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| Released: |
2003 |
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| Genre: |
ACTION
ADVENTURE
FANTASY
SERIES
SEQUEL
FAMILY
EPIC
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| Origin: |
New Zealand/ US |
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| Colour: |
C |
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| Length: |
201 |
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MIXED Reviews
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| | | Adheres to the values of its predecessors – it's brilliant, passionate filmmaking... even if it goes on far too long. | | | | | (David Foucher, Here Boston) | | | If you were left cold by the first two films, it’s doubtful that Return of the King will change your mind. In some ways it’s the weakest movie of the trilogy — a dazzling patchwork of thrilling, deeply moving scenes assembled into a somewhat jumbled narrative. Still, King is a touching end to this magnificent series. Taken together, the Lord of the Rings films stand as a landmark of modern cinema and set the standard by which all future blockbusters will be judged. | | | | | (Ethan Alter, Film Journal International) | | | While the film is certainly an honorable ending to a series justifiably considered a towering achievement, repetition and an inability to let the film end seriously mar its impact. Return of the King is blessed with many, many moments of cinematic splendor, but all too often I was wishing Jackson would just get on with it. When all is said and done, Frodo has become an almost annoying character and Aragorn never fully emerges.... The final stages of his mission are agonizingly drawn out. Jackson may be trying to stay true to his source material, but cinematically, four endings are three two many. If only some of that screen time had been given over to Aragorn's love life, which is too abruptly dealt with. | | | | | (Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews) | | | On the whole, Return of the King is a smashing success. It looks great, but it’s also the only film in the series to generate a real emotion from the audience and tell us something about how Jackson looks at life and how J.R.R. Tolkien might have as well. In the end, it stands best as a very good fantasy movie: Putting aside the droning first act, it’s the most successful film of the series and an impressive final act. Peter Jackson has easily saved the best for last… I just wish he hadn’t saved so freaking much of it. | | | | | (Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com) | | | It’s like life itself - thrilling, boring, exasperating, confusing... and just as long. Well, at a staggering three hours and 21 minutes, almost!... Was I bored by the Rings or awed by the Rings? Well, both, to be honest. For the first hour of nerdy Tolkien talk as the saga crept along at snail's pace, I glanced at my watch and thought, ‘Christ, I can't take another two hours and 20 minutes of this’. But when this cinematic juggernaut kicks into action, boy does the audience get its money's worth. As giant elephants charge across vast plains seething with thousands of troops fighting for their very lives, and balls of fire hurtle into the cascading white walls of the City of Kings, the sheer scale of the astonishing spectacle is awesome. | | | | | (Kevin O’Sullivan, Mirror) | |
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Gandalf: Ian McKellen 
