Movie Description
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.
| Credits | | Producer: | Barrie M. Osborne, Fran Walsh | | Cast: | Andy Serkis, Bernard Hill, Billy Boyd, Cate Blanchett, David Wenham, Hugo Weaving, Ian Holm, John Noble, Karl Urban, Liv Tyler, Marton Csokas |
| Details | | Edition: | Full-Screen; 2-Tape Set |
Notes
Theatrical Release Date: December 17, 2003
Editorial Reviews
"...Peter Jackson has created the mack daddy of all movie fantasies, and RETURN OF THE KING brings the film version of Tolkien's trilogy to a combustibly exciting close..."
Rolling Stone - Peter Travers (12/25/2003)
"...The conclusion of Peter Jackson's masterwork is passionate and literate, detailed and expansive..."
Entertainment Weekly - Lisa Schwarzbaum (12/19/2003)
"[K]ING is a meticulous and prodigious vision made by a director who was not hamstrung by heavy use of computer special-effects imagery."
New York Times - Elvis Mitchell (12/16/2003)
"As a model for how to bring substance, authenticity and insight to the biggest of adventure yarns, this trilogy will not soon, if ever, find its equal."
Los Angeles Times - Kenneth Turan (12/16/2003)
"[T]he third film propels the work into the stratosphere of classic movies. Key characters are enhanced, new civilizations visited and battles fought more intensely, even as feelings and motivations are plumbed more deeply and movingly."
USA Today - Claudia Puig (12/19/2003)
"RETURN OF THE KING dispatches its characters to their destinies with a grand and eloquent confidence. This is the best of the three..."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (12/17/2003)
Awards
2003Academy AwardsBest Adapted ScreenplayFran Walsh, 2003Academy AwardsBest Adapted ScreenplayPeter Jackson, 2003Academy AwardsBest Adapted ScreenplayPhilippa Boyens, 2003Academy AwardsBest DirectorPeter Jackson, 2003Academy AwardsBest Original ScoreHoward Shore, 2003Academy AwardsBest Original SongAnnie Lennox, 2003Academy AwardsBest Original SongFran Walsh, 2003Academy AwardsBest Original SongHoward Shore, 2003Academy AwardsBest Picture
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lthOb6BLGrMuqj0Q~~_7.JPG "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (VHS, 2004, Full-Screen; 2-Tape Set)")
lthOb6BLGrMuqj0Q~~_32.JPG "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (VHS, 2004, Full-Screen; 2-Tape Set)")
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