrees to run for mayor against a man (Gene Hackman) who formerly was the most popular president in U.S. history. Nothing is apt to surprise you, but director Donald Petrie (“Miss Congeniality”) uses his cast well. Not only does Hackman make a credible former president – one whose ego is wrapped up in how well his legacy compares to Bill Clinton’s – but a series of co-stars, including Tierney (“E.R.”) and Christine Baranski, keep the jokes moving. And Romano, his timing impeccable as always, heads the list. – Dan Webster(DVD, 1:55) Rated PG-13 (some brief sexual comments and nudity).

“Club Dread” •1/2

In their first film “Super Troopers,” the members of the comedy troupe Broken Lizard managed to write in as many dead-on jokes as they did duds. Here, the jokes are just lame. First of all, the plot is about as original as warm beer at happy hour, and not nearly as interesting. On a resort island owned and run by a Jimmy Buffet wannabe (Bill Paxton), a serial killer is targeting the staff. As the limbs fly left and right, the suspects are, pardon the pun, pared down to the bare essentials. Problem is, following such horror satires as the “Scary Movie” and “Scream” franchises, there’s not much thematic area left to cover. What’s left is – wait for it – just dreadful. –Dan Webster. (DVD, 1:44) Rated R (violence/gore, sexual content, language, and drug use).

“Smallville: Season 2”

This is the second DVD installment of the WB dramaction/adventure based on the teenage years of Clark Kent (Tom Welling), a.k.a. Superman. – Tom Bowers. (DVD, 16:28) Not Rated.