Rating: 
Summary: Return of the King is the finest fantasy film of all time!
Review: Return of the King, where do I begin...there are not enough adjectives to describe what an astounding cinematic achievement this film is. The one-two punch delivered by Return of the King through inspired acting, and the incredible CGI effects, is simply amazing. Tolkien's story and inspiration brought out the best in all the people who contributed to these films, most especially Director Peter Jackson. I don't see how any person who views Return of the King could walk out of the theatre not feeling completely satisfied. Some reviewers, and other viewers of the film have taken issue with the long ending(s), but I believe the manner in which the film comes to it's conclusion is very appropriate and ties up all loose ends. Nothing is left to the imagination for the viewer as to what happens to all the characters. Return of the King, and the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, are films for the ages.
Rating:
Summary: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Movie Review
Review: Now that I have seen all three of director Peter Jackson's brilliant "Lord of the Rings" movies I can finally relax and read author J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" book-trilogy. In fact, I also feel like reading his book "The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again", the prelude to "Lord of the Rings". I can't wait to read them! The reason I want to read those fascinating books is because I am inspired by Peter Jackson's brilliant "Lord of the Rings" movie-trilogy which is based on author J.R.R. Tolkien's books, of coarse. "The Fellowship of the Ring" is a stunning movie to start the trilogy. Its sequel, "The Two Towers", is pretty breath-taking and it is better than "Fellowship of the Ring". But when I saw its sequel "The Return of the King", the last movie in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, I was amazed! There really isn't any word that can describe how good this movie is. I'll just call it the best movie in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Well, for now anyway. In fact "The Return of the King" is, in no doubt, the best movie of 2003! It is a movie that will never be forgotten. The battle scenes are incredible! The acting is superb! The drama is very touching! The cinematography is very well-done! The music (score) is wonderful! And the special effects are amazing because they look very realistic! There are some scenes in this movie that are pretty terrifying. For instance the parts with Shelob, who is a terrible giant-spider, and when the movie shows scenes with the Nazgul-Lord are pretty terrifying parts and create some good horror in the movie: making it even more amazing than it already is. The director (Peter Jackson), the crew, and the cast-members of "Lord of the Rings" movie-trilogy all deserve an Oscar for their fantastic success in this brilliant movie! Some might say that the ending is too long. But it did not bother me much at all. I think that the ending is great and very touching: putting a wonderful end to the brilliant "Lord of the Rings" movie-trilogy. If you have seen the first and second "Lord of the Rings" movies then I highly recommend that you go and see "The Return of the King" in the theatre! It is a phenomenon! Maybe that's the word that can describe how good this movie is. And, like its two predecessors, "Return of the King" is very adventurous!
Rating:
Summary: HAIL TO THE KING!!!!!!!!
Review: What a way to end a masterpiece of movie magic!
I laughed,I cried,and my jaw dropped in awe at how
incredibly cool some of scenes were shot. Yeah
the ending dragged a bit,and alot of liberties
were taken with the script. All in all I enjoyed
the LOTR trilogy very much, P.J. and the entire
cast,crew etc. etc. did such a phenomenal job of
making these movies. I anxiously await the
extended DVD version, I just hope I don't have
to wait too long.
Rating:
Summary: The triumphant ending to the greatest films of all time
Review: When I saw The Return Of The King, I was filled with much anticipation on how the grand trilogy will come to its close. When I left the theater that day, from a movie with a length thats extremely worth the watch, I was stunned. No other trilogy or set of films has had such an ending like The Return Of The King. Peter Jackson and his team have definately made their greatest triumph. The minor errors in the films do not even hinder the flow of the film. The thing that also strikes me about the film is the music. The film makers made the wise decision of Howard Shore for all three films and the voice talent of Annie Lennox for RoTK's closing song, "Into The West". The sound, special effects, and most of all, the acting all define the perfect film. Despite all of the bickering from the Tolkien family, I feel that if he was alive today, the films ARE the way he would've intended them to turn out. To call something the greatest film of all time is a rarity these days. All people can really say is that The Lord Of The Rings trilogy will serve as the strongest example of why movies are made and will become screen legend for years to come.
Rating: 
Summary: Full Circle
Review: Return of the King, although amazing battle sequences and special effects appropriately abound, ends as it should - with an emphasis on the fates of the four Hobbits with whom the Lord of the Rings trilogy first began, all of them very good people having to deal with experiences that none of them should have had to go through. Such is war - whether in Middle Earth or the real world.As it begins, Smeagol/Gollum is pulling together his plans to kill Frodo and Sam to take the ring for himself. Sam is acutely aware of this, but with Frodo unwilling to give the creature his walking papers (which considering his obsession would probably involve killing him), all loyal Sam can do is wait for Smeagol/Gollum to make his move as proximity to Mordor makes Frodo's mission ever more dangerous. Meanwhile, Frodo's young cousins, best friends Merry and Pippin, are having their own serious problems. After they're reunited with the rest of the surviving Fellowship at Isengard, well intentioned but terminally curious Pippin picks up Saruman's palantir. He then makes the biggest mistake of his life when he later takes a better look - and comes into direct contact with Sauron himself. The good news is that Pippin has somehow managed to keep Sauron from learning about Frodo's mission, and he has inadvertently drawn attention away from Frodo and Sam. The bad news is that the Dark Lord now thinks Pippin himself has the ring. This time, no chiding from Gandalf is necessary, as Pippin's actions have caused a side effect that, for him, is worse than any punishment the wizard could have thought up - he's going to have to leave Merry. Pippin's glance into Sauron's mind has revealed to Gandalf the Dark Lord's next move - he plans to destroy Minas Tirith, the capital city of their fallen companion Boromir's beloved Gondor. Gandalf and Pippin arrive at Minas Tirith in time to dig their heels in - and Pippin does what he can to help as we see the horrors of a full-fledged siege through his eyes and he finds himself in the middle of the twisted family issues between Boromir's father Denethor and brother Faramir. Meanwhile, Gondor does not go unaided. With some urging from Aragorn, Theoden of Rohan prepares to go to her defense. The Rohirrim's chances of success are slim, however, so Aragorn - with Legolas and Gimli with him as always - goes for some most unusual help. Merry, knowing that Pippin is among those who might already be dying in the city, has no intention of just sitting by and doing nothing. It seems that he's in for an agonizing wait, however, with none of the Rohirrim horsemen willing to take him on as a passenger and express orders from Theoden to stay put - until he finds sympathy and aid in carrying out his intentions from a most unexpected source. So it is that he joins the cavalry charge that will turn into little more than a suicide mission if Aragorn does not arrive back in time. All the valiant efforts of the free peoples of Middle Earth will be for nothing, however, if Frodo fails. And Frodo, with only Sam to bolster his will and the power of the ring warping his judgement, is systematically weakening... The big moments and special effects of the movie are a sight to behold. The sweeping attack on Minas Tirith is truly frightening, and the charge of the Rohirrim, when it comes, is simply astonishing. Smeagol/Gollum is once again an utter masterpiece. But the real reason why people have loved this story for decades is the relationships between the main characters. At heart, it's all about the power of love between family and friends - and Peter Jackson has included plenty of quieter moments that remind us why we care so much about what happens to these people. There is, as with Fellowship and Two Towers, much left out even with the impressively long running time. As before, the extended edition will presumably fill in alot of missing pieces and address many concerns of book readers - hence my reservation of one star. As the trilogy closes, in the final analysis no, it's not the book - but on the whole we've been given a stunning interpretation of the War of the Rings that generally stayed true to Tolkien's vision, gave us some remarkable visuals that brought our wildest imaginings to life on film, and gave us wonderful interpretations of some of the most beloved characters in literature.
Rating:
Summary: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King is Supreme!
Review: Yes! Yes! Yes! Finally a sequel that is better than the film before. This film the third and the last of the Peter Jackson directed Lord Of The Rings trilogy is the ultimate best. Very rarely do filmmakers make a movie about two men (a buddy film) and bring forth so much emotion and drama. This one was dramatic, suspenseful, action-packed and emotion in many ways. Had grown men crying in the theatre. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King should win the Academy Award for Outstanding Motion Picture. Elijah Wood, Sean Astin and Ian McKellen out did themselves this time.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: Well-rounded, exciting, well-written, Peter Jackson has a true masterpiece. Through Tolkien storytelling, Jackson created an outstanding trilogy of the Lord of the Rings!!!! I love how the different characters stories were wrapped up!!
Rating:
Summary: The Best Film of 2003 Deserves To Be Seen More Than Once
Review: Having seen "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" twice, I am convinced that this is undoubtedly not only the best film of 2003, but also one of the finest films ever made within the past thirty years. It is truly an instant contemporary classic which film scholars will rank alongside such classics as David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia" and Cecil B. DeMille's "Ben Hur". I hope that it won't be ignored by the American Motion Picture Academy Awards when the Oscars are awarded early next year. To his credit, Peter Jackson's last film is the one in the trilogy which adheres most closely to Tolkien's classic text. However, there are several scenes in this film which were added solely for dramatic effect, most notably Pippin's handling of the Palantir at Edoras, and the forging of Anduil - "the sword that was broken but now remade" - by Elrond (Both scenes actually occur much earlier in the trilogy; the former soon after the Battle of Helm's Deep in a military camp; the latter soon after the formation of the Fellowship of the Ring at the Council of Elrond.). But these are relatively minor criticisms of Jackson's latest masterpiece, which once more adheres more closely to Tolkien's spirit and intentions for the trilogy. The ensemble acting remains terrific, though several members of the cast deserve highest praise. Sean Astin's performance of Samwise Gamgee will be long remembered as among the most riveting, emotionally powerful performances in a film of this kind, adding considerable depth to a courageous figure already evident in the second Lord of the Rings film. Elijah Wood's Frodo is yet another riveting performance, showing both the good and bad aspects of this hobbit's nature. Bernard Hill's King Theoden is a noble man at peace with himself, recognizing his imminent doom outside of the gates of Minas Tirith. Miranda Otto's Eowyn is the finest performance from the female members of the cast, emphasizing both the tranquil and martial aspects of the Rohan princess' nature. And Andy Serkis's Gollum/Smeagol is perhaps the most fascinating portrayal of a twisted, emotionally unstable figure I have seen on film. Howard Shore's latest, brilliant score is a splendid musical companion to the events unfolding on screen, replete with exceptional solo performances from flutist James Galway and opera singer Renee Fleming. It is a magnificient score of Wagnerian and Mahlerian proportions deserving of frequent performances in concert halls worldwide. Those who have not seen "Lord of the Ring: Return of the King" should head to the nearest cinema immediately. It is truly not only one of the finest films of the year, but will be remembered as one of the finest films of all time.
Rating:
Summary: A SPECTACULAR CINEMATIC FEAT, AND NOT JUST OF CGI
Review: I confess I don't much care about the mini-moves and the sub-themes in all the three installments (thanks in no small measure to the year long gaps in between) but this LOTR finale is a delightfully sweeping, emotionally charged, visually spectacular conclusion that transports you to another world and grips every last fiber of your being. The things that have worked for the first two sets work as fantastically as ever. The bad guys are flying around on these fearsome, shrieking dragons now, and I shuddered each time one flew across the screen (note: sound is perfect.) Frodo and Sam face an enormous spider that is one of the most convincing special effects in recent memory, made all the more terrifying by director Peter Jackson's heralded sense of horror-film timing. (Just when you think it's safe....) And then there's the battle of Gondor itself, so colossal it makes the battle for Helm's Deep look like a drive-by shooting. You wondered how they'd keep it from looking like a repeat of the Helm's Deep battle when it's almost the exact same situation? Well, every bit of it is bigger, grander, more exciting, than before. The trilogy never feels more magnificent than it does in these sequences. Put simply: "Return of the King" is majestic beyond all measures. Technically, and for its visual effects alone, I'd be willing to wager it will sweep any and all Oscars available in the category. And yet, the single most brilliant tenet of the trilogy has been, and continues to be, its ability to deliver such magnificent visuals without forsaking the humanity of the work. I can think of many films (including some trilogies) that dazzle me with spectacle but never make me feel anything for the characters themselves -- The Matrix for instance which got all tangled up in its own self-important yet doozy theme. The "Lord of the Rings" set has managed both, and continues to do so here. When it all ends, and the many stories are wrapped up in a succession of final scenes, it's awesome to contemplate how much life has been infused in these action-oriented tales. Stuff that legends are made of. I highly recommend watching the movie, and grabbing the DVD when it is out.
Rating:
Summary: The capper to the greatest movie trilogy of all time
Review: I rarely review movies here on Amazon, but I feel compelled to do so at least to add my 5 stars to the long list of others who preceded me. I am one of those LOTR snobs who have read the book several times and expected a lot from all of these movies. I was thrilled when the Fellowship of the Ring was released in 2001. I was awed by the Two Towers, which was even better than FOTR, I thought. I didn't see how ROTK could live up to the standard Peter Jackson had raised himself with his first two movies. He deserves all the credit and awards the fans and the movie industry can give to him for having done so. I was emotionally spent when I left this movie from seeing scene after scene of people, places and deeds that I had only been able to imagine in my mind for lo these last 27 years, since first reading LOTR in high school: Minas Tirith. Dunharrow and the Paths of the Dead. The muster of the Rohirrim. The Battle of the Pellenor Fields. Cirith Ungol. Shelob. And, so not to spoil, all of the other climactic events that are told in the book. It was, for me--a great fan and admirer of the books--the most moving cinematic experience of my life. If I could only give more stars, I would.
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