Rating: 
Summary: Thrilling end game
Review: The stunning finale to the Lord of the Rings trilogy is simply mesmerizing. It simply awed me being transported into Middle earth in such a way.
. We can fully experience the danger and pathos experienced by Frodo (Elijah Woods) and Samwise (Sean Astin) as they travel through the depths of Mordor, needing to survive Orcs, the giant spider Shelob, and the scummy Gollum (Andy Serkis).
The movie actually begins with tracing the story of Gollum, the foul murder he commits to achieve the wring, and how he becomes the creepy wraith that lives underground. The movie also explores in depth, the torment of Arwen (Liv Tyler) and her decision to surrender her immortality for her love for Aragorn, who despite being the heir to the throne of the Dunedain, and the messiah of mankind (of sorts) on Middle Earth is a man nonetheless. This is portrayed in conversations with her father, the great elf lord, Elrond, and her visions. The Battle of Pellenor Fields and the siege of Gondor, where Gandalf (Ian McLellan) takes charge of the troops, Aragorn's feat in recruiting the dead men of Dunharrow, and the charge of the Rohirrim, give us a feel for the heroism of the West, fighting for all that is good against the dark forces of Mordor (Orcs, Trolls and evil men , as well as yet other darker more powerful creatures such as the Nazgul and their terrible flying steeds). It is indeed vital today, to give us the fighting strength, to defend our Western Judeo-Christian civilization, against the forces of Communism and Islamic Fundamentalism, and it rung a cord with me, the chilling parallel, as the forces of darkness moved forward , against a fearful and resolute West in Middle Earth. Granting us the straight perhaps, for our own fight for good. No room for moral relativism of Middle Earth. Saruman tried that, aided by the Noam Chomsky-like Wormtongue and was destroyed.
Rating:
Summary: Should you buy the DVD?
Review: That's an easy one! Sure, I have both editions of the two previous movies, do I regret buying the 2 disc edition when I watched the Special Extended Edition? No. Each one has interesting extras, and if you like Tolkien`s creation, you never got tired of reading and watching about it. The Return of the King is, for me, one of the best movies, simply because I feel sad when it ends, knowing that there won't be more next year, so the only thing I can do is: watching all three of them again and again in my Home Theater. There are rumors that the Special Extendend Edition of this movie will have over an hour of extra footage!! So, letÂ's be patient and prepare to enjoy one of the best movies of all time in our own home!.
Rating: 
Summary: Good show, but...
Review: Jackson's epic trilogy's conclusion sadly failed to deliver for me. Having read the original Tolkien works naturally set immense (unachievable?) expectations of any attempt on film. The first film I considered a super effort - true to both Tolkien's word and vision. Unfortunately I fear the cinematographer in Jackson overcame his vision of Tolkien's work, and much of the subtlety and nuance of the (lengthy and detailed) story of the Lord of the Rings was lost.
For instance, literary scholars have often commented upon Tolkien's personal distaste for the impact of industrialisation upon the natural environment - a strong theme throughout LOTR, with the forces of good closely identifying with nature (elves from the woods, hobbits of the shire, even wizards that can talk to birds and trees) and of course Saruman's industry representing the force of darkness (destroying Fangorn, building weapons of war, etc.). In the written work Sam is given a gift by Galadriel in the first book of a small box filled with earth from Lothlorien and a single Mellon tree seed (the huge trees where the elves live in Lothrorien), which he carries with him faithfully throughout their quest and 'reseeds' the shire when the hobbits return home right at the end. Indeed each of the characters of the fellowship all have their own substantial tales to tell, and in my opinion many of the right seeds were sown in the first film. Sadly the character progression ebbed in The Two Towers, though a visual treat it was indeed.
The third and final chapter sadly fails to deliver the full payload for each of the characters which makes the real depth of the original work and has maintained its high popularity and appeal. Jackson had the opportunity (and the expectation) that making the three films in one go would facilitate delivering on long story arcs spanning the three chapters, which it did cinematagraphically, but sadly not on the character front.
Too much time is spent revelling in the back story of Smeagol/Gollum, whilst the focus on other important characters (the fellowship plus Eomer/Eowyn/etc from Rohan) was blurred.
Reading this back I feel rather harsh as Peter has succeeded in the best effort ever to represent on screen the best selling book of the twentieth century, second only to the bible.
Maximum use is made of superb New Zealand countryside, and technology is truly used complementarily to best tell the tale.
Whilst it would be impractical to seek to tell all that resides in the extensive books, this rendition fell short of telling enough to give satisfaction.
In some respects I think that even what was sought to be told lacked the careful thinking and planning evident in the first film and felt rather hastily assembled and lacking soundness. Fingers crossed the extended edition does a bit more justice. That said I don't think we can expect to see the scouring of the shire or the political changes in Gondor (I weep that PJ failed to deliver the party under the new tree planted by Sam when they return back to the shire the year after Bilbo's party - that would have crowned the piece in so many ways).
Well worth a punt if you've not read the books, but if you buy this note that I hope it encourages you to buy the book to get the real full value of the story of the one ring!
Rating:
Summary: The Masterpiece of all Masterpieces
Review: I was among the first to witness the true brilliance of the most phenominal film I have ever seen. Never in my life have I felt so much for a single film. Never have I seen such purity and excellence. From its haunting opening to its electrifying grand finale, I was hopelessly gripped as I watched the emotion and action overflow out of the screen. By the end of the film, not one eye in the theatre was dry. "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" is the explosive epic conclusion to Peter Jackson's three-part adaption of J.R.R Tolkein's magnificent triology, and will go down in history as the greatest film ever made, the Masterpiece of all Masterpieces. The film picks up where "The Two Towers" left off. The eye of Sauron is moving, scanning endlessly for the One Ring. The armies of orc are forever gathering as the races of Man, Elf, Dwarf, Hobbit and Wizard alike prepare for the great battle of the Third Age, the ultimate war for good to triumph over evil once and for all. As the eve of the battle approaches, the reluctant heir of Gondor, Aragorn, finally begins to comprehend the importance of taking his place as king. Meanwhile, the fate of Middle Earth dangles from the neck of the tiny Ring-Barer, Frodo. The days are growing darker as he, Sam and the subdued Gollum continue towards the heart of Mordor. It is this part of the film which left me absolutely speechless. As Frodo strides closer to the fires of Mount Doom, the beckoning magnetic pull towards the Ring, sees the utter deterioation of his innocent soal. There is so much emotion in this film, so many feelings as the most important morals are put to their tests. Loyalty, friendship, hope, love, sacrifice, trust must overcome all evil burdens ... but can Frodo overcome HIS evil burden? By the finale of "The Return of the King", I had grown so attached to Tolkein's characters, that some of their endevours were almost too heartbreaking to bare. Peter Jackson unwittingly lured me into Tolkein's world of Middle Earth so that you, too, became a character. By the conclusion I never thought I could find the strength to leave. Flared by the greatest battle scenes ever seen on film, a heartwrenching musical score, breath-taking scenes, brilliant emotion and amazing acting from all characters, lose yourself in the utter captivating experience, the mesorising "Return of the King" - the Masterpiece of all Masterpieces!
Rating: 
Summary: A Mixed Bag
Review: In a film as long as The Return of the King there are bound to be a number of highs and lows- starting with the length of the movie. For hard core fans, it's a big plus; three and a half hours of getting lost in this fantasy world. For those less fervent about the series, there's far too much staring into the mist that doesn't serve the plot, and the battle scenes are just endless displays of gore done in a video game style. Again, for those who grew up with this it's great, and for those looking for a more "realistic" feel- if you can use that word here- it's disappointing. (Of course many of the special effects worked very well- the armies of the dead who appear at the end- nicely done. And the computer generated city of Gondor did feel as though it were made of stone and not pixels.) The makers of this film certainly paid attention to audience reviews- each successive film has had less exposition, less character development and more action and violence. The first episode was criticized by some for its lack of "action"- the second had a big battle and far less exposition. The final chapter has almost no exposition and seems at times to be half battle scenes. My date said she hadn't seen the second movie and wondered if she'd be able to follow the story. Afterwards she noted that it wasn't a porblem, as there wasn't much story to follow: Big battle at Gondor, Frodo delivers the ring. The acting spans quite a range, from excellent to so-so. There are some outstanding performances- Viggo Mortensen has consistantly been noted for his portrayal of a classic heroic character, and certainly the marketing of the film recognizes that. Orlando Bloom is a favorite of young female fans, but doesn't seem to actually say much. Christopher Lee's brief appearance was first rate, and really makes McKellan's wizard pale in comparison. John Noble's Denothir and Bernard Hill's Theoden were both excellent and brought to mind many classic sword-and-shield epics. But I didn't care much at all for Elijah Wood's performance, which seemed to alternate between two expressions conveying either great fear or extreme cuteness. Half of the time he's swooning about like a Victorian heroine overcome. There's simply nothing heroic at all about his performance. Sean Astin's Sam Gangee has been lauded by many critics but struck me as very forced, alternating between bathos and (again) cuteness. The character in the book- like all the hobbits- had a much harder edge than Astin brings to the role. The biggest problem with this movie- and with so many others in recent years, I'll admit- is that there are simply no suprises, no plot turns and nothing at all that ever makes the audience gasp or react with surprise. You *know* that Frodo makes it, that Aragorn regains the throne, that Gondor is saved and so forth. None of this matters to the typical young moviegoer who is mainly interested in the action and the effects, so for them, give it five stars. To the devout Tolkein reader looking for an accurate portrayal of the books, three stars. And to the moviegoer looking for a nuanced story and character development- you wouldn't be reading this anyway.
Rating:
Summary: The Best
Review: Have loved The Tolkien Trilogy for almost 50 years now and reread it about every 5 years with a different perception as I age. Movies never live up to the books they are based on so I wasn't prepared to be so stunned and captivated. I'm not much of a movie goer but have gone to this one several times already and will be buying the extended DVD as soon as it is released; have been thinking "I need a big screen tv or maybe we can build a small theater at home just to watch these over and over again." I've never felt this way about any film, ever. Thank you Peter Jackson & Co. for having taste, imagination and yet knowing when Tolkien's vision was perfect as is. Thank you for letting the movie/story carry the film, not big-name movie stars. Thank you for bringing to "life" this saga within my lifetime. All 3 movies are classics that will last through time.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Movie
Review: *************Five Stars, Plus!!!!!! A wonderful movie. A movie you can watch again and again and still feel like it's the first time you've seen it. I rarely watch a movie twice, but the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy has got me. I've seen all three and have seen No. 1 and No. 2 way more than once and will continue to watch them over and over again. You can't help but be mesmerized. Can't wait for Return of the King DVD to come out.
Rating:
Summary: The first masterpiece of the trilogy - astonishing!
Review: It goes without saying that I have not been a huge fan of the LOTR series at all. The first film is corny and overdrawn, and most of The Two Towers suffers from what many middle sections of 2-hour movies do - the 2nd act drag. Only at the end of The Two Towers do Frodo and Sam and the gang really feel like they're becoming fleshed-out characters and not just action figures charging a castle wall. If you look closely at the end of Towers, it's Sam's speech to Frodo about the possibility of them becoming legends that the movie begins to whisper of what's to come, and what has come to pass in The Return of the King is...well...astounding. I tell you, reader, if you're not terribly fond of The Lord of the Rings, it is the compelling, deeply-moving final film that shows of what director Peter Jackson is truly capable. Actor Andy Serkis's Gollum has been a joy to watch ever since he appeared on screen in Towers, even despite constant ribbing by Saturday Night Live and the fact that, yeah, he does sound a little silly when he menacingly screeches "My preciousssssssss!" every few minutes. The Return of the King takes a moment to bring additional depth and meaning to Gollum's character by showing his first discovery of the ring even before "The Return of the King" logo graces the screen. Luckily, Gollum is not the only character in the film that is made into a living, breathing, three-dimensional being and not a comic book caricature. The whole film seems to take on a lush, heavy air of true dramatic consequence that seemed to be holding back before. Frodo and Sam are ever-so-closer to reaching Mordor; Aragorn is coming ever-so-closer to his destiny as, well, look at the title; and (in the most inspiringly great plot move of the film) Merry, Pippin, and Eowyn show their capacity for uncanny acts of heroism they've had in them all along. In addition, Gandalf kicks more Middle Earth butt like he was born to do while protecting Pippin (who is thought to have the ring), and the time for the final battle for the Middle Earth comes nearer by the minute. It seems like a lot is going on, but this third film is remarkably the easiest to follow and also the most accessible. The third film also has a few huge advantages that work in its favor: (1) it actually has an end (and what an ending!), (2) the characters have had more than 6 screen hours to develop, so they're at their peaks here, and (3) the tension leading to that do-it-or-die moment is worth two years of waiting. It's more obvious than ever by King that all three movies are just one big movie chopped into three parts, but that means that this is the equivalent of a no-holds-barred, all-the-stops-out, slam-bang finale of a 2-hour movie -- and that's exactly what it feels like. The Battle of Helm's deep looks like nothing compared to the steadily-climaxing action of The Return of the King. Unlike some of the scenes in the first two films, the action seems to have a purpose here, and this reviewer will admit - I alternated between tears and the giddy excitement of a schoolboy throughout most of the movie. I'm sure that will be a common reaction. At the same time, Frodo's greed for the ring, and how it affects his relationship with Sam reminded me of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Elijah Wood is no Bogie, but he certainly can conjure up that all-encompassing greed when he wants to. I may get annoyed when he says "Mr. Frodo," but Sean Astin's Sam is really a standout character here - he's kind of been the 2nd string sidekick in the past two, but he actually gets the honor of carrying the film to its remarkably quiet and moving finale even after displaying his prodigious talent as a young actor in the tense Mordor sequence. This may sound like a blanket comment, but everyone is simply fantastic in the film - even when they've been not-so-much earlier. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a compelling tale of redemption and heroism, and in a way, it has redeemed itself through this smashingly fantastic film.Yes, it does slip in a few moments (most notably at the very end, when it could end about 6 different times, but give Jackson some slack - it had to be hard to let go of it), but I really don't feel it was detrimental to the end result of the movie at all. The last 20 minutes or so, even when it's doing the ending fakeouts, it's a tearjerker - not only for what it means for the third film, but for what it means for the trilogy as a whole. I found myself smiling through being choked up at the end in one of the great scenes of the whole 10 hours of the epic: a group of people (I won't say who, for it might spoil things for those die-hard fans out there) sit around a table in a tavern clutching their ale and simply sit in silence. They've been through so much that words won't work. At times, I wonder if words will even work to describe what a great feat of American filmmaking The Return of the King is. I can give only this: Congratulations, Peter Jackson, you've made a masterpiece. Grade: A
Rating:
Summary: Incredible. But Mildly Problematic
Review: There are many reviews about the extraordinary qualities of these three movies, with Return being the climactic high point in both a narrative sense and a cinematic sense as well. I havent felt this attatched to characters in a long time and realize that this trilogy has raised the bar in so many ways. My one fault (who cares if it doesnt follow the book completely-it got a million people reading the books! Actually reading!) is that there are some racial steriotypes hanging around...like the asians in their closely resembling junks and the orc hybrids looking extremely African American...I understand that there needs to be a basis for every character, but making all humans and elfs in the movie aryan was just a tad annoying. Superficial, yes to a degree, but this is a movie that will live on, and I hope that that doesnt date it. In any case a must see film.
Rating:
Summary: spectacularly awesome!
Review: I wasn't dissapointed at all. Even though it does not have the grandeur as the fellowship(which got me reading the books back in 2002), I thought it was so spectacular in execution and the amazing special effects just left me in awe. I really think even Tolkien himself would be proud of this achievement, maybe not storywise but moviewise it did him justice. I've read the trilogy, the hobbit & even the silmarillion. As much as i know the tolkien world, I think Peter Jackson is the only director brave enough to handle such a huge project and he didn't fail despite many criticisms. You can't please everybody right? I can't wait to get my hands on th extended dvd versions.
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