Peter Jackson and his armies of actors and technicians have managed to do what the Wachowski brothers and George Lucas could not: make a perfect trilogy.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:232
Fresh:218
Rotten:14
Average Rating:8.6/10
Consensus: A moving and satisfying conclusion to a great trilogy.
Runtime: 4 hrs 10 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
US Box Office: $376,958,965
Synopsis: THE RETURN OF THE KING, the third and final film in Peter Jackson's THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, finds Middle-earth on the cusp of great change. Weary hobbits Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean... THE RETURN OF THE KING, the third and final film in Peter Jackson's THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, finds Middle-earth on the cusp of great change. Weary hobbits Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) venture further into the dark realm of Mordor, guided by the increasingly desperate Gollum (Andy Serkis), the two-faced former owner of the Ring that Frodo must destroy in the fires of Mount Doom. Meanwhile Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) contend with the deranged ruler Denethor (John Noble) at the once-mighty city of Minas Tirith, as Merry (Dominic Monaghan) joins Éowyn (Miranda Otto) and the Riders of Rohan to hold back the forces of Sauron. Amidst the chaos, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) must rise to his destiny, aided by Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) in assembling allies for a massive battle that will decide the fate of Middle-earth. With RETURN, Jackson brings J.R.R. Tolkien's world-renowned tale to a stunning conclusion. As with THE TWO TOWERS, the director deftly weaves various storylines together in one remarkable scene after another. Spectacular visuals complement Jackson's sharp focus on the characters and their emotional battles. While the special effects help to create huge battles and frightening creatures on a previously unseen scale, they never outshine the excellent ensemble of actors who bring the heart of the story home. A truly astounding work of filmmaking, THE RETURN OF THE KING skillfully concludes one of the greatest trilogies in cinema history. [More]
Starring: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin
Starring: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Miranda Otto, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Bernard Hill, John Noble, David Wenham, Liv Tyler, Hugo Weaving, Karl Urban, Cate Blanchett, Marton Csokas, Ian Holm
Director: Peter Jackson
Director: Peter Jackson
Screenwriter: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson
Producer: Barrie M. Osborne, Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson
Composer: Howard Shore
Studio: New Line Cinema
Reviews for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The word trilogy, which was handed such a black eye by the Matrix movies, is restored to its proper dignity with Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
The second installment was better than the first, and this one is best of all.
An enormously exciting, exquisite, even exhausting, cinematic experience. Definitely one of the 10 BEST of 2003 - and the film to beat at this year's Oscars!
As the journey comes to an end, it's hard as a movie buff to think of anything on the movie horizon that could be more exciting and well-executed than "Return of the King."
I was more impressed by the first chapters, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, on DVD than I was in theaters .... Back in a multiplex for No. 3, I felt blitz-bombed again.
Peter Jackson's final installment in his monumental The Lord of the Rings represents that filmmaking rarity -- a third part of a trilogy that is decisively the best of the lot.
Though it will take snobs another decade or so to admit it, here lies the end of a major landmark in film history.
Even if The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers had not preceded it, Return of the King would rank among the greatest achievements of cinema.
Like all the other installments in the saga, The Return of the King is part of a good movie, but only mediocre on its own, full of awkward pauses and redundancies.
A rich, layered tale of a king, a wizard and two little hobbits whose courage saved their world.
[The] trilogy is, by any measure, a crowning moment in cinema history ... So why is the final installment, less than awesome?
Looking at the sum of its parts, The Lord of the Rings is probably the best trilogy ever made
Take a moment to breathe a sigh of relief and satisfaction before this movie begins. It may be your last breath for the next three hours.
A movie that exceeds even the most formidable expectations without straying from its singular path.
This film is everything a fan could want and possibly more. For three-plus hours, it entertains, enthralls and awes.
It not only stands as fantasy filmmaking on a peak of previously unscaled proportions, it now officially takes its place in the Great Hall of Movie Mythology, the place we return to again and again to share our dreams.
Peter Jackson had truly taken me to the place J.R.R. Tolkien created.
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