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The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Widescreen Edition)
- Color
- Closed-captioned
- Widescreen
Avg. Customer Review: 
 A Tour de Force! "Return of the King" is Majestic
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
Brilliant ending to the trilogy
With 'The Return Of The King', Peter Jackson finishes up the filmed version of Tolkien's 'Lord Of The Rings'. And as the third part of a trilogy deserves, he does so in style. This movie has it all. Excitement, romance, amazing special effects, humour, battles (of course), and a brilliant ending. After the 'Fellowship Of The Ring' and 'The Two Towers', both of which were amazing, many wondered if Jackson would be able to top the incredible job he did. These worries, however, can be set aside. He absolutely managed to pull it off! The story picks up where 'The Two Towers' finished. Frodo and Sam, accompanied by the creature Gollum, try to make their way into Mordor, unaware of the sinister plot Gollum is playing on his fellow companions. The Ring starts to make Frodo's task heavier and heavier, and Gollum is not exactly helping. Merry and Pippin join Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas and the Riders of Rohan. It quickly becomes obvious that though the battle of Helm's Deep was won, that was but one victory. Already, Sauron has cast his eye on the land of Gondor, determined to bring down the kingdom of men in one quick mighty blow. Aragorn questions whether or not he is able to live up to the task laid upon him by his heritage: To rule all of men. Only courage and hope will ensure that in this time of despair, mankind will pull through. While it seems like a battle that is lost before it even started, the people of Middle Earth realise it is all or nothing, and go forward to meet the enemy. The movie will keep you on the edge of your seat. The heroes we all came to love are cast into the adventure of a lifetime. Jackson manages to tie up any loose ends he had left, and pulls the story back to where Tolkien intended it to go. Without any doubt, this is the most anticipated movie of 2003, and maybe even the century. It was absolutely worth the wait, and it will be interesting to see whether the Oscars will reward Jackson the way he deserves. This is an absolute must-see. 5 stars, and then some!
The crowning touch to an amazing trilogy!!
The only bad thing I can say about this movie is that it's the last one. Oh yeah, and it isn't the extended version DVD. I had to buy this movie even though I knew a better version was coming out before Christmas; it's just too good to wait that long. Although I loved the movie, I did have one complaint: the whole Saruman plotline is wrapped up in a really odd way. (Peter Jackson promises that this will be rectified in the extended version.) The extras on this DVD aren't anything special, but I don't buy DVDs for the extras. If you loved the first two Lord of the Rings movies, you'll definitely love this one too!!
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