Lord of the Rings-Return of the King (Blu-ray) (2003)

Editor's Note THE RETURN OF THE KING, the third and final film in Peter Jackson's THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, finds Middle-earth on the cusp of great change. Weary hobbits Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) venture further into the dark realm of Mordor, guided by the increasingly desperate Gollum (Andy Serkis), the two-faced former owner of the Ring that Frodo must destroy in the fires of Mount Doom. Meanwhile Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) contend with the deranged ruler Denethor (John Noble) at the once-mighty city of Minas Tirith, as Merry (Dominic Monaghan) joins Éowyn (Miranda Otto) and the Riders of Rohan to hold back the forces of Sauron. Amidst the chaos, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) must rise to his destiny, aided by Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) in assembling allies for a massive battle that will decide the fate of Middle-earth. With RETURN, Jackson brings J.R.R. Tolkien's world-renowned tale to a stunning conclusion. As with THE TWO TOWERS, the director deftly weaves various storylines together in one remarkable scene after another. Spectacular visuals complement Jackson's sharp focus on the characters and their emotional battles. While the special effects help to create huge battles and frightening creatures on a previously unseen scale, they never outshine the excellent ensemble of actors who bring the heart of the story home. A truly astounding work of filmmaking, THE RETURN OF THE KING skillfully concludes one of the greatest trilogies in cinema history.

	Andy Serkis
	Bernard Hill
	David Wenham
	Billy Boyd
	Viggo Mortensen
	John Rhys-Davies
	John Noble
	Cate Blanchett
	Liv Tyler
	Elijah Wood
	Ian McKellen
	Marton Csokas
	Orlando Bloom
	Dominic Monaghan
	Hugo Weaving
	Miranda Otto
	Sean Astin
	Karl Urban
	Ian Holm
	J.R.R. Tolkien - Source Writer
	Robert Shaye - Executive Producer
	Jamie Selkirk - Co-Producer
	Fran Walsh - Screenwriter
	Philippa Boyens - Screenwriter
	Rick Porras - Co-Producer
	Mark Ordesky - Executive Producer
	Michael Lynne - Executive Producer
	Andrew Lesnie - Director of Photography
	Peter Jackson - Producer
	Peter Jackson - Screenwriter
	Howard Shore - Composer
	Barrie M. Osborne - Producer
	Fran Walsh - Producer
	Peter Jackson - Director

Rolling Stone
"...Peter Jackson has created the mack daddy of all movie fantasies, and RETURN OF THE KING brings the film version of Tolkien's trilogy to a combustibly exciting close..." 12/25/2003 p.116

Entertainment Weekly
"...The conclusion of Peter Jackson's masterwork is passionate and literate, detailed and expansive..." 12/19/2003 p.51

New York Times
"[K]ING is a meticulous and prodigious vision made by a director who was not hamstrung by heavy use of computer special-effects imagery." 12/16/2003 p.E1

Los Angeles Times
"As a model for how to bring substance, authenticity and insight to the biggest of adventure yarns, this trilogy will not soon, if ever, find its equal." 12/16/2003 p.C1

USA Today
"[T]he third film propels the work into the stratosphere of classic movies. Key characters are enhanced, new civilizations visited and battles fought more intensely, even as feelings and motivations are plumbed more deeply and movingly." 12/19/2003 p.7E

Chicago Sun-Times
"RETURN OF THE KING dispatches its characters to their destinies with a grand and eloquent confidence. This is the best of the three..." 12/17/2003 p.74