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The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Widescreen Edition) Customer Reviews (52 - 54 of 70 Reviews)

The limits of film
I agree with many reviewers that the Lord of the Rings Trilogy was a tour de force for Peter Jackson. I also agree that he did his best with a very difficult mission: To put such a seminal and detailed work on the screen is a daunting task.

That said, part of the fun of fandom is qibbling. In general I liked the musical score, but one of the main atmospheric elements of Tolkien's work was lost: poetry and song. I admit, American audiences would have gotten bored with long lays and ballads, but some of the shorter works are quite within the ability of audiences to enjoy. Too bad he couldn't get some of the Donald Swann arrangements to use. But I suppose he felt it would slow the story. As Treebeard would say "Hoo hom. Hasty."

I think it was a mistake too to eliminate the Scouring of the Shire. This defines the Shire hobbits' character applying what they've learned and giving it ultimate meaning. Without it, the establishment of Aragorn as king becomes the central resolution, and marginalizes the hobbits. One also loses the lesson that nothing is immutable and that, as Merry says it in the book "you won't change anything by being shocked and sad."

Now that my quibbles are out of the way, I was impressed with how much was kept in. I have to admit, I've never been able to visualize the Paths of the Dead. Now I can.

I was also impressed with the rendering of the warrior elves. One is so used to thinking of them wandering around in the woods or leading the contemplative life at Rivendell, that it is stunning to see them as crack soldiers. Well, when you have forever to practice, I guess you get that way.

I recommend the movie, for all I have said, wholeheartedly. It is a master work. I have only one other recommendation: when you have seen it, read the original book.

Rousing, Satisfying & Long Conclusion to the Epic Tale.
Having successfully resisted an attack of Sauron's forces on the kingdom of Rohan, Gandalf (Ian McKellan) discovers that Sauron is preparing his next and greatest attack on Minas Tirith, capitol of Gondor, the kingdom to whose throne Aragorn is heir. Gandalf and Pippen (Billy Boyd) travel to Minas Tirith to try to convince the city's self-absorbed Steward of the impending peril. Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), Merry (Dominic Monaghan), and Rohan's King Theoden (Bernard Hill) lead Rohan's armies toward Minas Tirith, where they will make their stand against the advancing Armies of Mordor. Meanwhile, Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) have penetrated the borders of Mordor and continue to make their way toward Mount Doom, guided by the treacherous Gollum, as Frodo struggles under the weight of the Ring's burden.

With this final chapter in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, director Peter Jackson brings the story to its conclusion in spectacular fashion worthy of the first two installments. The ability to maintain quality across three movies may largely be due to their being filmed continuously with no breaks or regrouping between the three films. "The Return of the King" is the longest of the three films at 3 hours 15 minutes. And that is where I find fault with it. The opening sequence serves no purpose, and the final act, which is a sort of epilogue, seems to go on endlessly and say very little. The camera work is conspicuously languorous as well. In dramatic scenes the camera often lingers in one place so long that the audience may grow impatient and wonder offhandedly if it is stuck. A half hour could have easily been trimmed from this film without any detrimental effect, and it should have been. There will be plenty of room for extraneous material on the "Extended Edition" DVD. Apart from that, "The Return of the King" is a satisfying and rousing conclusion to "The Lord of the Rings" epic. The battle sequences are spectacular. The visual effects are impressive. And the cast is wonderful. Ian McKellan's and Viggo Mortensen's commanding onscreen presence befits their mythical characters. And I have to admire Sean Astin's portrayal of Samwise Gamgee more than any other performance in the trilogy. "The Return of the King" is cornier than either of its predecessors, and it is extremely sentimental. Sometimes that's laid on a bit thick, but it's to be expected in a concluding chapter, and it isn't unlike the book on which it is based. The pace of "The Return of the King" more closely resembles "The Fellowship of the Ring" than "The Two Towers", and its attention to the Hobbits does as well. "The Two Towers" remains my favorite film of the trilogy because I prefer its swift pace, and, even though I was obsessed with Tolkien's books as a child, I was never fond of Hobbits. If you like Hobbits, they are back in the center of the action in "The Return of the King". Screenwriter Frances Walsh has admirably accomplished the superhuman task of condensing JRR Tolkien's books into workable screenplays. I always felt that the book "The Fellowship of the Ring" was superior to "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King". And I don't think that the film "The Fellowship of the Ring" captured that book's themes. On the other hand, I believe the films of "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King" have, if anything, improved on the books, and Frances Walsh is due the credit. Peter Jackson, Frances Walsh, and thousands of cast and crew have created a cinematic event in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, which people of all ages and cultures will be watching for centuries to come. Congratulations to all who contributed.

Another rag on "money-bags"
His "review" was most definetly some kind of joke. He could see the zipper? I have to say, I can't say more then what these wonderful people have said about this movie, but I can say that I have an insurmountable amount of respect for Andy Serkis. He worked hardest on the screen and yet was never seen, really, apart from playing young Smeagol. This was a breakthrough in technology, using electronics to morph Andy's face and movements into the creature Gollum - simply amazing.

Anyway, I'd like to thank you for the funny joke, HAH HAH.

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