While a perfect film is almost unheard of, this isn’t the case when it comes to perfect sequels, and Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy is arguably one of the best to ever do it. Not only the sequel, The Two Towers, was seen as a step above the already impeccable The Fellowship of the Ring, but the threequel also transcended the bar set by its predecessors.
However, despite being a perfect sequel and a great conclusion to the Middle Earth saga, just like any other artwork the medium has to offer, Return of the King isn’t immune to flaws, especially when it comes to Gandalf.
Peter Jackson’s Return of the King didn’t do Gandalf justice
Although magic and wizards in Tolkien’s works don’t embody our typical understanding of wizardry in media, especially the ones popularized by Harry Potter, this reasoning isn’t enough to undermine the issue with Gandalf.
Even though Gandalf is prohibited from using his power in Middle Earth, the extreme lack of wizardry on his part, apart from a few occasions, doesn’t fully paint him as the all-powerful wizard that the films want us to believe.
The third film, arguably the best in the series, is also the biggest perpetrator of this issue, as the imagery of Gandalf indulging in a battle and using his staff to beat up Orcs and Trolls seems beneath him. But at the end of the day, had they gone full Harry Potter-isque with his wizardry, we wouldn’t have ended with the immaculate adaptation of JRR Tolkien‘s iconic works.
Sir Ian McKellan is eager to pick up the staff again
Unlike Peter Jackson‘s trilogy, which was enthralling from its inception to conclusion, in recent years, the LOTR IP has struggled with its shift to TV, as the Rings of Power has proven to be pretty polarizing among the masses.
But with the IP returning to the big screens with Andy Serkis’ The Hunt for Gollum, Sir Ian McKellen is eyeing to pick up his staff again for future LOTR projects. Sir McKellen, who was told that several LOTR projects were in the pipeline, entertained the prospect of returning as Gandalf, adding (via Big Issue Magazine):
I’ve just been told there are going to be more films and Gandalf will be involved and they hope that I’ll be playing him… When? I don’t know. What the script is? It’s not written yet. So they better be quick!
Hopefully, this time around, Sir Ian McKellen’s Gandalf will get his moment to shine as the powerful wizard that the books made us believe.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy is available to watch on Max.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
