The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

[Impact]

Review, Discuss and Have Fun!

[Impact]

One of the greatest films ever. Fantastic ending as well. Glad it won Best Picture.A+++

[TheMovieman]

Yep, fantastic movie and fantastic trilogy all around. I really need to revisit all of them (I have the extended editions on Blu-ray), might take a weekend to sit back and do that.

[Noctis]

My least favorite of the trilogy. By far.

Edited December 6, 2012 by Noctis

[Cedarpoint1111]

Fantastic movie, 9/10

[KDS]

Second favorite film of all time.

[Heretic]

Perfect end to the greatest trilogy of all time. A+

[nAlkaline]

Easy...A. A stunning ending to, in my opinion, the most ambitious filmmaking endeavor of all time.

[peludo]

A+. My least favorite movie of trilogy but absolutely great.

[CoolioD1]

Amazing third act of the greatest movie ever made.

[BoxOfficeZ]

(My review from 2004) Probably one of the most overrated film of all time, I was appalled when the it won 11 Oscars. Peter Jackson basically changed Tolkien's trilogy into a inferior story about a fantasy war vaguely based on the books.Don't get me wrong, the CGI is great, and the music is very good too, but that's where I stop there. The acting is decent among the cast, though some of the cast choices like Eowyn and Aragorn are a little puzzling. I would have preferred Sean Bean as Aragorn to be honest.Now one typical defense by Peter Jackson fans is that it would have been too long to include everything from the book. I don't mind changes, but if it turns it into something its not, that's where I'd disagree.Eowyn was turned into a cheap feminist. Of course they make Gimli the butt of the jokes, which destroys the character. He's seen as totally useless, and always makes dumb jokes, which is typical according to Hollywood standards being a short person, of course cannot be taken seriously as an individual. The characters are mere shadows of what they were. Aragorn for example, is turned into a typical confused person who's not sure what his role is. Then we come up to the racism part, Peter Jackon's Hollywood version is that the world is composed of white people who do important things and the brown people who help them. In the film almost everyone that is a main character has blue eyes (even Gollum). Naturally, Legolas is given blonde hair, which makes the elves seem almost Aryan.Also, Peter Jackson's LOTR world makes no sense. Minas Tirith for example, sits in a desert of green, with no human structures around it . No crops, nothing. Same for Edoras and Rivendell. It makes it seem like they're isolated places in the wilderness. Sadly, Jackson has left a significant obstacle in the way of someone else from taking up the franchise and doing the job right, hopefully for The Hobbit, it isn't the same.Peter Jackson and Hollywood has succeeded where Sauron fails, he destroys the world of Middle-Earth.C+

Edited November 12, 2011 by BoxOfficeZ

[GiantCALBears]

one of the greatest films/trilogies/whatever of all timeI can watch this series 100 times and still find it awesome which is very rare from any movie and I know many feel the same way (those who aren't bored from it)

[IndustriousAngel]

From the fact that we're regulars at the triple-nonstop-showing every december at my theatre, it can be gathered that we like Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" very much (I tend to count them as one over-long film as that is really what it is). Now, I love those books since I first read them (which is about 30 years ago), and there are flaws in the film for sure, but on the whole the product is a lot better than could reasonably be expected, and in parts simply stunning. The production design is mostly superb, the acting never atrocious, the camera- and lightwork excellent, and special mention goes to Howard Shore for a really memorable and moving score anf of course to PJ for pulling this off in the first place.I prefer the extended cuts (with some exceptions); sadly here they're never shown in theatres.What worked for me and what didn't:Did not work:- Elves. Ok, they're difficult to frame, but with the exception of Galadriel they were not convincing and often stiff (Elrond, Celeborn, even Legolas)- The stair scene in Moria (from "Fellowship") - served no purpose at all and completely interrupted the action. Besides, who would build such a stair?- Lothlorien: The one place where I didn't like the set design.- Music: While I really like Shore's score on the whole, the fanfare from "Fellowship" is much too loud and bombastic.- In the extended cut of RotK Aragorn chops of the head of the Mouth of Sauron. This not only contradicts the book literally, but runs also against how his character is portrayed.- Faramir leading Frodo & Sam to Osgiliath served no purpose; lost time.- It is mentioned now and again that no one can use the One Ring. This contradicts the book and is silly since part of the dangerousness of the ring is, that it COULD be used to overthrow Sauron. Galadriel, Elrond, Aragorn, Gandalf, Saruman - every one of them could have used it. Why exclude this possibility from the film? A "message" (if there is one) of the book is that you can or should not get rid of a dictator by replacing him with a new one.- The paths of the death sequence was too much like standard horror fare.What worked:- The close-ups. Often the camera stays on faces or hands; good move.- The score in TT and RotK- Aragorn and Gandalf: Very good casting there.- Frodo. Good casting; I was sceptic - but his smile at the grey havens (end of RotK) shortcircuits with his innocent smile at the beginning of FotR when Gandalf arrives in Hobbiton. Great heart-rending effect which can only be experienced if you watch the 3 parts back-to-back.- Most of the set designs, but especially: Rivendell, Isengard and Minas Tirith.- The big and small battle sequences - you get a sence of spatial relations and what goes on.- The script: Difficult to cram such a book in 11 hours but they did better than expected.- The Balrog/Gandalf fight; especially their fall (beginning of TT) - great scene!- The costumes, weapons etc.: ground this fantasy in reality- The seriousness. No post-modern self-concious storytelling here; just a plain tale.- Time to breathe. No nonstop action, instead the characters are given precious moments to maybe just sit and think.- Time to say goodbye. The multiple endings were much ridiculed at; I think they work very well - again, can be better experienced if you watch the 3 parts back-to-back.So, while it may not be possible to like everything in an 11 hour film, it is as near to perfect as I could hope for. Thank you PJ

[Warhorse]

One of the greatest movie achievements in modern day history, and one of my top favorites!

[mdot1982]

I sat through this escapade out of sheer will and defiance of the money I paid to see it. Elijah wood ... no thanks. Shocked looked as the ring messes with him and he really needs to get his overactive thyroid fixed before his eyes pop out of his head.F-Bomb.

[Joel M]

The last really epic film Hollywood has made. It's the best and the most powerful emotionally of the trilogy.

A+

[Magic]

Weakest of the LOTR films but still excellent.A.

Edited December 29, 2011 by Magic

[Ariadne]

AThe best of the LOTR trilogy in my opinion, such an amazing movie. Absolutely amazing battles and the climax in Mount Doom is perfect in my opinion. The extended ending is perfectly in line with the book and I thought it was very brave of Peter Jackson to keep it like that. Perfect for the story. There are a few minor quibbles that keep this from getting an A+, the Paths of the Dead, everything involving Faramir and Arwen's initial journey to the Grey Havens.

[DAR]

Just an amazing movie, Peter Jackson took a very good book and made a movie that surpassed the source material in every way imaginable. A+Note this will apply to all three films in the series.

[fmpro]

My least favorite of the trilogy, but still great.

What he said.. Still great though