Return of the King - Rate This Film!

Lord of the Rings Trilogy Forum

It's time for a Thumbs up - Thumbs down vote on this film! Tell everyone what you think!

Absolutely phenomenal film!!! Great fight scenes, great scenery! I'm very pleased at how it turned out -- seeing as it was the most difficult to accomplish.

Saw the movie: 7:30 pm on 12/17/03

Movie Rating: 4.8/5
(not many things are perfect... )

They left out the scouring of the shire! Its one of the best parts of the book.....that said, the movie was amazing. I nearly wept twice, I nearly lept out of my seat a handful of times, and all of the hair on my body stood on end about a dozen times. brilliant. I am impressed.

great film! it will defintley win best film of the year

ah its movies like this that make me proud to be alive. it was absolutely wonderful. it is one of the few movies that has made me feel like crying.

the very best movie ever!!!!i LOVE it so much it hurts.
i'm gonna see it for the third time tomorrow.
thums WAY WAY WAY WAY up
(i love elijah and orli)

although i have to admit...he sure did make use of his writer's license thats for sure.

The LOTR Trilogy is THE best series of films I know of!!! One thing I don't like is the lack of Salomon in the 3rd. Where'd he go? He wasn't disposed of, which leads us to believe he's still out there creating trouble.

It was awesome.

salomon...haha..sounds like king solomon...heh heh.

oh god that movie rocked!!!!!!!!

it was great, saw it last night and am in shock still

Breathtaking!

I thought it was wonderful, however, I thought that TT was much better. ROTK just did not hold true enough to Tolkien for me to be over the moon for it. I am dying to see all the deleted scenes. That will put me in the love it to death category.

yes...now we all know that PJ knows how to use his writers license. i still want to see it again though.

Although I could write a 400 word essay on my opinion of ROTK, I believe I can sum up the potential 400 words with just one:

Meh.

I lllllooooovvvvveeee the movies. The best movies ever made in my opinion. But the books are 10 times better..

Killer movie I will definitely be buying it when it comes out on VHS and DVD. I have the other two, I want the complete set

Lord of the Rings Return of the King!
OMG has everyone seen the movie? Well if u havent go see it! it is so wonderful!!! I luved it. Im not just sayin but it was the best movie i have ever seen, if u agree wit me reply 2 my email! I cried through the whole movie and after! All day for a mater of fact. no lie! I swear, Movies have never had this kind of affect on me! I dont know what is happening. i luved it though. It is very action filled...and emotion filled. It is just a great movie!! If u dont agree then, not to be rude, but ur messed up. The actors portrae their characters GREAT! If the Lord of the Rings doesnt win besty picture/film of the year...i will kill!! i deserves it! and if sean astin doesnt win an award i will kill to beacuse u know better then me...he was great. Made me cry through the whole movie! Anyways all i have to say is...I LUV THE LORD OF THE RINGS! IT WAS GREAT AND YOU SHOULD GO SEE IT! VOTE FOR IT...FOR THE FILM OF THE YEAR...EMAIL ME AT Orlisgurl4eva@yahoo.com IF YOU SGREE THAT LORD OF THE RINGS SHOULD BE FILM OF THE YEAR!

best movie i ever seen in my whole intire life...i luved it as i said before. DO u agree...how much did u luv it?

MR F HERE

When I heard it was 3hrs 20min I thought to myself ''oh jeez'', but the film moved so fast and was so entertaining it didnt seem half that long, and Im not even a big Tolkein fan like the wife

I have to say, I enjoyed the books alot more than the film. It was one of the longest 3 and a half hours I'd ever sat through. But, I recognized some of the good points, but unfortunately it really didn't do it for me.

But, that's just my opinion. For all those out there who loved it, I can see why you do, it does have some great things in it.

Finally saw movie last Friday. Its become a holiday tradition.

It was disappointing. I guess its tough to turn those books into a movie.

I think the biggest problem was acting/directing. Special effects were great of course.

Why so much sappy hugging and crying? Frodo is such a sensitive new age guy.

Why couldn't it have been a bit darker? More sinister?

Hmmmm. What did I like.....

I liked it when that princess chick wacked the head off of that dragon creature. Yes, that was nice...

But in general it was to hokey. Gimli/Legolas counting the monsters they killed as if it were a game...

Yes, it was turned into a "Game" -

Too much bloody crying, hugging, and joking.

But other than that it was ok.

It was beautiful. *tear* Actually i did cry a lot. 0_0 oh well, like gandalf sez, not all tears are an evil. ^_^ Actually, they screwed up quite a few things, namely:
1. Denethor's death. I saw it @ midnite when it came out and all us "diehard fans" cracked up instead of being sad.
2. Eowyn/Faramir. Was it just me or was all they did grin at each other twice instead of helping each other recover from an evil blow and the thought of impending DOOM?!?!!?!?
3. Scouring of the Shire. Should have been there. It needed to have been in the movie. It wasn't.
4. The title of Frodo & Bilbo's book. This is a tiny fact but it bugs me a LOT. It was not called There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale by Bilbo Baggins and The Lord of the Rings by Frodo Baggins. It was called The Downfall of the Lord of the Rings and the Return of the King; Memoirs of Frodo and Bilbo Baggins supplemented by the accounts of their friends and the learning of the Wise. Call me afreak, but it bugs me. ^_^

3 hrs 21 mins to be precise. I think the saddest thing of all is that there will never be another. There will be an extended and possibly The Hobbit, but they will never be another even comparable. Someday I will take my grandkids and strap them down and make them watch alllll my extented editions on that old plastic crap DVD player and .... yeah whatever.

Well, I saw it alone on the 19th in Florida. I was half dead watching it cause I had just gotten off the plane there, so I can't even remember half of it!!! Over all, movie wise-it was awesome, amazing, wonderful, and beautiful. The best out of the three. Book adaptation wise-it was er...um.......I'll not say. It's funny. I have more rants about this one than I ever did for TTT yet, I loved it tons better than TTT! I've never cried so much in my life at a movie theater. They screwed around with tons of stuff and omitted tons of stuff and just made me wanna shout tons of times. One thing that got me was no Faramir and Éowyn moments? People that didn't even read the books knew nothing about that>_<

I am of mixed reviews. All in all I have to say that it was a good movie, were it not for the fact that I HAVE read the books and love Tolkiens' work. I have to agree with Charles that they did make it more of a game which could be easily won and added WAY TOO much comic relief for my taste. The LOTR books were not like that at all and I felt kinda cheated that some of my favorite characters (yes I root for the bad guys) were turned into sniveling, easy to beat guys. I mean I did not like the ease with which Eowyn was able to slay the Witch King and his beast.......I mean come on! Lets not forget the Nazgul ............. in the books just the name of them is enough to make you cower in fear so for them to be easliy beaten by a light staff and a girl in 2 minutes, well just pissed me off. I CAN'T believe that they left Saruman out of ROTK!!! and did not once make an attempt to really tell what happened to the Shire since in the book it is destroyed by Wormtongue and Saruman. But I guess Hollywood can't have anything but a happy ending!!!! I mean sheesh we let you get away with turning this into a love story already so must it also end disney- style, with they "all lived happily ever after"????? Arggggggggg there were other things that make me want to get up and scream but the effects were great and so were the locations. I now know what Tolkien saw as Middle-Earth...........

Erika

Really was pleased with the ending...I was smiling throughout the entire ending ,when Froto left it was some what sad but overall it was GREAT!!!

I absolutely LOVED this movie. Out of the three, this one was definately the best.
There was so much emotion throughout the entire movie.

I loved the opening, with Smeagol, before the transformation to Gollum.
That was great to see... and for people who haven't read the book, it helped them understand a little more.

It was such a long movie... and I can't wait until we get the extended version in a year.
An interview with PJ... he said that he had to cut 1 hour and 5 minutes from the film.
I hope that ALL of that is put in for the extended. OH MAN... almost 4 1/2 hours.

I absolutely loved how the ending showed a bit of a wrap up for the characters, and where they went. Poor Gollum... it's one thing to know in the book that he is finally out of his misery... but seeing him fall into that lava... oh man, that was so sad!!!

The battles throughout the entire movie were awesome.... and the city was so enormous.
I couldn't believe how it looked... amazing!!!

i've read the book, and for a second i didn't know that they were showing Smeagol before his transformation...
i still like FOTR better...as it was the closest to the book in my opinion.
but the battles were indeed spectacular. Minas Tirith was indeed spectacular to behold. Minas Morgul looked pretty bloody spooky too.

Fotr was pretty close to the book, although they did cut ALOT out of the beggining... I think the actors did a better job in rotk though... especially elijah. and the effects and locations were cooler

Yes, the locations were incredible... Minas Tirith was just so amazing. I loved the top, with the white tree. So beautiful. Seeing all the people up there, near the end, while Aragorn is crowned the King!!!!

Because I can't remember the book all that well, for a lot of things....

Were Faramir and Eowyn standing together because they are now a couple? Just wondering.
I was kind of shocked that they never showed Eowyn when Aragorn finally sees Arwyn, and they are kissing and hugging. I thought that we would see her reaction, because of her feelings toward him throughout the books.

yeah...they left out how Eowyn and Faramir become a couple. they do in fact get married. and Eomer becomes king of Rohan. the location for the paths of the dead was an actual place...Viggo said that it was like being in the Badlands of the Dakotas.

Eomer rules over Rohan... but, Aragorn is the King of Middle Earth?

It's been awhile since I've read the book.... so, please don't mind all my questions!
Helps me to understand the movies that much more... and since Heidi hasn't read the books, I can tell her more stuff too.

Okay... so, Eowyn and Faramir get married! I thought that I remembered that....

Aragorn is king of Gondor...which does end up encompassing a good bit of middle earth, if you include its allies.

So, Rohan is it's own seperate area, not under the rule of Gondor.

yes, as is the shire, Mirkwood, Lorien. but they are all its allies...

and the shire is under special protection from Gondor. its cool how that shows Aragorns continuing respect for the hobbits.

At the end, when Aragorn has finally been reunited with Arowyn... and they are walking back up, and the hobbits... I love what Aragorn says to them.

"My friends, you bow to no one" and then he and Arowyn kneel and bow, and so does everyone else.

Serious tear jerker scene.

I still can't understand why everyone cried at that scene... I thought it was hilarious, the looks on all of the hobbit's faces. It was like "What the hell," mixed with "Hell yeah!".

but that's just my opinion.

frodo's expression was great...it was the deer caught in the headlights stare...haha...he looked so confused.

I think that they were all amazed that they were the one's that the King and all his people were bowing to. They were in awe and shocked. I thought that the scene spoke volumes without a word having been said.

that i can understand...and it was a very seriously touching moment...but the looks on thier faces are pretty funny too.

I waited 30 years for a film like this. I read the trilogy 3 times. It was excellent.
I was impressed at how my imagination was portayed on film. Very much as I imagined.

Yes, Ron didn't want to hear the complaints that you have, because you know the story so well.

i just got back from seeing it for the second time...and yes i did find it incredilby touching...seeing it again was good...as you weren't as busy saying to yourself "omg i'm seeing it!!" during the first time i saw it...

I'm going to see it today.

Well, I am the last living breathing Tolkein fan to go see ROTK. I am speechless. I read the books, and yeah a lot was changed, but I can live with that. The movie was almost perfect. Yeah, the destruction of the shire and downfall of Saruman and Wormtongue, not there, but that's okay. The only thing I didn't like was the very end. People who did not read the book may wonder where Frodo, Gandalf, Bilbo, and the elves are going. The people who were sitting behind me obviously didn't understand it because the guy said, "I don't know why Bilbo is going on another trip, he looks like he'll die before he gets there." They didn't realize that was exactly what he was doing, Frodo too. That's what the ring bearers do at the end of their life. Someday, Sam will do the same. They should have explained it a little bit. Even if that meant changing some of the character's lines.

the second time around the differences didin't really bug. i understood, that due to complexity and length, some stuff had to be removed, or changed.

I personally think the second one was the best of all 3, but I did like this last sequel. I think the last 20 minute ending was a bit drawn out. They could have cut the last scene down by 15 mins

Over all the movie still was great

I'm sure that when the extended dvd comes out, the ending will be even longer.
I felt that the ending tied up a lot of "loose ends" by showing what happened with everyone.
I've read the books, but Heidi hasn't, and that ending made it much better for her.

I agree that they should have devoted a little more time to the end, especially sicne it is confusing for most people that never read the books....... as to the part where they all bow to the hobbits, I didn't find that a tear jerker at all, maybe because I like Shadow was too busy laguhing at the look on the hobbits' faces.............it was sweet and they also should have told about Eowyn's new relationship........maybe I am just nit-picking and should get over it and the second time around the movie WAS a lot better...................

I was talking to a friend of mine the other night and we got on the subject of "Return of the King". He said that the ending actually cheesed him off because it just kept dragging on and on. He said that he liked the movie though overall and he's one that's actually read the books.

I must say that i loved this movie!!!

some large parts were cut out, and things changed - and this is understandable becuase its a movie and not a book. some things in the book would not appeal to movie goers and some things in the movie will not appeal to book goers - TOO BAD! LOL. its natural to have to cut/change parts from book to movie.
Jurassic park did it.
some people who died in the movie, DID NOT die in the book. Many other book to movie translations do it as well

I have seen it twice now - and i cannot wait for the extended edition - i'll buy the box set to complete my collection.

i like how the book and movie end...i don't think it drags on, especially in the book, as it leaves no loose ends which is nice. Tolkien wraps it up nicely i think.

I agree. Though I thought that the begining of the books dragged more, I mean Tom Bombadil? I was quite glad that they cut that out of the film, it's just a bit to random and off the cuff. The end was just that, a nice neat ending with no loose ends. Peter Jackson is a genius!

but it did leave loose ends for people who havnt read the books...

I would actually like to discuss Tom Bombadil's purpose more. There is a thread for it.

I finally, oh so finally got to see this movie this weekend. I was thoroughly pleased with it. The 3D work has significantly matured to the piont that I expect The Hobbit to be pretty much flawless. I was not pleased with some of the blue-screen compositing work which appeared to be rush jobs with poorly matched lighting and barely qualifying motion integration, but overall very nice.

I loved the scenery from the Shire, like in the backstory when smeagol and the other were fishing - gorgeous settings, the directory has a keen eye for detail!

Kinda funny towards the end when you're not quite sure if you're expecting credits to roll or not, that could have been cleaned up a bit, but I thought it all came together quite nicely.

If i could id give it 100000000000000000000000000000000000 thumbs !WAY! up

Thumbs WAY UP for me! I think it was just soooo brilliant - it also made me cry, and I never cry in films!

Personally, I think it's the best film in the whole world!

My thumbs are somewhere between the moon and the milky way right now!

God! what a great movie!!!!!!! There's a great feeling that i can't describe. Yeah, I'm absolutely agree with fini!!! I've been hypnotized by this film!!!!!!!!!! Although, I watched this film about a week ago, but I can still feel the emotion of the stories! A MILLION THUMBS UP for Lord of the Rings!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it since the first time i knew it. LOTR ROCKS!!!!

This is what I know.

*The Lord Of the Rings: The Return Of The King: was an exhaustingly long film.

*The Matrix: Revolutions: was not too long, not too short and I never wanted it to end.

*I enjoy the matrix action scenes a lot better than the lord of the rings action scenes.

*I enjoy the matrix storyline a lot more.

*The cast for the matrix is also a lot more appealing.

I think the matrix is better than the lord of the rings in every way.

and since when were we comparing the 2 films? oh thats right we weren't.

Don't get me wrong here, yes I love the matrix trilogy and they are my favorite movies, but I also love the lord of the rings trilogy and are right up there with the matrix for me, but I just didn't think Rotk was spectacular as everyone seems to think. yes it had great fight scenes and was very moving at the end, but the move spent way too much time away from frodo and sam or Aragon and instead on Mary and Pippin trying to be cute and funny and just totally ruining the first half of the movie. Also, the end dragged on way too long, I spent the last 20 minutes of the movie just hoping it would finally end, at that definetly ruined my opinion on the movie after thinking it finally had reached what the peak part of the trilogy in the middle. I liked Rotk, but I just thought the first 2 were better and don't understand why everyone thinks this one is so special. And it did not deserve 11 awards, I mean come on, there were many good films this year, so one film shouldnt dominate it like that when it isnt even the best of the trilogy.

well appearently the artisans of the academy have different opinion. and i'm inclined to think they know what they're doing.

um apparently not, yes I can see if they did not think Revolutions or Reloaded were good movies thats their opinion, but to not even have one of the matrix sequels up for best special effects, that is just complete stupidity. The broke new ground in special effects with everything they did, which is a lot more than you can say for peter pan, I mean come on. You don't have to like the matrix movies, but give credit where it is due and where one of the most obvious and stunning things of the movies were.

The title of the thread is RETURN OF THE KING-RATE THIS FILM! While I appreciate the fact that you loved the Matrix, this is off topic.

This thread is about LotR... NOT the Matrix.

If you want to discuss the Matrix, please take it to that forum.

Well, great minds think alike... don't they, Sherry?

Move those posts to the LOTR vs. The Matrix thread, guys.

p.s. Don't forget to delete this one.

Am, while the suggestion is appreciated, it's important for others to see that we don't want "off topic" posts in here. Thanks!

better than the first two in my opinion. ^_^ i loved it and am sooo sad its over. i've even read all the books! ITS THE END!!! but, amazing all together worth watching again and again.

PIPPIN FEREVER!!!

i know, i just had to prove to this idiot the academy doesn't know what the hell they're doing. So know I wasn't going on about the matrix, if you would've read my previous post.


Ingorance is futile.

It was a grrrrrrrrrreat movie.....Love the way they put it together and the graphics were amazing!!! I never read the book, ppl said it was better then the movie cause they left things out of the movie from the book!! but I don't care the whole movie, part one, two, and three is my favorite fantasy movie ever.....Willow used to be number one to me lol

I'm voting for you Mark Flemming

A great movie but it was boring for the last ten minutes after Frodo destroyed the ring.

That movie was THE best movie I have ever seen. I wept throughout the movie. It seemed so real to me. When Frodo and Sam are on Mount Doom and Frodo can't go anymore, Sam carries him. OMGosh! That was so touching. And when the hobbits part. I was crying beyond reasoning. I just love it so much. Now that the trilogy is over.. I feel empty. I would like it back.

Ahh, well its not gone...Return of the King is coming out on tape in May I think (someone correct me if I am wrong)...and the trilogy will live on forever on tape...But I'm going to miss a new LOTR movie coming out every year....oh well all good things must come to an end I guess

well technicially tapes can get worn out pretty fast..thats why we use DVDs
but yes, ROTK comes out to own in May.

Ok then, DVD's I thought it was May, hey that isnt that far away!!

Misty, you have The Hobbit to look forward to. That is if they ever get the legal stuff figured out.

The debate on how revoltuionary the movie was has been moved: here

It's coming out in May, but is anyone going to get the Extended version when it comes out in November?

It's coming out in May, but is anyone going to get the Extended version when it comes out in November?

I will I have all the other extended ones as well

My g~ma is gonna get us the dvd set for xmas

Good for you

yeah i really excited

Hi.....I am new this forum.........Anyway ROTK was definetly the best movie I ever saw....The whole Trilogy was awesome and the way it ended was incredible..........

I agree...It was a good movie And welcome to InR

Welcome! Yay, new Lord of the Rings/ Harry Potter fan!

Your very welcome

ppl lets judge rotk when the extended edition arrives
these are the directors versions and how he wanted u show em........

but the cinemas nagged "no its too long"
so pete had to cut the films

solomon(lol)will be a highlight of the EE in december
its gonna own

welcome lotr/harry potter fan??!!!!!



i am NOT a harry pothead fan

I think Oliphaunt was talking to lotrhpfan01....But welcome Johnnyboy...Looking forward to hear your opinions on things

I have put up my original assesment of this movie but someone decided it would be better as the start of the thread about the ROTK being revoloutional.

thx 4 welcomes

rotk owns