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

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User Rating: 8.8/10 (259,321 votes)
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Overview

Director:
Peter Jackson
Writers (WGA):
J.R.R. Tolkien (novel)
Fran Walsh (screenplay) ...
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Release Date:
17 December 2003 (USA) more view trailer
Tagline:
This Christmas the journey ends. more
Plot:
The former Fellowship of the Ring prepare for the final battle for Middle Earth, while Frodo & Sam approach Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring. full summary | full synopsis (warning! may contain spoilers)
Awards:
Won 11 Oscars. Another 106 wins & 66 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(155 articles)
The Stuff of 'Legend' (From Studio Briefing. 17 December 2007)
Jackson "Fired" Gosling? (From WENN. 29 October 2007)
User Comments:
A monumental film more

Cast

 (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Herr der Ringe: Die Rückkehr des Königs, Der (Germany)
The Return of the King (USA) (short title)
more
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and frightening images. (also extended edition)
Runtime:
201 min | 251 min (extended edition)
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Certification:
USA:PG-13 (certificate #40415) | Brazil:14 | Sweden:11 | Hungary:14 | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | South Korea:12 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Malaysia:U | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:G (Quebec) | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-11/9 (re-rating) | Finland:K-15 (original rating) | France:U | Germany:12 | Germany:16 (special extended edition) | Hong Kong:IIB | Iceland:12 | Ireland:12 | Israel:PG | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:12 | Netherlands:16 (special extended version) | Norway:11 (extended version) | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | UK:12A (original rating) | UK:12 (video rating) (2004) | Greece:K-13
MOVIEmeter: ?
^ 1% since last week why?

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
100,000 people lined the streets of Wellington for the world premiere. That's roughly a quarter of the city's population. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: After Frodo tells him to go home and he starts crying, the next close-up of Sam shows where his real and fake ear meet-right above the curl of hair. 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.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in The 61st Annual Golden Globe Awards (2004) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
The Edge of Night more

FAQ

Is Sauron seen in this film?
Why did Frodo have to make the long quest to Mount Doom on foot? Couldn't he fly there on the back of a giant Eagle, like Gandalf does?
A NOTE ABOUT SPOILERS
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157 out of 204 people found the following comment useful:-
A monumental film, 17 December 2003
9/10
Author: Chris Docker (eyeforfilm) from Scotland, United Kingdom

Feeling weary and battle-worn, I have just staggered out of the cinema after three and a half hours of special effects creatures fighting other special effects creatures. I had taken refreshments but barely touched them - probably because the film I had watched is one of the most mesmerising, evocative, inspiring, and awesome I have witnessed of any big adventure epic. Not to mention superb ensemble acting, moods that shift effortlessly between mediaeval battles of colossal proportions and convincing bloodshed, beauty and wonderment, fantastic natural and artificial landscapes and cityscapes, touches of humour, well-paced dramatic tension, and human bonding that is moving enough to just let you dry your eyes as the unassuming credits flash by.

Return of the King is the greatest of the Tolkien trilogy by New Zealand director Peter Jackson. Although I've seen the other two and read the book, I felt it would also stand alone well enough for people who hadn't done either.

The storytelling is much more professional that the first one - which maybe laboured to introduce so much information - or the second one - which has little let up from the tension of long battle scenes. In Return of the King, there is an emotional sting at the start, as we watch the transformation of Gollum from warm, fun-loving guy to murderous, mutated wretch. The movie then moves deftly between different segments of the story - the sadness of the lovely soft-focus Liv Tyler as fated Arwen whose travails and woman's love succeeds in having the Sword that was Broken mended, the comradeship of Sam and Frodo (Sean Astin & Elijah Wood) that is tested to the limits, the strong commanding presence of Gandalf (Ian McKellen) who keeps an eye on things whilst turning in an Oscar-worthy performance, the ingenious and very varied battle scenes, and the mythical cities of that rise out of the screen and provide key plot elements.

This is a fairy story of human endeavour, the defeating of power cliques and the triumph of the human spirit that could almost be compared to Wagner's Gotterdammerung. It is a fairy story without any sugary sweetness, a fairy story the likes of which hasn't been told so well before, and is even unlikely to be done so well in the future. The haunting scream of the Nasgul stays with you, the physical attractions are not airbrushed, and the battles are about as far from pantomime characters waving wooden swords as you can get. The ingenious monsters keep you on the edge of your seat. The whole narrative maintains the spirit (if not archival, detailed accuracy) of the original and makes you want to read the book (or read the book again!)

The worst I can say about it is that it is maybe a tad long - but not that you'd notice . . .

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Message Boards

Discuss this title with other users on IMDb message board for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Overrated grayhound496
As a big fan of the LOTR books and films.... blippetyblip
So when Gandalf told Pippin about the far green country.... blippetyblip
How is Faramir Different in the Books? soul_kitchen23
Post here if you remember Return of the King being at #3 Delpheno
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