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

8.9
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Ratings: 8.9/10 from 685,705 users   Metascore: 94/100
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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.

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

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Top 250 #9 | Won 11 Oscars. Another 119 wins & 73 nominations. See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Noel Appleby ...
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Sam
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Sadwyn Brophy ...
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Richard Edge ...
Jason Fitch ...
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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. Written by Anonymous

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

There can be no triumph without loss. No victory without suffering. No freedom without sacrifice. See more »


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and frightening images | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

|

Release Date:

17 December 2003 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

The Return of the King  »

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

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (extended edition) | (Special Extended Blu-Ray Edition)

Sound Mix:

| |

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The entire running time for The Lord of the Rings trilogy is approximately 8 hours and 37 minutes, from start to finish. See more »

Goofs

Before the charge of the Rohirrim, while Theoden is giving his speech there is a shot of Eowyn making a face in response to something Theoden says, and you can see a silver filling on one of her teeth, on the left side of her mouth. See more »

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.
See more »

Crazy Credits

In the theatrical version Sean Bean receives a major on- screen credit at the end of the film, even though he only appears on screen momentarily in a flashback from the first film. See more »

Connections

Referenced in The Big Fat Quiz of the Year (2006)
Reference to Ian McKellan as Gandalf See more »

Soundtracks

"The Edge of Night"
Music by Billy Boyd
Lyrics by J.R.R. Tolkien
Performed by Billy Boyd
Adapted by Philippa Boyens
Orchestration by Howard Shore
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
A Brilliant Conclusion
17 December 2003 | by (Seattle, USA) – See all my reviews

As a movie watcher, I tend to become bored with the constant, overdone, overdrawn, underplayed, overdramatized performance and production quality of most Hollywood films. It's a trait that in recent years has sadly driven me away from most big budget American films. A decent idea will become mangled by the money making machine that is Hollywood, hoping to pump the most raw cash they can out of it before it drops dead in the street.

We all saw the catastophre of a failure that arose from the Matrix Franchise. Such immense hype and professed genius only made the failure all the more poignant for those of us that really wanted and expected more from the franchise.

That all being said, I must say that The Lord of the Rings is an amazingly powerful visual experience. Not even just a visual experience. Peter Jackson has crafted one of the finest written pieces of our era into THE quintessential epic. He supplements the brilliant storytelling of JRR Tolkien with one of the most awe-inspiring collection of films ever created.

The 7 hours of film that leads up to the Return of the King is only precursor though, when you sit and watch this film. It's just plain brilliance. Everything about the film is wonderful. The manner in which Jackson has arranged the scenes, detracting slightly from the original flow of the novel really helps to keep the suspense strong in all three story branches. The Tolkien humor is intact perfectly and the gallantry and just plain coolness of these heroes is plain amazing. (Check out Legolas in the BIG battle) It's all just too much for words.

If one were to gripe, and I suppose there will never be a film made that one cannot find a point at which to grip, it is painfully long running time here. I personally believe that this is the only way such a film could be made, true to the source material and completely engrossing, but I found myself more worried about the pain in my posterior than the emotional final minutes after 4 hours (including ads and previews) that I had spent in a cramped seat. As such, this will be all the better (at least for me) when it's release on DVD (can't wait for the extended...get to see the Sauroman scenes that they cut out).

As a film though, this is amazing. A true lasting legacy in story telling and now cinema. Bravo Mr. Jackson.


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