The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.

Director:

Peter Jackson

Writers:

J.R.R. Tolkien (novel), Fran Walsh (screenplay),

Stars:

Orlando Bloom, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen

Top 250 #9 | Won 11 Oscars. Another 119 wins & 73 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Noel Appleby	...	Everard Proudfoot
Alexandra Astin	...	Elanor Gamgee
Sean Astin	...	Sam
David Aston	...	Gondorian Soldier 3
John Bach	...	Madril
Sean Bean	...	Boromir
Cate Blanchett	...	Galadriel
Orlando Bloom	...	Legolas
Billy Boyd	...	Pippin
Sadwyn Brophy	...	Eldarion
Alistair Browning	...	Damrod
Marton Csokas	...	Celeborn
Richard Edge	...	Gondorian Soldier 1
Jason Fitch	...	Uruk 2
Bernard Hill	...	Theoden

Storyline

While Frodo & Sam continue to approach Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring, unaware of the path Gollum is leading them, the former Fellowship aid Rohan & Gondor in a great battle in the Pelennor Fields, Minas Tirith and the Black Gates as Sauron wages his last war against Middle-Earth.

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Plot Keywords:

ring | battle | king | middle earth | army of the dead | 

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Taglines:

The eye of the enemy is moving.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and frightening images

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Country:

USA New Zealand

Language:

English Quenya Old English Sindarin

Release Date:

17 December 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Return of the King

Filming Locations:

Camperdown Studios, Camperdown Road, Miramar, Wellington, New Zealand

Box Office

Budget:

$94,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$6,128,577 (Japan) (13 February 2004)

Gross:

$377,019,252 (USA) (28 May 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, WingNut Films, The Saul Zaentz Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

201 min 251 min (extended edition) 263 min (Special Extended Blu-Ray Edition)

Sound Mix:

DTS-ES Dolby Digital EX SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The opening scene - in which Smeagol discovers the Ring and starts on the slippery slope towards ultimately becoming Gollum - was actually directed by Fran Walsh. Originally it was set to appear in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, immediately after Frodo first revealed Gollum's real name.

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Goofs

In Shelob's Lair, when Samwise pulls the web from "dead" Frodo's face, Frodo blinks. However, Frodo is paralyzed with his eyes open.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Deagol: Smeagol, I've got one! I've got a fish, Smeag. Smeagol!
Smeagol: Pull it in. Go on. Go on. Go on. Pull it in.

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Crazy Credits

Christopher Lee, who played Saruman in the film was not originally credited at the end of the film as all the other main characters were because he did not appear in the theatrical version. For the Extended DVD however, he does appear in the film and justly gets his drawn character and name credit with the other actors.

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Connections

Spoofed in Saturday Night Live: Elijah Wood/Jet (2003)

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Soundtracks

"Into the West"
Words and Music by Howard Shore, Fran Walsh, and Annie Lennox
Performed by Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox appears courtesy of BMG Ariola Munchen GmbH

User Reviews

They saved the best for last

Obviously, I'm aware of the fact that the Lord of the Rings trilogy is actually one giant movie, but since it was released in parts, that's how I'm judging them. The Return Of The King is the final chapter, and since it is the climax and resolution of the epic journey, it has a little more intensity and urgency than the previous installments.

At this point everyone has come to know and love all of the characters, and the stakes have become tremendously high. Kingdoms are at their knees, and the only two characters who can save the day are getting weaker and weaker. The tension was very high in this episode and I can honestly say that out of all 3 this was the only one that had me on the edge of my seat. There were many memorable scenes (one of my favourites including the part with the giant spider)that made this the classic that it is sure to stay for decades to come.

This is the longest of the series, mostly because of the ending that seems to last a while. This was a good ending, and I can see why Frodo did what he did. He, and us the audience, have gone through an incredible ordeal and I think we needed that 20 minute linger. When the battle is over, and the celebrations have ended, there is a sad emptiness felt. The films spanned over 3 years, there have been the extended cuts of course, but after that, it's all over. Peter Jackson gave us an ending that was both appropriate and admirable.

These were some amazing movies and this one in particular is the best, in my opinion. As whole, the Lord Of The Rings is a phenomenon. An absolute phenomenon. Much more than just movies. They have a universal appeal and have touched the hearts and imaginations of millions. I'm one of them.

Sorry if I'm being all fanboyish and kissing this movie's ass, but I really admire it. It may not be among my personal favourites but generally this seems to be the movie event of the century. There will never be another Lord of the Rings film, and that's a bit depressing.

My rating: 10/10