I cannot imagine a film of
LotR which would not rely heavily on special effects (although
Bethberry would probably disagree
).
Generally, I think that the effects were excellent throughout all three films (but then again, I am an SFX fan). Where there is a problem with them, I don't think it is a consequence of their over-use, but rather of the manner in which they are used.
For example, I thought that the close-up shots of the Army of the Dead, particularly their King, in the Paths of the Dead were excellent. They seem to shift between zombie and skeleton without ever being entirely one or the other. But in the long shots, the effect is lost and they end up looking like little more than an amorphous green blobby mass (aka the green virus
). I would have preferred close-up shots of small groups of the Dead routing the Orcs.
Similarly, the Fiery Eye of Sauron was used well throughout the first two films - symbolically as it is in the book. But once Frodo and Sam enter Mordor, it takes on a life of its own. No wonder that so many people believe that Sauron
was that Eye. I have to agree that the searchlight was a mistake. Again, a good effect used to the wrong (*ahem*) effect.
But there are many wonderful special effects in the final film too. The Trolls look just as good to me as the Cave Troll in FotR. The Orcs were just as varied and credible - with one notable exception (although I must be the only person here who has a sneaking affection for Gothmog - the idea was good, even if the execution is rather over the top, and the acting is excellent). Gollum just gets better, as far as I am concerned, throughout the three films. And then we have the breathtaking first sight of Minas Tirith (just as I always imagined it), the Eagles, the swooping Fell Beasts with Nazgul sat astride, the depiction of Sammath Naur. The Mumakil may have been gargantuan, but they were (in my view) immaculately executed. I could go on.
And I agree with
The Only Real Estel. Shelob
was an uber spider. Personally, I thought the decision to portray her as looking like a real spider, only rather larger, rather than a more obviously "fantasy" creature, was a good one. But then, that is how I have always imagined her. The scene where she crawls out of a fissure above Frodo is excellent in its creepiness. That's just how real spiders emerge from cracks (*shudders*).