"If you can make it through the slow parts, Return of the King rewards the patient with the most heart-pounding action of the year." Christopher Null FILMCRITIC.COM "Such a stunning achievement by Jackson that it's hard to believe that he could ever be able to surpass it even if he make a hundred more films." Steve Rhodes, STEVE RHODES' INTERNET REVIEWS" 'The Return of the King' is still a pretty stirring epic and is a worthy conclusion to the saga." Peter Sobczynski CRITIC DOCTOR "This is a trilogy to be treasured, and the final chapter is a fitting capstone." Eric D Snider ERICDSNIDER.COM "Jackson does a superb job of wrapping up the saga of the battle for Middle-earth. You can't help but gasp at the sheer spectacle of it all." James Sanford KALAMAZOO GAZETTE

"To put it bluntly, Return may be the most awe-inspiring spectacle ever to play on a big screen, resolving myriad plotlines with suspense, emotion and grace." Jeffrey Overstreet LOOKING CLOSER "With The Return of the King, New Zealand director Peter Jackson has completed his trilogy of JRR Tolkien's mammoth "The Lord of the Rings", and can lay claim to one of the greatest achievements in film history." Jack Mathews, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS "Towers above its predecessors with cleaner storytelling and a more satisfying balance between terrific acting and eye-popping effects." Lou Lumenick NEW YORK POST "Peter Jackson and his armies of actors and technicians have managed to do what the Wachowski brothers and George Lucas could not: make a perfect trilogy." Glenn Kenny PREMIERE MAGAZINE "Insanely spectacular and never less than absorbing, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King not only fully celebrates JRR Tolkien's classic literary work but fully explains Jackson's outsized obsession with bringing it to the screen." Joe Baltake SACRAMENTO BEE

At A Glance

"Return of the King is such a crowning achievement, such a visionary use of all the tools of special effects, such a pure spectacle, that it can be enjoyed even by those who have not seen the first two films." Roger Ebert CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

It's a well known fact that when it comes to sequals few manage to recreate the excitement and freshness of the original and it is for that reason they generally fail at the box-office. So the odds of a trilogy making it are remote indeed. Thankfully that is 'not' the case when it comes to the final edition in the great adventure, "The Lord Of The Rings". Fans will be delighted with this final installment in the struggle to survive against evil and an endless tide of armies intent on wiping out mankind. Peter Jackson, the cast and crew have really cracked it with "The Return Of The King" which has impressed everyone who has seen it and made a real killing at the US box-office during opening week by taking a very healthy $US124.1 million in receipts. There is litle doubt that much of the success behind the trilogy lies with director and co-writer Peter Jackson who was driven by a desire to remain faithful to JRR Tolkiens stories. This edition is a wonderful and spectacular mix which focusses on Aragorn the heir to the kingdom of Gondor. With the kingdom rapidly declining under the conctant onslaught of Sauron there has never been a more appropriate time for the true king to ascend the throne and unify all in the battle to survive. There is no doubting Aragorn's integrity when it comes to fighting Sauron, after all he and the Rangers have been in many a scirmish with the force behind those seeking to over-run the kingdom of Middle-earth. While Aragorn has no fears when it comes to taking on Sauron's soldiers he is struggling with himself doubting that he is the 'rightful one'. "He is the heir to the throne; he is the sole person capable of assumimg this position in Minas Tirith, but he is unsure of his worthiness to lead mankind," says Jackson. "Argorn needs to believe in the nobility of his own people."
While Argorn struggles to come to grips with his destiny, Gandalf is now taking a pro-active role in the battle for the survival of Middle-earth by joining in the fight and becoming a real inspiration to those around him by fighting alongside the defenders. "In a way Gandalf is a general in this war," notes script writer Philippa Boyens. "He initiated this and caused it to happen, and he must bear the responsibilty for that. It was an awesome gamble. That is the power wielded in another way and it bears a different, but equally profound cost."
Against all this great struggle of survival another tale is unfolding, that of the journey to Mount Doom where the ring must be returned to its fires. There is great treachery afoot along the way and friendships will be sorely tested. Gollum is intent on taking possesion of The Ring and Sam is intent on protecting Frodo. It is a most heavy burden to bear. The seductive call of The Ring is ever present as is the schizophrenic Gollum who is a reminder of what power the ring holds. "Essentially, you see his complete deterioration to the point that Frodo ceases to be Frodo anymore", Elijah Woods reveals. Frodo is now truly aware of what the ring will do to him should he weaken and give up. "He understands the nature of what it is that he carries, and that it will try to destroy him," Boyens explains. "The Ring's weapons are things like despair. But he also has this understanding from Sam that they must keep going forward no matter what. They have no choice but to survive." Perhaps this is the greatest story told throughout the trilogy and one that can easily be overlooked thanks to the distractions of battles, love, spectacular creatures and incredible scenery, the story of true friendship. "Putting their friendship and Frodo's well being above even his own life, Sams loyalty and determination alter the balance of power in subtle but powerful ways," notes Jackson. "There's a wonderful lone that Tolkien wrote about Sam and it is, 'His will was set and only death would break it.' I think we've moved most of our characters to that point," Jackson said. There are many surprises in this final edition but none I would dare to hint at here. One thing I can assure readers of is that this final edition is worthy of your attention throughout its three hour plus running time.
Casting About "The Lord of the Ring:The Return of the King " was directed by Peter Jackson ["Heavenly Creatures", "The Frighteners", "Meet The Feebles" and "Braindead"], produced by Barry M Osbourne ["The Matrix", "LOR I & II", "China Moon", "Face/Off" and "The Big Chill"] and co-written by producer Fran Walsh ["Forgotten Silver", "Heavenly Creatures', "Meet The Feebles" and "Braindead'] and Philippa Boyens ["LOR I & II"] with Peter Jackson. Richard Taylor, director of special effects company Wetta ["Once Were soldiers", "Jack Brown Genius", "The Tommyknockers" and "A Bright Shining Lie"] was supervisor responsible for Creature, Miniature, Armour and Special Make-up Effects while Andrew Lesnie A.C.S. ["Spider and Rose", "Fatal Past", Dark Age" and "Doing Time for Patsy Cline"] was responsible for the remarkable photography which is a hallmark of all three films.
"The Lord of the Ring:The Return of the King " stars Elijah Wood ["Try Seventeen", "Ash Wednesday", "The Ice Storm" and "Deep Impact"], Sean Astin ["Bulworth", "Memphis Belle", "Encino Man" and "Low Life"], Ian Mckellen ["Dance Of Death", "X-Men II", "Apt Pupil" and "Richard III"], Cate Blanchett ["An Ideal Husband", "Bandits", "The Shipping News" and "Charlotte Gray"] who will soon be seen in "The Missing" and "Veronica Guerin", Orlando Bloom ["Ned Kelly", "Black Hawk Down", Pirates Of The Caribbean" and "Wilde"], David Wenham ["The Bank", "Gettin Square", "Molokai" and "The Boys"], Ian Holm ["The Fifth Element", "Alien", "Brazil" and "Time Bandits"] and Andy Serkis ["Deathwatch", "24 Hour Party People", "Topsy Turvy" and "Pandemonium"] as Gollum The Story

"Peter Jackson's final installment in his monumental The Lord of the Rings represents that filmmaking rarity, a third part of a trilogy that is decisively the best of the lot." Todd McCarthy VARIETY

The fight for survival goes on. Against all odds the kingdom must survive no matter what the cost. Now is the time to unite against those evil forces which seek to destroy mankind once and for all. The call to unite goes out and all the clans unite for the final showdown. Their only hope is that the 'ring' will be returned to the fires which spawned it. But it a long journey and those left behind to face the mounting forces are losing hope. Gandalf tries to fire the spirit within those faced with the task of confronting the huge forces gathered outside the city. A mighty battle ensues but Gandalf and the defenders are forced back into the city by what seems an overwhelming force. Then a glimmer of hope arises in the form of the 'King Of The Dead'. If he can be persauded to join forces they might just buy enough time, enough hope, for Frodo and Sam to complete their journey. As Frodo and Sam attempt to return The Ring, Gollum becomes more and more dangerous. Sam cannot convince Frodo of Gollums treachery and the pair split up. Frodo is left with the sole responsibility of saving the day. But Gollum has other ideas. The Verdict "The final edition is to say the least absolutely divine. In the case of "The Return of the King" the best has been left till last and the wait has been worth it. Unlike the general trend where sequals are a deterioration of the original, the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy culminates in a triumphant final edition full of wizardry, huge battles, monstrous creatures, trolls, demon soldiers and great heroes. In many ways it's a pity that journey ends." The Cast

Hugo Weaving David Wenham Elijah Wood John Rhys-Davies Noel Appleby Alexandra Astin Sean Astin David Aston John Bach Sean Bean Cate Blanchett Orlando Bloom Billy Boyd Sadwyn Brophy Alistair Browning Marton Csokas Richard Edge Jason Fitch Bernard Hill Ian Holm Bruce Hopkins Ian Hughes Lawrence Makoare Ian McKellen Bret McKenzie Sarah McLeod Maisie McLeod-Riera Dominic Monaghan Viggo Mortensen John Noble Paul Norell

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Elrond Faramir Frodo Gimli Everard Proudfoot Elanor Gamgee Sam Gondorian Soldier Madril Boromir Galadriel Legolas Pippin Eldarion Damrod Celeborn Gondorian Soldier Uruk 2 Theoden Bilbo Gamling Irolas Witch King/Gothmog Gandalf Elf Escort Rosie Cotton Baby Gamgee Merry Aragorn Denethor King of the Dead

The Crew Directed by Peter Jackson Adapted from the novel "Return of the King" by JRR Tolkien Screenplay by Fran Walsh/Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson Original Music by Howard Shore Cinematography by Andrew Lesnie Film Editing by Annie Collins & Jamie Selkirk Production Design by Grant Major Set Decoration by Dan Hennah & Alan Lee Costume Design by Ngila Dickson & Richard Taylor Run Time 199 minutes 41 seconds Rated M15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2003 - New Line Cinema - All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2003 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved