The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Theatrical Version) [2003]

As before, in this concluding part of the trilogy the spectacle never dwarfs (sic) the characters, even during Shelob the spider's pitiless assault, for example, or the unparalleled Battle of the Pelennor Fields, where the white towers of Minas Tirith come under ferocious attack from Troll-powered siege weapons and--in a sequence reminiscent of the Imperial Walkers in The Empire Strikes Back--Mammoth-like Mumakil. The people and their feelings always remain in focus, as emphasised by Jackson's sensitive small touches: Gandalf reassuring a terrified Pippin in the midst of battle that death is not to be feared; Frodo's blazing anger at Sam's apparent betrayal; Faramir's desire to win the approval of his megalomaniac father; Gollum's tragic cupidity and his final, heartbreaking glee. And at the very epicentre of the film is the pure heart of Samwise Gamgee--the real hero of the story.

At over three hours, there are almost inevitably some lulls, and the film still feels as if some key scenes are missing: a problem doubtless to be rectified in the extended DVD edition. But the end, when it does finally arrive--set to Howard Shore's Wagnerian music score--brings us full circle, leaving the departing audience to wonder if they will ever find within themselves even a fraction of the courage of a hobbit. --Mark Walker

The Return of the King is an all-action film, which never lets up in its intensity. This can, perhaps, be quite strenuous for the audience, but then it /is/ the final battle for Middle-Earth, and the fate of all the characters we've known and loved (or hated, for that matter) hangs in the balance. The film doesn't work in the least as an independent movie, continuing straight on from The Two Towers and never letting up till the very end, but then it's not meant to be - this is the final third of one huge journey, and as such it is a triumph.

This review is going to be very disjointed, but I don't want to give anything away, so these are just a few of my thoughts on the film.

Frodo and Sams' relationship unravels as Gollum sows the seeds of doubt in Frodo's mind, already tormented by the burden of the ring, and it's truly distressing to see the effects the ring has even on so strong a bond. Oh, and Gollum is as great as he was in Two Towers, as is Smeagol who draws so much sympathy even as Gollum is so awful. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Gandalf join up with Pippin and Merry again, but in this film the hobbits finally get to do some fighting, which is handled believably and (thank god) doesn't become ridiculous at any point.

The battle scenes (and there are so many of them) are any fantasy fan's dream come true. The "oliphants" have to be seen to be believed when they're in action on the Pelannor Fields. The army of the dead are yet another innovation in technology, blending skeletons with the faces of real actors - surely the first believable on-screen ghosts. The Witch-King is actually pretty haunting... but really has nothing on Shelob. A giant spider? So much could've gone wrong, but as it was, I never even thought to myself "that's really good CGI", I just accepted it was one helluva massive spider, and as such it was absolutely disgusting. Which is the point.

OK, so, after that rambling I obviously thoroughly enjoyed the film, and I could go on about so much more (not least the beautiful end title sequence). But I'll stop with the few criticisms I have of this brilliant film. More or less they are all because the film is too short. All right, it's a bit over 3 hours already, but Saruman has been completely cut out; Faramir and Eowyns' story isn't shown, and even Aragorn and Arwens' reunion seems a little rushed. Basically, there was far too much in the book to fit into one film, and certain elements had, understandably, to be cut out. Even so, a little bit of resolution seemed to be missing - there are no farewells amongst the Fellowship, nor any funerals for the fallen.

But hey, we know there's going to be an extended cut, and I for one hope it's at least an hour longer, so all these little loose ends can be properly tied up like the rest of the story. We know it's in safe hands with Peter Jackson.

So: thank you, Peter; it's been an incredible journey. Thanks for taking us all with you on it.


Masterpiece   March 3, 2004
I. J. Lowe (Wigan, UK)
80 out of 91 found this review helpful

well, here it is 8 years on from it's inception and doesn't it seem, now, like the 3 films came along so quickly?

Anyone who owns the extended DVDs of Fellowship and Towers will know how much work and detail went into their making.

Make no mistake, the sheer scale of these films goes way, way beyond what is immediately obvious on screen. Right down to the intricate carvings on each and every piece of armour and weapon for hundreds of extras and on scenery, people spending months on end threading individual rings to make chain-mail. Real armourers making real weapons. You either don't see these or they are so well done that you take them for granted and don't notice them.

The work of Weta Workshop is far beyond anything ever done on any film at any time and that alone deserves the very highest accolades.

Then you have Howard Shore's magnificent music which plays in the mind long after the credits have rolled.

The superb script; who hasn't read the books and thought, 'Nah, they couldn't possibly make a film of this'. Tolkien himself, who disliked the idea of a film, sold the rights because he knew it was unfilmable. How could you make a film that included creatures like the Nazgul, the Balrog, Orcs, Olliphaunts (Mumaks), Shelob, an antagonist who is invisible (apart from his 'eye')... and Gollum?!

This film just won 11 oscars and is currently being compared with Titanic and Ben Hur which also won 11. Think about it. Do either of these represent the same amount of effort and skill as Return of the King? Whether you like or dislike this kind of film, it represents the absolute pinnacle of what is possible in modern film-making.

I hear people saying things like, 'I liked the second film best'. We all know that it's a trilogy but it isn't, however, a trilogy in the Star Wars sense where each film can be viewed in isolation (they all have endings). At the end of Fellowship there's no real ending because the whole purpose and focus of the film (destroying the ring)isn't resolved. Towers has no beginning and, again, no end. Only King has an ending and perhaps this is one of the reasons it is more popular. You can't separate them because it's one big story with a continuity between them that can't be broken. So don't say 'I prefer this one to that'. Rather say 'I love the whole thing from beginning to end'. Tolkien didn't write it as a trilogy; his publishers, Unwin, insisted on the division.

One minor niggle; King (like Fellowship) cracks along at a fair old pace and a lot is missing (Saruman was never satisfactorily dealt with and didn't appear in King). The extended DVD will contain those missing elements, though. Fellowship was a lot better for the added scenes and they improved the pace. It's disappointing that, because he wasn't seen at the cinema in this film, Christopher Lee appears to have disowned King; he will be present in the extended version and, hopefully, the return to the Shire will be more eventful.

Greatest films of all time? Possibly. I can't think of any others that could sit comfortably in the same company.


4 disc special edition will be out in november   March 15, 2004
66 out of 73 found this review helpful

this is a great film, not yet out on dvd. when it is released it will be released in its theatrical version so please be aware that there will be a 4 disc special edition out later in the year and WILL be worth waiting for


A Symphony of the Senses   January 10, 2004
Andreas K.
35 out of 37 found this review helpful

One important thing to keep in mind when watching The Return of the King, is that like all the other Lord of the Rings theatrical releases, this is not quite the complete and finished product. The final part of the trilogy moves at a much faster pace than the previous two chapters and although it makes for exciting viewing, you somehow do feel there are some scenes missing, especially if you’re familiar with the story. Luckily, most of the people (myself included) who have come to care about the series have learnt to accept this fact about the theatrical versions and are able to enjoy them as a cinematic experience, which is definitely what you get with this finale. The Return of the King is like a three hour climax in which almost every scene is imbued with a sense of impending resolution for the better or worse of Middle Earth. “The board is set, the pieces are moving” Gandalf explains to Pippin, as the penultimate conflict for the fate of a world is about to begin in front of your eyes. The emotional intensity and drama witnessed on screen would not be out of place in a Wagnerian opera, but it is complemented by some of the most epic sights ever beheld in cinema. The battle on the Pelennor Fields is like nothing seen before and even if many of the super wide shots of the armies are noticeably computer generated, they are nonetheless very impressive on the merit of their ambitiousness alone. It seems that when the heart and mind are not being engaged, the senses are being assaulted, so that not a moment of the 3h 21 min feels wasted.

All the main actors have by now confidently settled into their roles and their character’s development is really embodied through their performance. It’s remarkable how these protagonist have transformed over the ten and a half hour course of these movies, compared to when we first meet them in The Fellowship of the Ring. Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens especially need to be commended for giving all the important characters that kind of substantiality, by paying attention to the personal journeys taken and showing the genuine growth undergone by each of them.

In technical terms The Return of the King is undeniably the most accomplished film in the trilogy. All the post production and art departments really present their best work of the series here, from the special effects, the costume designs, through to the breathtaking miniatures. The cinematography is especially noteworthy, experimenting with unconventional, exciting points of view and subtle colour grading that help to deliver even more memorable shots than in the first two movies. A word also has to be said about the music, because it has been the backbone of the trilogy in many ways. Howard Shore has brilliantly captured the depth and scope of Tolkien’s world since the first soundtrack and has developed this vision from movie to movie creating a film score magnum opus. He has been particularly successful in rendering the operatic epic-ness of The Lord of the Rings and this characteristic truly comes to shine in the third instalment.

It must be remembered, that an essential contributing factor for the success of this final part is the effectiveness of The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers to generate the level of anticipation and narrative tension, that makes the climax so emotionally involving and rewarding. The sense of closure is in every respect satisfying and considered as one creative achievement from beginning to end, it becomes clear what a cinematic triumph the trilogy really is. It has become the film event of our generation, with all three among the top ten highest grossing movies of all time and the popular passion with which they all have been received. The Return of the King sets a new benchmark for the fantasy/adventure genre and The Lord of the Rings has given new meaning to the concept of epic filmmaking. It has arguably become the best trilogy of them all. A title it will deservedly keep for a very long time.


truly stunning!   August 14, 2004
J. Reynolds
35 out of 39 found this review helpful

I'm not much of a review person but i have to share my thoughts about this masterpiece. Peter Jackson directs this trilogy and in the 3rd film(this one) it was directed perfect. Frodo and Sam continue on the heroic quest to destroy the one evil ring of middle earth. While they continue on their quest, Gandalf and the troops of minus tirith stand to defend the city from an attack of over 200,000 orcs, trolls and more while Aragorn must command the dead to fight for them to fulfill their oaths. Will Frodo and Sam succeed or will middle earth be detroyed by the dark lord Sauron and his forces? This is the best film of all time (for me) with a great cast including Elijah Wood, Ian Mckellen, Viggo Mortensen and Sean Austin. There are great action scenes throughout the film especially the battle of Pellenor fields. The special affects are amazing and look so real and plus it has everything; Action, adventure, horror, comedy, romance etc. Everything you could ask for. This a definite 5 star and one you should definitly love.
Buy this for sure!!