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The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Widescreen Edition)

The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Widescreen Edition)

List Price: $19.98
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The biggest fantasy of a lifetime
Review: Are you looking for a movie that with scare your socks off,but still want it to make you cry well i've got the solution. The third lord of the rings movie is a perfect resemblince to the book. The special effects,cinametography, and music is fantastic. With 11 oscar nominations and awards it's got to be worth watching.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Epic Finale To The Ring On DVD
Review: Lord Of The Rings concludes with "The Return Of The King". J.R.R. Tolkien wrote this some time around World War II, and I sincerely believe he intended to make it a fantasy parallel of his times. On DVD, this masterpiece, which graced the big screens in theatres last year's winter, makes a great DVD. Make it the third in your collected series of the two previous- The Two Towers and The Fellowship Of The Ring. Stars Virgo Mortensen as Aragon, Orland Bloom as Legolas and the main stars Elijah Wood as Frodo and Ian Mckellen as Gandalf. The film resumes where Two Towers left off. Gollum leads Frodo and Sam into Mordor and up Mount Doom, all the while scheming how to get his "precious" ring back to himself. In the meantime, the ultimate battle between good and evil rages as Gandalf, Aragon
and the other hobbits fight the bad guys. The fighting scenes are intense and quite graphic, and the special effects are at an all time best in this film- castles, monsters, crowd scenes in battle, the destruction of Mordoer. Great cinematography, stunts and as always beautiful music by Howard Shore. Why did'nt they get John Williams ? O right. He's busy doing the score to the final Star Wars film installment. This is a great movie, heart-warming in its finale and a moving experience. Look for lots of great features, including behind the scenes footage and commentary and even a video game.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A must see
Review: The final piece of director Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings is definately a film worth seeing. Although it is about a half an hour too long, each ending (and there are about ten of them) was appropriate and needed to be veiwed in order to bring the trilogy to an end.
Since bringing these well loved books by JRR Tolkien to the screen was such a difficult process, it is understandable why it has gotten mixed reviews. Jackson had to meet the expectations of Tolkien fans all over the world while still making a film viewable for those of us who aren't obssessed with Lord Of The RIngs. The acting, with the excepetion of Ian Mckellan's Gandalf, was probably the worst part of the movie, but the special effects gives you back anything you feel you were deprived of.
Probably the best fantasy film ever made, this is definately the best of all three LOTR movies and deserves to be seen, if for no other reason than it received eleven oscars including best picture.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best Movie I Have Ever Seen
Review: Wow! That is really all I can say about this movie. One of the best movies I have seen in my entire life. When I viewed it on January 29, it was my second time seeing the movie in theatres. This story is about survival, friendship, good, and evil. This story takes place in Middle Earth. It is about the adventure of a hobbit named Frodo and his best friend Sam, who is also a hobbit, who are trying to get to Mount Doom to destroy an evil ring. This is the third and last movie in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The special effects are amazing like all of the other movies. Even though it is a very long movie, it went past very fast. I was totally glued to the screen the whole time. Some little children might be scared of the violence, but I think it is really up to the parent to decide whether or not to take their child to this movie. I don't want to say much more because I want you to check out the movie for yourself. This movie without a doubt deserves five stars. There were absolutely no flaws during the whole movie. I hope everyone checks this movie out and enjoys it as much as I did.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Truly loving the story means knowing the history...
Review: The Lord of the Rings, probably the greatest movie in 40 years, original work of JRR Tolkien, movie version by Peter Jackson, is completed in this final movie. The Elven civilization stands on the brink of destruction. While immortal beings they suffer from the "world weariness" and the only thing sustaining them and their works are the Three Rings of Power. But the Three are bound up with the power of the One. If Sauron gets his Ring back, then the Three will become corrupted and the last defenses will fall. But if they succeed, and the One Ring destroyed, the Three will die too. The Elves are doomed either way, but they fight on. Their only real hope is to evacuate back to Heaven in the True West.

While the Elves hold Sauron back on the magic/psychic plane, it falls on the last cultural offspring of Elven-teaching, the human empire of Gondor, to hold Mordor and the hordes of the east back militarily. The Gondorian Empire, once the most powerful force on Earth has decayed over the millennia to a kind of proud, venerable, but increasingly impotent Byzantium. If Gondor falls, so falls the World.

But Sauron has already beaten the forces of good all the way back to the heartland and the ancient capital, Minas Tirith the White City! There, the High Kings of old ruled. But the old royal line passed away a thousand years ago and Gondor has since been under the control of the Ruling Stewards, who are none too keen on giving up the throne for the "last of a ragged house long bereft of lordship." That means Aragorn, last survivor of the old royal bloodline of Numenor, and heir to the crown.

Since the Elves are doomed to depart the world whether the war is won or lost it is vital that Minas Tirith survive and hold back the tide, not only for the sake of the Free Peoples of the world and because it is the last bastion of law and order, of art, skill and technology, but more importantly Gondor will be the last civilization to be taught the "true" religion, the perception of the Blessed Realm in the Uttermost West. In fact the White Tree of Gondor is a sapling of the original Silver Tree of Heaven...and the last physical link to the divine.

Knowing the history increases the beauty and potency of the films...to know what is REALLY at stake: the loss of the wisdom and awareness of heaven, the threat of the establishment of a demonic empire.

As Denethor, Ruling Steward of Gondor, prepares for the war that will almost certainly end his nation, our heros return from victory over the fallen Wizard Saruman. As they and the people of Rohan rest and ready for the next stage of the war Pippin sneaks a look at the recovered Palantir of Isengard and comes face to face with the utter horror of Sauron, who had corrupted the seeing-stone network long ago. Gandalf and Pippin ride to Minas Tirith to assist and give warning while Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas help King Theoden muster the full strength of Rohan to ride to the defense of the White City.

Gandalf and Pippin come to the capital and find Denethor in a kind of proud despair. Grief from the loss of his eldest son, Boromir, and knowledge from the Palantir of the White Tower about the awesome power of Sauron and the horror facing the certain doom of his civilization and all it's works was driving him to madness. Gandalf is forced to gradually assume command of the defense of the City.

Frodo, Gollum, and Sam (who is the true hero of the tale) continue to make their way into Mordor. They face the rocky mountains of Mordor, horror of Minas Morgul, the treachery of Gollum, and the dreadfulness of Shelob before they finally enter the Black Land. Their final enemies on the trek to Mount Doom are deadly thirst and hunger and the sleepless watch of the Lidless Eye of Sauron.

The forces of Evil have come to the City. The Great Gates of Gondor are broken and enemies poor under the archway that no enemy had ever passed before. Hope is lost...

But there are forces at work besides the will of Evil. And they have not totally forgotten or abandoned the World...and that is an encouraging thought.

Nothing can prepare you for the climax and the bittersweet epilogue...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The end has come, but LOTR will endure forever
Review: Never before has my jaw literally dropped so many times in a theatre! The perfect end to the perfect trilogy. Not my favorite installment because I don't have one-they're all one movie and all essential to completing the story! Simply sensational end installment however and now truly a well deserved cultural phenomenon! Can't wait for the EE!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Horrible, absolutely horrible.
Review: Would one care to explain to me the exact purpose of this terrible film? I found myself overcome with nausea upon viewing this film. I must say, the performances of each and every one of the actors and actresses were woeful, and truly disturbing, in the least. How this truly awful film came to win so many Academy Awards (TM) remains but a cryptic occurence in a world copious with hate. The excessive length induced a severe bowel movement, which eventually forced me to miss the last hour and tweleve minutes in the cinema loo. I must say, though, that I was somewhat glad to have missed so much of this terrible film.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Quiet Power and a fine ending
Review: Like abstract art, The Return of the King, I found, was the most pyschological of the triology. Very intellectual yet subtle and moving, too. It focused more on "what if" scenarios, cleverly portrayed by a remarkably seasoned cast. By "what if" I mean you imagine what could happen. What could happen if Gollum succeeded in his plan? If Rohan fell? If the elves left, forever? If Frodo failed? If the steward of Gondor got the ring?

The movie, while lengthy, also had a certain aspect of quiet about it. The fairtale-ness of the Twin Towers and the missionary aspect of the Fellowship of the Ring shift to a more thoughtful sense of duty, of honor, of setting things back to the right path. I found a lot of dignity in Frodo and Sam's quest to climb Mt. Doom. Gollum's tortured existence is more clearly defined; pity is more easily attributed to him as he plots to break Frodo's and Sam's relationship and prey on Frodo's vulnerabilities. Gondor's steward is beautifully portrayed as the utterly unfair, ambitious and elegant madman.

While the ending was predictable (even for those who have not read the book) there is quiet power to this movie. The fellowship still exists. The mission is accomplished. Love reunites; peace is reassembled; calm and order reign freely.

I highly recommend this movie. The cast is noble. The dialogue more serious. The consequences of failure more concrete. Like poetry, the movie makes you think and pleasantly lingers in your thoughts as it teaches. Kudos on a job well done.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Crown Jewel, but wait to buy the Extended Version
Review: Yes, yes; Jackson and his fellowship have done an absolutely remarkable job with all of this, and, unless you are a hard-core collector who must have every single LOTR product, I suggest waiting to buy the Extended Version. These versions provide a better-paced, more thorough telling of the tale. And the added features will keep you busy for months.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A stellar climax to a truly great cinematic experience
Review: LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING should win the Oscar for best picture, and for three reasons: first, it was easily the best big-budget film of the year. The only films that I believe rival it in quality are small budget films:(...) 2004, I expect LORD OF THE RINGS to justly win not merely for the excellence of the third installment of the saga, but for the overall greatness of the three films.

The LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy is unquestionably one of the most successful cinematic treatments of a beloved work of literature the movies have ever seen. I know there are purists who would not have been satisfied by any conceivable film version, and that there are others who are more justifiably bothered by the omission of Tom Bombadil or the schizophrenic treatment of Gollum, but I think anyone willing to cut the movie even the tiniest bit of slack should be able to grant to the great achievement that this movie turned out to be. Of course, ironically it was only the growth of CGI technology that made the filming of this fantasy of lost ancient past possible. Twenty years ago, it would have been inconceivable that Treebeard could have been so satisfyingly come to life. Or Gollum. Or seeing hobbits, humans, elves, dwarves, wizards, and orcs all onscreen at the same time. I can honestly say that there was not a moment that I was consciously looking at special effects rather than balrogs or giant flying eagles or gigantic walking trees.

But all of this could be a kind of criticism--namely, that the success of the film depends merely on technology--if it weren't for the fact that the movie succeeds on multiple levels. The art design is the most memorable I can ever remember. I'll forever think of those beautiful pins for the capes that Frodo and Samwise wear all the way from Rivendale to Mordor. The makers of the film got more things right than they needed to, perfecting more detail than anyone could possibly have noticed. Without great acting, however, all of the technology and special effects and art and set design would be a royal place setting for junk, but fortunately the film was both marvelously cast and wonderfully acted. There might have been one or two casting decisions I might have questioned, but by and large the cast was stellar, a few so magnificently that it difficult now to see anyone else in that role. When the film was first announced, much of the debate was over who would portray Gandalf, and I remember some people being upset that not only was Sean Connery (the early favorite) not cast but an openly gay actor in the role instead. But it is now almost impossible to imagine anyone but Ian McKellan in the role. So many smaller roles made the film work, like David Wenham as Faramir (seen only a couple of years ago in the role of "Audrey" in MOULIN ROUGE), or Ian Holm as Bilbo, or Sean Bean as Boromir, or Cate Blanchett as Galadriel. The only weakness in the movie is one that probably couldn't be overcome (and one that Peter Jackson has acknowledged in interviews): Sauron. What can you do with a bad guy who is merely a giant flaming eyeball? Just not much potential to do much more than what they were able to do.

Peter Jackson deserves a special academy award for serving as the creative force that turned THE LORD OF THE RINGS into one of the great experiences in the history of cinema. Most of all, he deserves enormous credit for making all the technology subservient to the story, and not the other way around. The great battle for Minas Tirith might have devolved into a mere showcase for stellar special effects, like many moments in the past two STAR WARS films have, but not once did he lose touch with the human element, not there or at any other point. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title


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