 Won 11 Oscars. Another 107 wins & 68 nominations The final battle for Middle-earth begins. Frodo and Sam, led by Gollum, continue their dangerous mission toward the fires of Mount Doom in order to destroy the One Ring. Aragorn struggles to fulfill his legacy as he leads his outnumbered followers against the growing power of the Dark Lord Sauron, so that the Ring-bearer may complete his quest. Storyline: While Frodo & Sam continue to approach Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring, unaware of the path Gollum is leading them, the former Fellowship aid Rohan & Gondor in a great battle in the Pelennor Fields, Minas Tirith and the Black Gates as Sauron wages his last war against Middle-Earth. Written by Anonymous Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Kenneth Brown on June 17, 2011 -- A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down. But it is not this day! This day we fight! On more than one occasion, filmmaker Peter Jackson has emphatically declared that The Return of the King is his favorite film in his near-reverential adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings." But, in many ways, it was also his most difficult. With so much ground to cover in so little time -- well, insomuch as a 200-minute theatrical cut of a film can be considered "little time" -- Jackson and co-writers Philipa Boyens and Fran Walsh had to make some incredibly tough decisions. Not only were several broad changes made to Tolkien's text and characters (most notably Denethor), even broader cuts were made to the final version of the film that arrived in theaters. Saruman's fate? Axed. The battle between Gandalf and the Witch-king? Trimmed. Merry pledging his allegiance to Theoden? Gone. Faramir and Eowyn in the Houses of Healing? No more. Frodo and Sam's harrowing march with Sauron's orcs? Eliminated. But it's these scenes, among many others, that make the extended cut of The Return of the King so captivating, satisfying and, above all, necessary. The extended versions of The Lord of the Rings films are unique in that they aren't Director's Cuts. Jackson has stated time and time again that the films originally released in theaters are his Director's Cuts; that the extended versions are meant to supplement, not supplant, his opening volleys. That said, it's hard to think of the extended edition of the trilogy as anything less than Jackson's definitive adaptation of Tolkien's work, despite his assurances to the contrary. Personal preference will no doubt dictate which version of each film you favor, but when it comes to a saga as intricate, entrancing and breathtaking as The Lord of the Rings, I say the more the merrier. And The Return of the King, more than The Fellowship of the Ring or Two Towers, takes full advantage of the possibilities. A fitting farewell is granted to a central villain; one whose fate remained a mystery in the theatrical cut. An eerily fascinating foe emerges from the Black Gate of Mordor; a foul creature who leaves quite the lasting impression, visually and thematically. Heroes are given the opportunity to whisper their worries, fears and hopes; often altering the manner in which their forthcoming decisions and reactions are perceived. And developments once taken for granted are fleshed out; connecting dots that previously went unconnected and providing closure where little was provided. Unlike the extended versions of The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, The Return of the King is a better film for all of its additions, and it's next to impossible to revisit Jackson's theatrical cut without feeling as if its innards have been ripped out. It still isn't as perfect an adaptation or as consistent a film as its predecessors, though. Sméagol's transformation into Gollum marks one of the weakest effects sequences in the trilogy, Jackson's Army of the Dead is a bit at odds with the designwork up until that point, and Denethor, while an intriguing and entirely effective character as Jackson and actor John Noble present him, is a mad villain rather than a tragically despondent steward. (Even as a Jackson apologist, I have trouble with some of the changes exacted on Tolkien's text.) But while The Return of the King forces me to choose between two loving parents like a distraught child who just wants mommy and daddy to get along, it so rarely disappoints that it almost seems pointless to rummage through the film with critical fingers. Everything -- literally everything, from the scale and scope of the tale to Jackson's direction, the fragrant dialogue and poetic storytelling, and Weta's visual effects -- comes to fruition in a grand, gripping multi-stage tour de force that doesn't relent until silence falls, hearts pound and tears flow. Through it all, Jackson relies upon every member of his cast, without exception. Viggo Mortensen delivers a commanding performance by way of quiet reflection, thoughtful pauses, and impassioned calls to arms; his Aragorn is a kind-hearted captain, not a smarmy veteran or a sword-slinging braggart. Elijah Wood allows Frodo to descend deeper and deeper into paranoia, shedding the sweet do-gooder we first meet in Hobbiton and replacing him with a jittery addict scrambling for his next fix. Sean Astin is as much the beating heart of the cast as Samwise is the soul and spirit of The Lord of the Rings. Watching helplessly as the poor Hobbit is dashed on the rocks of betrayal is a difficult ordeal; watching his eyes quiver and his mouth tighten as Frodo succumbs to madness even more so. Ian McKellen is the steady respite before every storm, offering an air of compassion and confidence no other seems capable of providing. Andy Serkis is Gollum; no greater compliment can be given. Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Bernard Hill, John Noble, Karl Urban, and David Wenham step up as well, creating a cast of characters that laugh, breathe, sigh, sneer, worry, cry, rally, scoff, cheer, fight and hope with unmistakable humanity, springing to life more readily than they ever did on the page. The Lord of the Rings represents the rarest of productions: an effects-laden fantasy epic with genuine heart, tremendous power and incalculable cinematic value. And The Return of the King, particularly in its Extended Edition glory, serves as a fitting end to a magnificent trilogy. The Return of the King isn't always as refined as The Fellowship of the Ring or The Two Towers, but it remains a gripping, altogether momentous end to a truly magnificent piece of cinema. Jackson overcomes nearly every hurdle his final adaptation places in his way, and his extended cut is as revealing as it is rewarding. The Blu-ray edition is just as impressive. Its video transfer is magnificent, its DTS-HD Master Audio mix a marvel, and its supplemental package a seemingly never-ending trove of behind the scenes delights. All hail The Return of the King. Cast Notes: Noel Appleby (Everard Proudfoot), Alexandra Astin (Elanor Gamgee), Sean Astin (Sam), David Aston (Gondorian Soldier 3), John Bach (Madril), Sean Bean (Boromir), Cate Blanchett (Galadriel), Orlando Bloom (Legolas), Billy Boyd (Pippin), Sadwyn Brophy (Eldarion), Alistair Browning (Damrod), Marton Csokas (Celeborn), Richard Edge (Gondorian Soldier 1), Jason Fitch (Uruk 2), Bernard Hill (Theoden). IMDb Rating (07/25/14): 8.9/10 from 888,042 users Top 250: #9 IMDb Rating (02/12/12): 8.9/10 from 497,932 users Top 250: #9
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