Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant
Review: This is the best movie I have ever seen, I used to not be a fan but what a mistake that was. If you don't like it watch the first one again because that is the secret to falling in love with these movies and books. A must see.
Rating:
Summary: A Question of Racism?
Review: This isn't so much a review (I am writing one soon) as a short response to certain individuals who believe The Lord of the Rings films to be racist. The colors of black and white have been used to symbolize many things, and yes at times they represent evil and good - "black" symbolizes darkness and the unknown while "white" represents clarity and light. In this case, skin color is a non-factor. If anything, this film series turns the notion of white and black as good and evil on it's ear, because the villainous Sarumon was a "White" Wizard before Gandalf became so...and it's his evil army that bore the mark of the "White Hand of Sarumon" on their faces and armor! Obviously the African American Film Critics Association didn't detect any racism when they chose Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King as the best film of the year, and neither should anyone else!
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent!
Review: Peter Jackson, the director, of LOTR(bypassed for an Academy Award for the first two parts of the Tolkien trilogy) turns in a magnificent film that is easily the best of the three "Rings" films, the best film of the year, and definitely cements the absolute need for the Academy to award him with a Director's Oscar this year. The length of the film and the darkness of the struggle may prove to be too much for some, but the viewer is treated to a visual and audio masterpiece that succeeds in every major way. Others have gone into the list of the cast, and the plotline up to this point, so I should suffice to say that, the company of men, elf, dwarf and hobbits that has set out to destroy a ring that enthralls good men to evil, completes its quest. Much of the movie is aligned into three major subplots. In each, Jackson spends the time it takes to develop bonds between his characters, and not let them get lost at the expense of the scenery and plot. The constant is hobbits Frodo and Sam, with the ring, and accompanied (thanks to CGI wizardry)by the creature Gollum to the land of the dead, Mordor, where the evil Sauron rules and plots to overthrow the kingdoms of elves and men. The film begins with a scene that gives us the origins of Gollum, and helps those watching without story familiarity, to understand the struggle between good and evil that vests in the very nature of Gollum. Somehow, again, in this plotline, Jackson is able to convey, through the camera and careful direction, a palpable hunger between anyone who comes in contact with the Ring, and the Ring itself. This plotline continues throughout the entire film, and the bleak landscape and feeling of dread follow the three throughout. I was especially impressed by the CGI of the creature "She", especially in her capture of Frodo. Frodo and Sam's relationship has to withstand many tests, but I found the most telling moment between them occurred after they were in safety, as Frodo awakes, and greets his friends one by one. As Sam enters the room, the look between them is everything - a true measure of friendship without words, as only two people who've been to hell and back can express their bond. Gandalf stays, for the most part, with the main plot, an attack on the men of Gondor, at their stronghold, Minis Tirith. Words cannot do justice to the special effects and camerawork used to film Minis Tirith from a distance, and to film the action sequences, with a cast of hundreds and hundreds, within the walls. Surpassing the battle for Helm's Deep in film 2, one of the most poignant moments at Minis Tirith is when its prince, Faramir, is sent by his father, the city's steward Denethor, out to meet the insurgents with a small company, facing certain death. In this scene, Jackson gives us the faces of hopelessness in the city's women and children. The small sublplot between Denethor and Faramir, and the Gandalf's anger at Denethor, is one of those rich textures that Jackson didn't leave out of the film to cut its running time. Bravo! Jackson gives us a real bond that Tolkien did not emphasize between the hobbit Pippen and Gandalf. They start out at odds, but the hobbit grows in stature with Gandalf, in the way he conducts himself in the city. Merry, Pippen's usual sidekick, is left behind with Aragorn, the future king, Legolas the Elf and Gimli the dwarf. Merry proves his mettle in learning to fight with Eowen, princess of the Rohan. Aragorn and the rest of his small company make a trip into the land of the dead -- raising an army there is a special effects triumph. In the battle scene for Minis Tirith, spectacle is displaced by even greater spectacle. Mordor's army is menacing and huge, with catapaults and several varieties of terrible creatures we've come to label as "Orcs". Severed heads of Gondor's slain soldiers are used to frighten those within the city. Reconnaissance for the army is in the form of the dreadful and amazing fell beasts(flying dragons), with the chief rider (the faceless creature Nazgul) one of the truly frightening beings on the screen. When the riders of Rodan arrive, the incredible spectacle of their charge, and their willingness to lay it all on the line for the future of mankind, is palpable. The impact of their forces attacking the Orc army is almost too terrible to behold. Only Miranda Otto (as Eowyn, Princess of the Rohan), of the women in the film, is given a lion's sized role. Her scene defending her father, with Merry's help, on the battlefield, is amazing. The effects used to have her attack the Fell Beast and the Nazgul, are without peer. Finally, the marauding of the mercenaries who join Mordor, using stealthy ships and attacking with perhaps the best CGI effects in the film, in the form of the the marauding "oliphaunts", slain in creative ways. Viggo Mortenson, as Aragorn, becomes truly "kingly" in this adventure. His speeches to the troops are truly stirring, and he is the epitome of what Tolkien had in mind for his king in the movie's end. Lastly, Annie Lennox's haunting melody during the credits wraps up what is truly a magical movie experience. I much like the expression one of the other reviewers used here---
for 3 hours, this film truly made me forget "I have a life". Majestic and wonderful...gotta see the Imax version.
Rating:
Summary: The End of the Fellowship.
Review: Like the previous two installment films of THE LORD OF THE RINGS, there are some things that Peter Jackson changed from the books; some things that were left out; and a heck of a lot done right. THE RETURN OF THE KING is a monumental piece of cinematic spectacular. It is true to the spirit of the original work and brings the series to a bitter-sweet conclusion. The acting is wonderful (especially for a fantasy film), the special effects unlike anything ever seen, the story remarkable, etc. Even if you missed the first two films (and especially if you saw FELLOWSHIP but missed TWO TOWERS) this is the one you definitely want to see before it leaves theatres. Besides some nit-picking things changed from the novel, the only complaint I have about the film is how long the first half of the last fourth of the movie went. I mean, it takes forever for Frodo and Sam to climb halfway up Mount Doom and then it goes on even longer as the Frodo dangles the ring over the pit before succumbing to it's temptation. Other than that, this is the shortest and best three and a half hour film you'll probably ever see.
Rating: 
Summary: Bored Of The Rings!
Review: Though this may sound contradictory to other reviewers' raves about this movie, I have to admit that I was well and truly bored of the rings by the time it had ended. After episode 2, "Return of the King" is just more of the same stuff - battle scenes with orcs, doubts and soul-searching on the part of the defenders and that irritating Gollom thing talking to itself and, as we know it is going to do even if we haven't read the books, try and steal the ring. It's so obvious. I just wish they had lopped off his head and had done with the ugly thing in the first 5 minutes. Is it just me or does Gollom look just like Dobby out of Harry Potter? The result is something quite unexceptional in either case. I can't deny that "Return" is well directed and acted, and the mix of CGIs and real characters was not overbalanced - that's something George Lucas should learn from! It's not the fault of the filmakers that the movie was so boring, but of Tolkein the writer! When the ring finally met its demise, that should have been the end of it, except maybe for a scene at the end to show that everyone is alive and going to live happily ever after, but instead the story just drags ona nd on which accentuates the anti-climax of the ring being thrown into the lava, which was noting special either, after about 8 hours-worth of film by that time! For some reason Frodo goes off on boat, but we are not told why. Maybe Tolkein was thinking writing another Middle Earth trash...I mean trilogy, who knows? I'm just glad he didn't.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece!
Review: The Lord of the Rings trilogies are, in my opinion, the most brilliant and visually stunning movies ever made. Peter Jackson was born to direct the J.R.R. Tolkien classic, and his vision of Middle Earth is captivating. Since I cannot review the first two movies, Fellowship and Towers, (Amazon has been inundated) I will just sum up my thoughts with this third and final installment, The Return of the King. This movie, just like it's two predecessors, is AMAZING. Superbly acted (I'm taken away by Viggo), powerfully directed and filmed, and completely seamless in visual and special effects. ROTK is the knockout conclusion we have all been waiting for. Prior to going, my partner and I watched the first two on DVD, then went to the theater. We left feeling such a sense of gratification and astonishment. The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and now, The Return of the King are cinematic masterpieces that have inspired me and moved me. I look forward to the release of ROTK on DVD, and will cherish all three films for the rest of my days.
Rating:
Summary: Can I have 5 additional stars for this one???
Review: This movie ROCKED!!!!!!! I laughed, I cried, I held on to the edge of my seat, my heart sank, then soared. It was like have every human emotion put on the spin cycle. I saw it twice and I am dying to see it at 100 more times. And I am an adult who knows how overpriced movie tickets are! I don't want to give away anything to someone who hasn't already seen it but this movie brings closure to everything left hanging in the last movie. I hadn't read the last book yet because once I saw the first two movies, I didn't want to spoil the surprise of the end. I was glad I waited because I feel like I truly felt the way Peter Jackson wanted me to feel while watching it. The Aragon/Legolas/Gimli storyline was wonderful but I feel like there will be even more on the extended edition that I cannot wait to get. The Elrond/Arwen/Aragon story was beautiful and touching. Frodo/Sam/Gollum - one comment - I love Sam! He is the best of what is good in the world. Merry/Pippin - made all hobbits and men proud. Gandalf, Elrond, Theoden, and Galadriel kept things on the right track guiding the men (and women) to fulfill there destiny. Eomer and Faramir, brave warriors til the end. And of course Arwen and Eowyn showed they were more than just pretty faces. Also, if you are the least bit sensitive - take a tissue. If you are like me, take a box. I spent the last half of the movie crying. The complete stranger beside me thought I had lost my mind. So did my husband though! This movie trilogy is the best movies of all times. Peter Jackson is a genius. The cast is so wonderful. The makers of this film make you feel so drawn to the story of these people and you want to be there beside them fighting the Orcs or walking through Rivendell with them. You fall in love with all of the men because no real men are truly that loving and in touch with their emotions. And only a man that looks as good as Orlando Bloom could make pointy ears look good - Spock from Star Trek could never pull that off! This movie is about good vs. evil and you can't beat that! It makes you feel like a kid in a fairy tale again. If Peter Jackson and this movie do not win every award available at the Academy Awards - it proves that the people who judge that award do not care about what people who watch it really think. This movie is the Gone with the Wind of our generation!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: A Tour de Force! "Return of the King" is Majestic
Review: I have just returned from seeing the "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King", and I can truly say that, if ever a movie has come close to achieving perfection, this is the film. Each installment of Peter Jackson's masterful interpretation of the classic novel by J.R.R. Tolkien have been incredible, weaving an intricate and beautiful story into images that are completely mesmerizing-and yet, as good as the first two installments, the massive and robust "The Fellowship of the Ring", and "The Two Towers" are, "Return of the King" is better. This third and concluding chapter in the "Ring" series draws together the quest that was begun with the fellowship of nine in the original film. As Mordor prepares to launch war on Middle-Earth, Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin), under the mis-direction of Gollum are nearing their destination, Mt. Doom, where the one-ring can finally be destroyed. Gollum, whose mind has long been corrupted by the ring, has devised a plan to kill Frodo and Sam so that he can re-claim the ring for himself. Elsewhere, Aragorn (Viggo Mortinsen), Theodin (Bernard Hill), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Gimli (John Rhyes-Davies) and the powerful wizard Gandalf (the incredibe Ian McKellan), are preparing for the ensuing battle that is about to be unleashed on the kingly city, Gandor. In a desperate effort to raise an army, this small alliance of man, elf, dwarf and wizard set out to recruit every able-bodied man to fight in a war that will decide forever the fate of Middle Earth. The massive scope of this film is, at times, unbelievable, in that it is far more collosal than any depiction of war ever seen on screen. The battle sequences, which contain armies in the tens of thousands, are filmed with a level of complexity that put audiences on the battle field with the characters on screen. At the same time, the film balances the intense war sequences with the tender and intimate relationships that defined the fellowship from the very beginning. As Sam and Frodo, in the final third of the film, are about to enter Mt. Doom, Frodo collapses, and, in a performance worthy of the Oscars, Sam consoles his friend, and then lifts him onto his shoulders to help Frodo complete the journey they set out on together. The moment is tender, in spite of the intense situation they find themselves in. It is that balance of humanity and action that makes the movie more than a fantasy story, but rather a true epic in every sense of the word. Everything, from the ground-breaking special effects, to the costumes, weapons, sets and set-pieces are so well thought-out, so completely and meticulously detailed, that Middle Earth truly feels like a real place; something out of history instead of a movie. The beautiful city of Gondor is breath-taking: set in the side of a mountain, it looks like one of the great cities found in Italy during the hightimes of the Roman empire. In contrast, the horrific realm of Mordor oozes with the abysmal darkness of an evil that is both ancient and powerful. If there is going to be a set of films that will define as this time-periods classics, then the entire "Lord of the Rings" series could very well be the ones, with "The Return of the King" standing as a pinnacle in the achievements of one director's vision to bring to life one of the most beloved, most read novels of all time. This is the one of the great ones, and it stands alone. Aptly named "The Return of the King", its majesty is untouchable...and it truly is the masterpiece of our time. -Scott Kolecki
Rating:
Summary: Beyond Words...
Review: This is truly an epic movie. Beautiful in every aspect of the word. I can't think of enough words to describe it.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: Simply a masterpiece... A phenomenal ending to the greatest trilogy of all time. "King" does what many fantasy/adventure films fail to do: it seemlessly blends together spectacular special effects with powerful, emotional storytelling. Jackson creates a vision so real that at times I found myself wondering when they found Middle Earth. Sam emerges as the hero of the film, displaying undying devotion to his friend and their mission. The battle scenes are simply a wonder, and all the characters were marvelously portrayed. I've seen it twice already and can't wait to see it
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