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The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Widescreen Edition) Customer Reviews (31 - 33 of 70 Reviews)

suck-o-rama
Aliens, monsters, magic powers, and puppets. Don't forget the claymation, always a nice touch. Yup, there sure are a lot of things on screen trying to distract you from thinking about what a monumental loaf of excrement this movie is. It almost worked on me; I do like a good puppet now and then.

Flawed, but still 5 stars
This third and final installment to Peter Jackson's cinematic interpretation of the Lord of the Rings is a triumph for all involved despite its flaws. As Frodo, Sam, and Gollum approach Mordor in the attempt to destroy the ring, the kingdoms of man face brutal attacks that must be defended against all odds. Especially compared to the second film, "The Two Towers," the action is well-balanced and tightly portrayed, with only a few scenes lasting too long. As with the others, the cinematography is captivating and even breath-taking at times. The computer graphics are, except in one or two cases, successfully integrated, with the Orc army a phenomenal achievement with its individualized "actors."

Many of the movie's difficulties derive from the translation of the book to film. The complicated nature of the story line and cast of characters cannot be easily shown with visuals, even three and a half hours of them, resulting in some confusing scenes and relationships especially for those unfamiliar with the books. The biggest, and only inexcusable, flaw for me was directorial. Jackson chooses an overly sentimental tone to "end" the film - four or five times. The music gets jacked up, the camera shows tight close-ups of supposedly meaningful expressions, the screen fades out, and, oops, here comes another scene that goes through the same throes of sentimentality. The result is akin to a symphony that sounds its big, ending notes, only to then return to the less dramatic middle of the movement. These false endings get downright annoying, and the Hollywood-type treatment mars this otherwise spectacular film.

I still give this film five stars because of the remarkable achievement of bringing this story to dramatic life. "The Return of the King" is the best of the trilogy with its nearly perfect balance of action and set-up, and with the ensemble acting really hitting its stride. Do not see this film without having seen the others, as none stands well on its own. This riveting epic will undoubtedly become a film classic. Buy the DVD.

Return To Middle Earth
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences were smart to give the last entry, LOTR-RETURN OF THE KING the best picture OSCAR because it pretty much gives the whole LOTR-Trilogy a best picture award. Peter Jackson deserved best director mainly for the mere undertaking and handling the magnitude and scope of the project and he pretty much accomplished and completed a film project that many thought could not be done. Jackson got the best director for what he put on screen, but he also won for what he did behind the scenes. The end product is a result of pre-production planning, post production, great work ethic, and confidence from the cast and crew. What pleased critics and audiences alike is that Peter Jackson put out each film a year apart and on time by filming the whole triliogy at once (unlike Star Wars II). The momentum never wavered between each film and the filmmakers had the insight and the confidence that there was no need to see how one movie would do in order to do the next film. The film continues the excellence of the first two. Some have complained that it took a little long for the film to conclude at the end of RETURN OF THE KING, but it was a needed long farewell to the characters that audiences took to their hearts. MAD Magazine's parody recreated the climactic scene where Gollum and 'Ring' fall into the the fiery pits of Mordor. However, in MAD Magazine Gollum yells "See you in the sequel!". This was a clever and hilarious dig on the whole trilogy and film in general. However, it also serves as a reminder that the film(s)is now over and done and that many have seen and witnessed film history in the making.

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