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The Return of the King (1980)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:12
Fresh:8
Rotten:4
Average Rating:5.7/10
Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins
Genre: Childrens
Synopsis: Continuing the story they began in 1978's THE HOBBIT, directors Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin present THE RETURN OF THE KING, the close to J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series. As hobbits Frodo... Continuing the story they began in 1978's THE HOBBIT, directors Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin present THE RETURN OF THE KING, the close to J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series. As hobbits Frodo and Samwise head to Mount Doom to destroy the evil ring that brings plague to the land, they must overcome a number of obstacles--orcs, ring wraiths, the deadly Gollum, and the madness of the ring itself--while Gandalf and Aragon head an epic battle against the evil forces that threaten to destroy all of Middle-earth. THE RETURN OF THE KING ends the cycle started in THE HOBBIT and continued in Ralph Bakshi's THE LORD OF THE RINGS. Viewers get to see an aged Bilbo Baggins contentedly smoking his pipe and listening to his nephew Frodo's tales. Orson Bean and John Huston reprise their roles as Bilbo and Gandalf. (Bean also lends his voice to Frodo.) And as with THE HOBBIT, there's plenty of thrilling action, masterfully painted backgrounds, and catchy Glenn Yarbrough songs. [More]
Starring: Orson Bean, John Huston, Roddy McDowall, Glenn Yarbrough
Starring: Orson Bean, John Huston, Roddy McDowall, Glenn Yarbrough
Director: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin
Director: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin
Reviews for The Return of the King
Works even less well than The Hobbit, which really is a children's story overbearing folk-ballad soundtrack doesn't even gesture lyrically to Tolkien's poetry.
The cartoon version isn't that bad, espcecially when they couldn't use the first two books in the trilogy.
I love this. All of it. Although I adore what Peter & Co. did, I think this movie, for sheer atmosphere, slightly nudges out his Oscar-winner. Really.
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