Rating: 
Summary: I wanted SO much to love it...
Review: Don't get me wrong. I really like the movie. It moved me to tears a couple of times. But... (and you knew I was going to say that, didn't you?) but... WHY is my biggest comment/question. Why did Jackson include long, drawn-out scenes of events that never happened in the books, yet omit important pieces of the actual plot? Why did he twist characters into unrecognizable simulations of themselves? Major Spoilers Follow.... Three and a half hours long, yet Jackson can't bother telling you what happens to Saruman? Or even have Wormtongue toss the Palintir out the window? And WHY make Denethor look like "a spineless fool" as one reviewer called him - and that comment right there shows that because of Jackson the general public will now never understand that Denethor wasn't a coward. He wasn't even cruel. He was insane - the Palintir that he found and used was twisted by Sauron, and he went insane. But we never see that. Just gross, disgusting table manners, senseless cruelty to Faramir, and complete inability to defend the White City. Unreal. And completely unbelieveable. And then, to turn him into a cartoon-ish fireball plopping off the top of the city? Why, oh why? And then there were the events at the stairs. Why? Why have Frodo suddenly twisted by Gollum and tell Sam to go home? Because it had "cinematic value"? As if we needed to have some kind of "inner bond" with Frodo and Gollum? Pah-leeze! And then there was the return to the Shire - peaceful, idyllic, lovely. And apparently in a magical stasis field, completely protected from Saruman's evil. But hey, I suppose I could have lived with that, if Jackson had managed to get the scene at the Grey Havens right. Would it have hurt to even once mention that Frodo and Bilbo and Gandalf and the rest were going to the Undying Lands? And to make it the "last ship" leaving Middle Earth was ridiculous - when Tolkein was clear that later Sam, Gimli and Legolas also go to the Undying Lands, after the death of Aragorn, many years later. Oh, and Arwen - dying if the Ring isn't destroyed? Did we need that? Bad enough the Sword that Was Broken is reforged and brought to Aragorn by Elrond, apparently just so Elrond and Arwen could show up an extra time or two (unlike Saruman!!) but to add in some kind of magical "link" with Arwen and the One Ring? Huh? Is she suddenly the heart and soul of Middle Earth, or something? Excuse me? And hey, while we're talking about Arwen - never mind that she never even thought of leaving Middle Earth and taking ship at the Grey Havens, would it have killed Jackson to include the rest of Aragorn and Arwen's children? I mean, as long as they were going to show the son, why not also show the daughters? And Gandalf - although his little life-after-death speech was rather precious (and not in the book at all!) - why have him lose hope - more than once!?!?! Gandalf did NOT need reassurance from Aragorn to keep on going. At only one moment does he fear Frodo is dead, when the Mouth of Sauron presents the group with Frodo's belongings at the Black Gate (which would have been nice to see!), but it is a brief moment, and Gandalf never actually gives in to despair! Why do that to the character? Does Jackson have some desperate need to "humanize" The Enemy of Sauron, the Keeper of the Ring of Fire, sent by the Valar? Apparently so... And finally, Faramir and Eowyn. Yep, there they are side by side at the end. And how did they meet? Do we assume that it's just an accident of crowd management, or do they like each other? Too bad filmgoers unfamiliar with the books will never know the beauty of Eowyn and Faramir's romance. Ah well... Like I said - I liked the film. But in the end, it's a Hollywood adaption written by a scriptwriting team that was more concerned with special effects than the story. Jackson may have "loved" the books, but he obviously didn't understand Tolkein's underlying messages, which are virtually lost in the big-budget glitz. This story was never about fantasy and folklore, action and adventure - Tolkien himself was clear that it was a "very Christian, in fact Catholic tale". Too bad Jackson never seemed to truly understand that.
Rating: 
Summary: Much better than the cartoon version.
Review: I bought the dvd of the cartoon version after seeing this.This (as I guessed) is alot better. This is also better than The fellowship of the Ring,and The two towers.The beginning has good special effects,it shows Golumn before he turned into what he is.It also shows why he wants the ring so bad.Can't wait for the DVD,buy/or rent the first two,and go see this,you won't be dissapointed!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: The best
Review: Since the Lord of the Rings trilogy began two years ago it's had people on the edge of their seats, and now it's finally over. When 'The End' appears over the final reel you're left completely flabberghasted, astounded and satisfied. Return of the King is proof positive that Peter Jackson is one of the most exciting and imaginative directors around at the moment. The movies have already gathered critical and audience acclaim over the world, despite a few bitter reviews. The truth is that there hasn't been anything to rival The Lord of the Rings since Star Wars. The Matrix fizzled out, and Harry Potter seemed so obsessed with sticking rigidly to the words on the page (though in fairness, Chamber of Secrets showed a great deal more spark than The Sorceror's Stone). It's pretty pointless to map out the story, it's already been grounded by two movies of well over three hours each (if you're watching the extended versions). What remains so impressive is that Jackson can handle the epic and the personal so deftly, swooping away from his characters in the magnificent battle scenes and then back in a headlong collision course for the close-up. Various characters are improved upon in the third film, notably Merry and Pippin's friendship and Eowyn's love for Aragorn. All of the actors involved really come into their own, with Viggo Mortensen, Elijah Wood and Miranda Otto deserving particular mention for roles that deserve to be nominated at this year's Oscars, but will no doubt be overlooked. The movie's full of moments that will make a lump rise in your throat, keeping you on the edge of your seat and alternatively on the verge of tears without ever going over the top. Put simply, this is rousing stuff! Though it would be foolish to say the film is perfect, it wouldn't be an exaggerration to call the vision on a whole a masterpiece of modern cinema, something that will be remembered for years to come. It's epic on the big screen and completely pulls you in, even more so than the first two of the trilogy. A few critics have labelled the ending as badly handled and it's true that it drags somewhat, yet it's also true that the removal of the novel's The Scouring of the Shire chapter fits the overall feel of the movie well. Most of all though it just seems like niggling to pick at the parts of the movie that weren't as perfect as we might have liked them to be. Basically this is where it all comes together, and you can tell here more than anywhere just how committed everyone was to the films and how much they enjoyed making it as the majority of viewers enjoyed watching them. Finally, The Lord of the Rings will go down in history, and deservedly so.
Rating:
Summary: Near Perfect Conclusion
Review: WOW--For all those who have awaited the last segment of the trilogy--the wait is over and happily the resulting spectacle is well worth the wait. Director Peter Jackson, does not bore his audience with any kind of recap, he moves the story along from the endpoint of "The Two Towers", beginning this offering with a little flashback of Smeagol/Gollum's personal history with the ring that segues marvelously back to Frodo, Samwise and Gollum--fantastically recreated as a utterly believable computer generated being grafted with actual human acting---as they trek forward towards Mount Doom. Jackson successfully flips the story back to the others in the original fellowship as they prepare to participate in the ultimate battle for Gondor.
New characters, Denethor, the steward of Gondor and characters we barely glimpsed at like Faramir, Denethor's son and the younger brother of Boromir (of the original Fellowship) add poignancy and strife during a crucial time in the War of the Ring as Gandalf continues to bolster and utlitilize the weaknesses of man with his ultimate strength, trust and reliance on the powers of the truest archetype of "Good". Indeed, Jackson succeeds in presenting his audience with a panorama of Tolkien archetypes without offense--except perhaps in his very valid albeit slow representation of true-hero Samwise's steadfastness in the final advent to Mount Doom sequences. Most notable is Ian McKellan's Gandalf---a flawless performance that magically integrates with his snow-white light as well as other special Gandalf-effects: the calling of the eagles, the use of the staff to disperse the enemy and escort Faramir and his riders back through the Gate of Gondor. These are rendered wonderous, yet utterly believable. Slithering Gollom steals any scene that he is computer-generated into--I loved his crazy mutterings to himself and his utter hatred of "the fat one". The pluckiness of the Lady Eowyn and her utter desperation at the fall of her uncle during the battle for the Gate contrast admirably and most realistically. Her brave stand against the Witch King ranks as one of the film's most exciting moments; her love for Aragorn is displayed genuunely by the moistest eyes and the simplest gestures. Also shown poignantly is Aragorn's reluctance to relinquish his Ranger persona and take the reins of his kingship; his trek through the mountain pass on the eve of battle is remarkably fascinating and his love for his lady rings out clearly in the kingmaking pagentry at the the near end of the film. Arwen Evenstar's choice to become mortal or take ship when the time of the Three Rings has passed is depicted most stirringly in scenes with Elrond, her father---I still cannot get over the realism of all the elven people--the fine characteristics emphasized by the diffused lighting and the use of Tolkien's wonderful Elvish tongue---simply magical!
Jackson wraps up all the ends of his Tolkien interpretation expertly. If his presentation has a flaw it is only in his lingering on moments between Frodo and Samwise in the Mount Doom sequence and in their last moments together before Frodo departs with Gandalf. Although true to the book, while watching these moments, I felt as if I had already gotten the point and wanted to move on--more importantly after three and a half hours I simply wanted to move my legs!
Bottom line: This film and the others in the trilogy are masterpieces. All characters and special effects are utterly convincing--and will be watched over and over again. Bravo Mr. Jackson; I sincerely hope you are garnered with many awards this season!
Rating:
Summary: An engrossing epic that will take your breath away!
Review: What can I say about this film that has not already been said in the 300+ reviews so far? I don't know, but I'll give it a shot: First, I must say that while I am no Tolkien purist, I have read the Hobbit trilogy several times as a child, and as others here have commented, had my own view of this world in my mind. Certainly, however, I never could have dreamed that a once relatively obscure horror director such as Peter Jackson (e.g., Dead Alive) could do such an about face and create such a masterpiece outside his former genre. Here are the key elements that make this film work, as with the previous two. What is drama? This has been argued about since the times of the ancient Greeks. Without getting bogged down in philosophical discussion here, let's see what makes this film so "dramatic". My vision of a great drama is one that, while not so much celebrating humanity, embraces the human spirit. In Middle Earth, man is only one of several races to coexist (or not, as the case may be). Yet, each race, while exhibiting its own quirks and nuances, all seem too human upon exposure to the ancient evil of the One Ring. Jackson manages to touch on the latent evil desires that stir within the hearts of men, elves, dwarves, and orcs alike, something we view as essentially a human trait. Yet, man is not the centerpiece of this tale, but a hobbit named Frodo, who as we see bears scars, emotional and physical, from the enormous burden of being the Ringbearer. Samwise Gamgee is appointed the task of watching out for Frodo, and he does an admirable job. The agony, anguish, and despair that Sam suffers, most notably in Return of the King, really hit home for me. Having a grandfather who has Alzheimer's disease, it brings back memories of the powerlessness I have felt (and still feel) watching his descent into a dark place, and not being able to help him. Sam battles not only these feelings, but also his own urges to claim the Ring from Frodo, as we see in Mordor. I also appreciated the inclusion of Merry and Pippin in this film. Their separation before the great battle at Minas Tirith is an emotional one, to say the least. Their subsequent reunion on the battlefield is very touching indeed. Aragorn shines brightly in this film. He is the last beacon of hope as the darkness from Mordor engulfs Middle Earth. We got a taste of his leadership ability in his final charge on the enemy at Helm's Deep. Without spoiling the film for those who have not watched it, I will just say that his leadership of the riders of Rohan, both at Minas Tirith and the plains of Golgoroth (at the Black Gate of Mordor) is awe-inspiring. Such a brave, charismatic, loyal leader is reminiscient of King Arthur and his Round Table, stories that have fascinated me since childhood. I thought that Gandalf's role in Return of the King was much more developed than in the first two films. While not the centerpiece of attention, he does provide much needed leadership at Mina Tirith that the spineless Steward of Gondor does not provide. He is a character to watch in the film. The Ringwraiths make a terrifying comeback in this final installment. Returning to their chilling characterization of The Fellowship of the Ring, these specters of Mordor strike fear in the hearts of the bravest soldiers. An interesting showdown with the Witch King of the Nas Ghoul (spelling?) takes place on the battlefield at Minas Tirith. I think that audiences will be very suprised at the outcome. One thing I really appreciated about the film was Jackson's use of the "bird's eye view", pardon the pun. This made the story that much more sweeping and compelling. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time during the siege. Finally, Jackson of course gets kudos for the setting of the film (New Zealand). Its naturally stunning landscape doesn't exactly hurt the film. After seeing only bits and pieces of Mordor in the first two films, the domain of the dark lord Sauron is revealed to us in its own hideous glory. If there's a hell, I hope it doesn't resemble Mordor. Mount Doom lives up to its billing from The Fellowship of the Ring. I puposely leave out Gollum, as well as a few other key characters, in the interest of avoiding spoilers. Suffice it to say that Gollum, as Gandalf predicted, will play a key role in the events in the final film. Also, pay close attention to the first ten minutes of the movie. My only request to Peter Jackson: please don't make us wait until November 2004 for the DVD! Rating: Ten stars!
Rating:
Summary: A spectacular ending to an all time favorite trilogy
Review: After all years of waiting, we are finally at the last chapter of the much anticipated trilogy. Peter Jackson has brought us could be said one of his finest work to the audience. Different to the Two Towers, the Return of the King was at its best following all the essential plots of the books. This is something that all Tolkien lovers would want to see. The movie started off with the original Smeagle and the finding of the ring, reminding the audience of the origin and gave Andy Serkis a very good chance of showing the audience what he could do beyond the computer generated skin of Gollum. Then the story quickly dived back into what was left behind in the Two Towers. Peter Jackson did quite a bit of shuffling in time, which in fact gave the movie a more 3-dimensional view compared to the more linear approach in the book. It is good in a way that the audience could feel that events among the broken fellowship members are happening at the same time. So that despite the length of the movie, the audience won't have a dragging feeling at all. Frodo was now struggling between his desire to finish the mission and the greed created by the ring. He could feel the pity in Gollum and had the determination to avoid walking his old path, but the ring is struggling had for its own survival by trying to do its best to seduce the ring bearer. Sam and Gollum were fighting for the trust of Frodo. One meant to be devoted while the other meant to be murderous. Among all parties, this is the one that bear all the weights of the mission. Aragon was also struggling. He was struggling to yield to or to fight against his fate. He chose exile as a ranger to avoid the test of his bloodline as a descendent of the fallen king, but at the same time he knew very well that the road of the king is leading towards him. His urge of choosing cave into him when Arwen gave away her life grace and asked Elrond to reforge the sword of the King to him. It's a road of choice without a point of return - facing the fate and the deaths - also turning down a mortal offer of love from a shieldmaiden who determine to die in the battle for her people she loved. Viggo Mortensen had once again done a very good job for his role as Aragon and should receive all the credits for his work on this character. Legolas and Gimli received less coverage in the last movie and became more of supporting roles for Aragon. Afterall this is a movie about the long lost king, but they did form a golden triangle for the mission to bring back the king to the throne. The paths of the dead part was a bit short but very well done with the devoted performance of the party. Gimli as usual gave us the comical moments in serious battles and Legolas had all the stunts his fans want to see. The absence of the elves in the battle scenes of the last movie provided quite a bit of show time for the highly mobile elf to demonstrate what he could do. Merry and Pippin were broken apart this time each carrying a different mission and go into war and wield their swords. Pippin had grown a lot since the fellowship first formed but had not grown out of his stupidity yet. However he managed to redeem himself for certain deeds that he had done to save Gondor from the impotent Denethor. Merry went to war and determined to fight for Theodon till the end. He was aided by Eowyn who disguised herself with the determination to die. She was ruthless to the Fell Beast and the Nagul King. For Eowyn, she thought she lost all hope when the man whom she thought could understand and love her declined her before marching into the Path of the Dead. Miranda Otto did a great job as Eowyn and in this movie, she did receive more attention than she had in the Two Towers. There are lots of friendships and relationships in the Return of the King in addition to the actions around the Middle Earth. Sam and Frodo trust crisis, the triangle of Aragon, Arwen and Eowyn, which both ladies were willing to die for the man they loved, the interesting friendship betweeen the unlikelies - Legolas and Gimli, the love of Elrond for his only daughter, the love and hatred of Denethor for Boromir and Faramir, who are both his sons, Gandal as a mentor to Pippin and the devoted but unreturned love of Faramir for his father. All these made the movie more than a mindless action pack big budget movie - and this is the reason why we love Lord of the Rings. The producer surely had transformed all the imaginations of the fans about the books into real life without disappointing them. Although there are still bits and pieces of the book that are essential but not being shown in the theatrical release, they would be no doubt be inside the extended DVD version next year - for we have seen some of them in the trailers and the official pics. This version would also be long anticipated as the movie, but at the moment the movie would surely rule the theatres for quite a while as this is a movie that you would want to revisit again and again to get the most out of it.
Rating:
Summary: LOTR The Return of the King - A brilliant conclusion!
Review: The Lord of the Rings - "The Return of the King" and the preceding two movies will undoubtedly go down in history as the ultimate cinematic trilogy/epic to have ever graced the silver screen! Tolkien purists take heart for Peter Jackson's version is probably the best a director could've done with Tolkien's masterpiece giving great consideration to the width, breadth and scope of the entire epic. After having viewed the extended versions and all of the special features of the first two movies, one thing is certain, all those involved in the making of this epic, from the director down to the poor actors in orc suits poured as much attention to detail and love and affection for Tolkien's words into these movies as they possibly could. In "The Return of the King" we're not only treated to the exceptional conclusion of this epic story that has taken a total of two years to get to but we're also treated to even that much more in the way of amazing scenery and imagery as Peter Jackson brings this epic to its conclusion. The final battles between the combined forces of Gondor and Rohan against Sauron and his minions is, simply put, the most astonishing battle to have ever graced the silver screen! High praise goes to Elijah Wood, Ian McKellan, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen and all of the other exceptional actors that brought these fantasy/historical characters to life, throughout this and the preceding two movies. Exceptional high praise goes to Andy Serkis who brought Gollum to life despite not having actually been seen himself on screen until this third movie. Director Peter Jackson deserves all of the high praise and accolades that he has and will continue to receive for bringing "The Lord of the Rings" to fruition and doing it in such an incomparable manner considering that many attempts in the past to bring fantasy stories to the theaters have been done so poorly and resulted, almost all of the time, in flops. The Score for "The Return of the King" and the preceding two movies proved to be an exceptional accoutrement to the entire story. The Premise: From the opening scene in this movie, where we finally see Andy Serkis on the screen as Sméagol, in which it is a long time ago and his friend Deagol finds the ring and he becomes obsessed with it upon sight to the closing scenes which pay ultimate tribute to Tolkien's work, "The Return of the King" is an engaging and enthralling conclusion to everything that was set up in the first two films... I highly recommend this film and of course the preceding two to those that have not taken the opportunity to view J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece as perceived by director Peter Jackson and brought in magical detail to the silver screen and DVD! I don't know if Peter Jackson and company have any plans to do so but they certainly have the tools in place to bring "The Hobbit" to the silver screen as well and it would be an absolutely wondrous thing if he did! {ssintrepid}
Rating:
Summary: My Favourite Among The Three
Review: I thought that Return of the King was the most emotional of the trilogy. It really made me cry! I was even more suprised when i saw the guy in front of me weeping! He was about 18/19 and he had tears running down his cheeks! (honest!).
I enjoyed myself completely, and towards the end of the movie, i was actually wishing that it will not end (even after three hours and i was DESPERATE to go to the loos!). I knew that if the movie ended, then what would i look forward to at the end of 2004? The trilogy was a phenomenon! Twenty years from now, when i have my own children, i could just imagine my future son being obsessed with all things LOTR :the book, the movies,etc., just like how i was when i first saw Star Wars in 1996.
My favourite scene was the one with Eowyn in it. I admire Eowyn because she had the courage to be different. She refused to be stereotyped into the role of a woman, and she followed her heart, even when all around her said NO. I was pracically cheering for her when she was in the battle scene, when trying to protect Theoden. She's definitely my heroine in LOTR!
My hero, Legolas, did not make much appearances in the third installment. Nevertheless, Peter Jackson, got Orlando Bloom to do his stunts and that satisfied me a lot! By the way, I LOVE the outfit that Legolas wore at the end of the movie!It's so unique and so prince-ly.
Anyway, if you've seen the former two, you'll most definitely going to see this one. But, if you haven't, catch up by watching the extended versions and treat yourself to Return of the King, the last but definitely not least!
Rating:
Summary: The Return of the King Reigns Over This Years Movies
Review: Unlike the Matrix Trilogy, the Lord of the Rings epic gets better with each film. In the Return of the King, we find the movie that reigns supreme over this years many films. This supreme film is truly a crown in the jewel. The film wastes no time in getting started, starting off first with the history of Gollum, before going to the Ring-bearer's quest, and then onto Gandalf and company, who prepare for Sauron's ultimate attack upon the great city of Minas Tirith. The battle is phenomenal, Frodo's quest is epic, and the whole movie a triumph of imagination. My only problem with it was that it was rushed, and there was not that much talking about other things than "the great battle of our time". Still,The Return of the King is truly a grand spectacle.
Rating:
Summary: In My Mind's Eye
Review: I'm not going to have any delusions about the importance of my review in a field of reviews that is already 300 reviews long. But I wanted to get my own notes down while the film was fresh in my mind. Most of these have to do with what makes this series such a great success, even though it has a few glaring flaws. One has to keep in mind that Peter Jackson's intent was not to create a perfect duplicate of Tolkein's sweeping story, but to capture its essence and recreate the effect the Ring has when we first encountered the books. Especially for those viewers who had never read the books in the first place. I believe he has done exactly that. For me, who has read the story some seven times, this film and its predecessors create the same excitement I felt on my first encounters when LOTR was still a fresh story. In the process of doing so, Jackson has rearranged and glossed the story, something I suspect is unavoidable in an undertaking many would have thought was completely impossible. One thing Jack does extraordinarily well is recreate the scenes which first appeared in my mind's eye. Not once during the film did I suddenly get brought up cold and say "that's not the way it really looked." This is no mean achievement when Jackson's task isn't to just please me, but to create images that will work for the millions of minds that were Tolkein fans long before filming it was anthing more than a twinkling in somebody's eye. Certainly, for me, Jackson has managed to crystallize some visions that were previously only fuzzy. With the exception of one or two of the actors. This last challenge, the acting, is probably the worst that a director could face. Everyone has their own internal images of how each character looked and sounded. Jackson's task - to find a happy compromise between all of our visions - really is an impossible one. So for the most part he has used the approach of providing neutral performances upon which each of us can hang our personal baggage and feel at home. Some performances, such as Ian Mckellan's are nearly perfect, because Gandalf is such a known quantity. But Liv Tyler as Arwen is a bit too subdued for my tastes. But she succeeds by not overly jarring my own thoughts about Arwen. Thus, while some of the acting is borderline from one viewpoint or another, nothing is jarringly out of place. Thus, by combining a miracle display of special effects and creative design with a cast which is always within believable parameters, each viewer can find his or her 'Ring' and carry away the satisfaction of having seen a fantasy recreated.
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