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

Trailer
2:02 | Trailer
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) | 2 more credits »
Popularity
274 ( 49)
Top Rated Movies #7 | Won 11 Oscars. Another 198 wins & 123 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Noel Appleby Noel Appleby ... Everard Proudfoot
Ali Astin ... Elanor Gamgee (as Alexandra Astin)
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 Sadwyn Brophy ... Eldarion
Alistair Browning ... Damrod
Marton Csokas ... Celeborn
Richard Edge Richard Edge ... Gondorian Soldier 1
Jason Fitch ... Uruk 2
Bernard Hill ... Theoden

Could Jake Gyllenhaal Save Middle-earth?

It's been 15 years since the Lord of the Rings trilogy ended, but we still can't get enough. Let's look at the stars who missed out on adventures in Middle-earth.

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Storyline

The final confrontation between the forces of good and evil fighting for control of the future of Middle-earth. Frodo and Sam reach Mordor in their quest to destroy the One Ring, while Aragorn leads the forces of good against Sauron's evil army at the stone city of Minas Tirith. Written by Jwelch5742

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

orc | epic | battle | journey | hobbit | See All (475) »

Taglines:

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


Certificate:

14A | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie marks the second time in history that the third movie in a trilogy was nominated for Best Picture by the Academy Awards and Golden Globes, after The Godfather: Part III (1990), and the only time that a third movie has won the Best Picture Oscar. See more »

Goofs

As Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are jumping out the ship, Aragorn's positioning changes between shots as he leaps out. 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

At the end of the credits, a very long list of names from the Lord of the Rings Fan Club whom the authors want to thank to is displayed. The name of Elijah Wood is in that list. See more »

Alternate Versions

In the theatrical version, there was a lengthy delay between when Frodo is with the eagles after being picked up, and when he's in bed, when there's nothing but darkness. A large number of people in the theaters thought that was the end of the movie, and some started to get up. This has been removed in the original DVD. See more »

Connections

Spoofed in Shrek the Third (2007) See more »

Soundtracks

Aragorn's Coronation
Music by Viggo Mortensen
Lyrics by J.R.R. Tolkien
Performed by Viggo Mortensen
See more »

User Reviews

 
A Brilliant Conclusion
17 December 2003 | by eiratanSee 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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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Country:

New Zealand | USA

Release Date:

17 December 2003 (Canada) See more »

Also Known As:

Le seigneur des anneaux - Le retour du roi See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$94,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$72,629,713, 21 December 2003

Gross USA:

$377,845,905

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,141,982,172
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (Blu-Ray Extended Edition) | (Special DVD Extended Edition) | (DVD Widescreen Edition)

Sound Mix:

DTS-ES | Dolby Digital EX | SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1
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