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Movies / On DVD / The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

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The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

94%
92%
94%
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N/A
94 %
Reviews Counted: 230 Fresh: 216  Rotten:14 Average Rating: 8.6/10
 
Consensus: A moving and satisfying conclusion to a great trilogy.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 4 hrs 10 mins

Synopsis: THE RETURN OF THE KING, the third and final film in Peter Jackson's THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, finds Middle-earth on the cusp of great change. Weary hobbits Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) venture further into the dark realm of Mordor, guided by the increasingly desperate Gollum... THE RETURN OF THE KING, the third and final film in Peter Jackson's THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, finds Middle-earth on the cusp of great change. Weary hobbits Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) venture further into the dark realm of Mordor, guided by the increasingly desperate Gollum (Andy Serkis), the two-faced former owner of the Ring that Frodo must destroy in the fires of Mount Doom. Meanwhile Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) contend with the deranged ruler Denethor (John Noble) at the once-mighty city of Minas Tirith, as Merry (Dominic Monaghan) joins Éowyn (Miranda Otto) and the Riders of Rohan to hold back the forces of Sauron. Amidst the chaos, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) must rise to his destiny, aided by Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) in assembling allies for a massive battle that will decide the fate of Middle-earth. With RETURN, Jackson brings J.R.R. Tolkien's world-renowned tale to a stunning conclusion. As with THE TWO TOWERS, the director deftly weaves various storylines together in one remarkable scene after another. Spectacular visuals complement Jackson's sharp focus on the characters and their emotional battles. While the special effects help to create huge battles and frightening creatures on a previously unseen scale, they never outshine the excellent ensemble of actors who bring the heart of the story home. A truly astounding work of filmmaking, THE RETURN OF THE KING skillfully concludes one of the greatest trilogies in cinema history. [More]

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Starring: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd

Director: Peter Jackson
Screenwriter: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson
Producer: Barrie M. Osborne, Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson
Composer: Howard Shore

DVD Info

Release:

Aug 1, 2008

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Region 1
  • Keep Case - 2-Disc Set
  • Full-Screen - 1.33
  • Single Side - Dual Layer

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital EX 5.1 - English
  • Stereo Surround - English

Disc One:

Interactive Features:

  • Animated Menus
  • Select-a-Scene

Disc Two:

Additional Release Material:

  • Documentaries - 1. "The Quest Fulfilled: A Director's Vision" (23:05 min)
  • 2. "A Filmmaker's Journey: Making THE RETURN OF THE KING" (28:30)
  • 3. "National Geographic: THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING" (45:57)
  • Featurettes - 1. "Aragorn's Destiny" (3:25)
  • 2. "Minas Tirith: Capital of Gondor" (3:10)
  • 3. "The Battle of Pelennor Fields" (2:14)
  • 4. "Samwise the Brave" (4:32)
  • 5. "Eowyn: White Lady of Rohan" (3:45)
  • 6. "Digital Horse Doubles" (4:35)
  • Trailers - 1. Theatrical Trailers
  • 2. TV Spots
  • 3. "THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy" Supertrailer (6:45)
  • 4. "The Battle for Middle-Earth Continues" - Video Games From EA (3:00)

DVD-ROM Features:

  • Exclusive Online Content
  • Web Link - 1. www.lordoftherings.net

Reviews

 
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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
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Ratings Image
4/5

No flabber has been left ungasted by Mr Jackson's mighty battle sequences, nor no gob unsmacked.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/27/07
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
N/A

Some story strands are crudely abbreviated; others fail to develop elements that were already well-established.

Full Review | comment 4 Comments
02/09/06
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
96/100

Peter Jackson and his team pull through once again and turn in the best film in a terrific trilogy.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/20/04
Joe Utichi
FilmFocus
Ratings Image
4/5

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
01/24/04
Independent
Ratings Image
5/5

The resounding climax to a landmark in cinema history.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/15/04
Alan Morrison
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
4/4

Ultimately this journey has been about the endgame, and now that we're here, we get a shattering sense of all that is at stake.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/04/04
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
UK Critic
Ratings Image
N/A

Amazing, stupendous, jawdropping and overwhelming.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/15/03
Christopher Tookey
Daily Mail [UK]
Ratings Image
5/5

Majestic, moving and immense, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King is about as awesome as cinema gets.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/15/03
Nev Pierce
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
3/5

A very fine achievement, moving, involving and, to many people, even inspiring.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/15/03
Philip French
Observer [UK]
Ratings Image
N/A

For three hours and 20 minutes, Jackson has made fantasy become reality.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/13/03
John Hiscock
Daily Telegraph
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
5/5

The third part of Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy delivers everything we have been led to expect: stunning battle sequences, glorious scenery, jaw-dropping special effects and wonderful performances.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/12/03
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
Ratings Image
5/5

So impeccably and artfully done that we can hardly breathe, immobilised by emotion, suspense, the sheer spectacle, the intimate drama.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/12/03
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
Ratings Image
5/5

You could open an entire can of hyperbole over this film, and still run short of adjectives to praise its majesty.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/24/03
Matthew De Abaitua
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
3/5

A lot of it is just hacking and slashing on a mammoth scale, which is still just hacking and slashing.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/13/07
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com
Ratings Image
4/4

This is a filmmaker in the grandest tradition of the word.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/14/07
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound
Ratings Image
4/4

An absolutely absorbing finale which establishes the trilogy as perhaps the best mythic fable ever brought to the big screen.

Full Review | comment Comment
04/22/07
Kam Williams
Princeton Town Topics
Ratings Image
N/A

Standing out amid an excellent cast is Elijah Wood, stymied by tweeness in the earlier films but here convincingly developing the character of Frodo as the embodiment of valor and self-sacrifice.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/06/07
Andrea Gronvall
Chicago Reader
Ratings Image
3.5/4

If this wasn't quite the best movie of 2003, it was definitely the most fun to be had at the movies all year

Full Review | comment Comment
08/27/06
Jay Antani
Perihelion Journal
Ratings Image
5/5

A masterful moment in cinema.

Full Review | comment 1 Comment
12/06/05
Clint Morris
Film Threat
Ratings Image
A-

Imbues its central conflicts with mythic timelessness.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/04/05
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Around the Network

• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King at IGN
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King at AskMen
 
 
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