Rating: 
Summary: Obviously I haven't seen the DVD yet
Review: This movie is amazing. Some critics have said it lacked the emotion of the first film and focused mainly on combat and less on characters. But I think when the Rohirim charge over the field of orcs it shows something of Theoden's character, especially in his speech before they charge. And Aragorn's "For Frodo" charge, while not in the book, shows his total belief and faith in the path laid before him and his trust in Frodo to truly end the conflict. Then there are the interactions between Sam, Frodo and Gollum. The trio deserves Academy awards for their amazing performances. The emotional state of Denethor is not difficult to see either. Gandalf is perfectly portrayed as the stern yet wise wizard who leads the people of middle earth on, even when his advice seems unwise. He truly encompasses Tolkien's views on how the world changed from WWI and WWII and how the nature of war itself changed because of them. Gimli and Legolas' characters are the only ones that got a little undercut. While he and Legolas are representative characters and do not have as much growth in the story as the rest do, it is sad that Gimli becomes the comic relief dwarf and Legolas the one who lets the audience know exactly what they are fighting (orcs!) and then performs some over the top fighting sequence. It would be nice to see a little more of their growth too, but then again, we already have five characters undergoing major changes, to add two more might just bog the whole thing down. The additional scenes with Eowyn are great and provide more growth for a character that was underdone in the books, if you ask me. Arwen again feels like she's there solely because they paid so much for Liv that they had to use her, but still Jackson keeps her character relevant and well portrayed. Elrond too gets more screen time in the movie than he has in the book, but he does take the place of several other characters and it would've been a shame not to see more of Hugo Weaving. Merry and Pippen are also well done if not perfectly. You get a real sense of just how big everything must seem to these little people. Overall, character growth is well done. As for the adaptation of the original material, a movie and a book are two very different forms of media, and the two cannot and should not be compared. The books are great, and so are the movies, but they are apples and oranges. The omissions of certain scenes from the theatrical release will not doubt make their way into the extended version, such as the confrontation of Saruman, the use of the Palantir by Denethor, and possibly even the small romance between Faramir and Eowyn. Peter Jackson has confirmed the first one, and the last one seems hinted at since Faramir and Eowyn are standing next to each other at the end. The second is not necessary, but it would be nice to see. I would love to see the Orc Chieften's death scene, although it would require much work on Peter Jackson's part to portray, as it is not a major scene in the book. Over all, the additions to the extended version should be plenty and will make the movie even more satisfying for all. The special effects are obviously amazing and the battle scenes leave nothing to the imagination. The Rohirim's attack on the Haradim is one of the best scenes in the movie, as is the siege of Minas Tirith. Shelob looks perfectly creepy and people in the theater cringed at the sight of her. As for the numerous endings, it would've been unheard of it Peter Jackson had ended it with the destruction of the ring, and simply had a voice over tell us what happened to the characters. It would've been equally unfulfilling of they ended with Aragorn becoming king. To show that Frodo could not live the rest of his life in the shire was important to his character, and needed to be presented in contrast to Sam, who was totally content to live out his days fully involved in Hobbiton. And if the movie did not end with Sam saying the final lines of the book, people would be up in arms. Peter Jackson had a difficult task with the ending of Return of the King because it wasn't just an ending to a movie; it was an ending to all three films. And he pulls it off with amazing skill, something to rival even the greatest of filmmakers. This can be said for all three films, a true treasure that will hopefully be revered as such for many years to come. You must see this movie if you haven't, and the whole trilogy if you haven't. There are no excuses for not seeing them.
Rating:
Summary: One of the absolute best films I have ever seen
Review: If I could give this movie 6 stars, I would do it in a heartbeat. This movie is one of the top 5 movies I have ever seen in my life. If you love fantasy movies, this would be most likely your number 1 choice. I haven't read the book(s) to it (them) yet, but I would have to say that J.R.R. Tolkien is an outstanding and astonishing imaginative genius. I definitely think that he is a hell of a lot better storyteller than L. Frank Baum, no offense. I am really glad that all 3 of the movies had received the Academy Awards that they got, especially The Return of the King. I think that EVERYTHING that is done in ALL of The Lord of the Rings movies, especially this movie, are beautifully crafted and achieved in a way that you will cherish this trilogy for the rest of your life.
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest tales ever told
Review: This is by far the best picture I have ever seen. It combines every aspect of a good film, compasion, love, loyalty, friendship, and of course, hard-core battle sequenses. It cannot be passed by because of its 200 minute running time, which is many people's reason. The story is so fully developed though, I suggest watch "Fellowship" and "Two Towers" before the Return of the King.
Another great thing about ROTK, is the stirring performances by every actor (or actress) in it. My favorite was Ian McKellen with Gandalf.
There are so many other great things about this movie, but if you like any of the aspects of film listed above, I suggest you see Return of the King. (It won 11 Academy Awards too, so there's another reason it is so great.)
Rating:
Summary: Probably the GREATEST movie of all time..
Review: I never thought it would be one of the biggest success of the filming industry. Won 11 Academy awards including best picture and the biggest grossed out film of the year. ROTK is a movie i highly recommend. "It's better than 1 and 2 combined," says Elijah Wood. And it was. It's also better than the extended versions all together. The most remarkable things in the movie were the visual effects, the score and the storyline. It had the best (i think) battle sequences. I guess the smallest person can change the course of the earth. Or maybe it won't. You just have to find out yourself. Hopefully you find this review helpful. Like I said it's worth every penny. If you're planning to buy this, do so.
Rating:
Summary: Probably the GREATEST movie of all time..
Review: I've watched all of the movies including the extended versions and this was the best movie of all three. I didnt think that peter jackson would be one of the biggest success winning 11 academy awards including best picture. It took a while waiting for the ending from the path of the king, wizard, and the hobbits. The visual effects were one of the most remarkable things in the movie especially the battle sequences. The storyline was also remarkable. GREAT MOVIE. A+ "****"
Rating:
Summary: The Star Wars of our time
Review: This final installment of Lord of the Rings is, at last, the conclusion to an epic saga that has been unspooling on screen only recently, but long since concluded in Tolkien's novels. Very quickly, those who have read the book are separated from those who have not - while the other movies were distinctly different enough to provide some surprises, the end is a foregone conclusion. It's all a matter of how sensitively Peter Jackson handles the emotions, the actors, and the plot. Fortunately, Jackson grew as a director. Where the second film felt uneven, the movement between several different groups (Frodo and Sam, Pippin and Gandalf, Merry and Eowyn) is flawless. The film never loses its rhythm until the end, and by then we all need a breather. My biggest concern about the film was the final battle. It only makes sense that Sauron would use the various troop types (flying forces, elite troops, heavy cavalry) to the fullest. Jackson does not disappoint. Trolls in battle armor wade into the fray as mumakils stomp on horses like ants. Wraiths on rothes tear up and terrify the unprepared human forces. And of course, orcs are everywhere; squealing, chortling, cackling, hacking, and dying. Jackson strikes the perfect balance between emotional pathos on screen and his desire to craft a war film. That desire was a little too strong in the second film, where orcs ran up to a fortification with polearms in hand. Polearms exist almost exclusively to 1) stop other polearms and 2) stop the unstoppable charge of cavalry. To use them in an assault on a castle is just plain silly. Jackson used them for effect ("Lookit all those polearms!") but stopped just short of having the orcs start uselessly whacking away at the stones. In Return of the King, the orcs are led by a weirdly deformed pig-like orc named Gorbag who provides some actual leadership. He orders his orcs to set their pikes for a charge when the Rohirrim cavalry arrives. He orders his archers to fire at the right times. And he's such a bad ass, when a huge stone is catapulted towards him, he merely steps a few feet aside and spits at the projectile. Given all that attention, you would think Gorbag would get a cool fight scene like Lurtz did. No such luck. In fact, there are a few things that seem to be missing from the film. Certainly, the Mouth of Sauron is nowhere to be found (he'll be on the extended version, of course). There are also some unfulfilled promises, such as when the Witch King promises to "crush the White Wizard." He doesn't even go near Gandalf. But those are minor quibbles that are noticeable only after seeing the film in the theater six times. There are so many great moments that it's hard to keep track of them all: From Aragorn transforming into a leader before our very eyes, to Legolas taking down a mumakil single-handedly, from a song by Pippin as Faramir charges to his doom, to the last charge of Denethor off the cliff of Isengard. There is joy, there is sorrow, and there are inevitably plenty of tears - on screen and in the audience. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the Star Wars of our time. It is a parable about the importance of friendship in a world gone mad, a world that will always have a parallel in geopolitical events. It stands as a testament to Jackon's and Tolkien's vision that the film works on so many levels, as an action film, as an allegory, as a romance, as a fairy tale, as a political commentary, and as a popcorn flick.
Rating:
Summary: Quite Possibly one of the greatest movies ever.
Review: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the best movie of 2003 and is quite possible the best movie ever. It is on the top of the charts in almost every category except for most nominated, and it's not too far from the top. This movie is much more deserving of eleven oscars and one billion dollars plus at the box office than the piece of trash sleeper that's supposed to potray the Titanic disaster. The Return of the King leads in all of the categories that potray a movie: action (and I mean action!), tradgedy, drama, love, visual effects, directing and producing, and story. The action, as I'm sure you've realized, is my favorite part. The movie has plenty of sequences. Legolas's bow and arrow rocks, as does Gimli's axe and Aragorn's sword. Gandalf, Merry, and Pippin also get to participate this time as well. There's also plenty of humor in the action. Let's not forget Gimli's comment on Legolas's big kill ("It still only counts as one!") and the confrontation between Theoden's niece and the Nazghul king ("You fool, don't you realize that no man can defeat me?""Well, then, it's a good thing I'm a woman!"). The love in this movie is fantastic. Aragorn and Arwen are constantly thinking about each other like true lovers (and no adultery and betrayal like other movies (Titanic...Cough, cough))
and the love (like the kind between true friends) that the hobbits show to each other is moving and powerful. This movie is definetly one of the best movies ever. Actually, I think it IS the best movie ever!
Rating:
Summary: To all you haters off CGI out there....
Review: Why is the fact that LOTR contains CGI shots an excuse for some people giving it a low rating? Imagine you were Peter Jackson, and you are called to direct a scene where twenty 50 foot high elephants are charging at the camera, with 6000+ horsemen charging from behind. How could you possibly film that without CGI? Imagine directing the Battle of the Pellenor Fields without CGI. What would you have the director do? Cast 500'000 extras to stand in formation for weeks of shooting, or create the whole scene in an hour using the 'sinful' computer? I would like to see all the people who rated this film 1-star because it used CGI try to film a tower the size of Barad-Dur collapsing with a 1000ft volcano erupting in the background in real life, without a computer. It CANNOT be done, so don't have a go at the directors for using CGI methods. ps. To all the insanely politically correct people who moan at the film because there are no 'goodies' who are black. I happen to find the scene where Saruman the WHITE goes over to the dark side EXTREMELY offensive, because it insults my race, and had such an effect on me that I cried in a darkened room for days. pps. (The previous sentence should be read with the maximum degree of sarcasm physically possible.)
Rating: 
Summary: Contains Ending
Review: Well this was a relativly good movie but in the end everyone is just fine and dandy after the main big battle when in the book there is like 3-5 more chapters before they leave middle earth and in the first movie in the part when sam looking ot the basin that shows the future he sees the scouring of the shire by sarumon it was an ok movie but i thought i was cheated out of the ending
Rating:
Summary: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Review: The greatest movie since The Godfather. The 3rd installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy restores the glory of Hollywood and the beauty of the Academy Awards. Claiming 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director (Peter Jackson), it became of the the only three movies ever to win 11 oscars (Titanic, Ben-Hur). I have never seen a movie as beautifully done and powerful as the Return of the King. Peter Jackson will go down as one of the greatest directors of all time. As for the acting: incredible. I was extremily impressed with Sean Astin as Samwise Gamgee, Frodo's best friend. His incredible performance was ignored by the Academy. His performance was full of emotion and was the greatest performance since... well a long time. Elijah Wood was also incredible with his role as Frodo Baggins, a hobbit on his way to Mordor with Sam to destroy the One Ring. Viggo Mortensen delivered an outstanding, beautiful performance. Also ignored by the Academy was Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf the White. Although he did recieve a nomination in 2001 for Best Supporting Actor as Gandalf the Grey in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. This movie had the best visual effect since STAR WARS, another icredible movie. This movie is more than a fantasy, it is an incredible tale of friendship, courage and spirit. A true masterpiece.
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