Stars: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Andy Serkis, Bernard Hill, Miranda Otto

Director: Peter Jackson

Summary: As Sauron gathers his forces, the kingdom of Gondor is in need of it's king, Aragorn. Gandalf sets off to Minas Tirith to try and rally the troops of Gondor, while King Theoden of Rohan brings his forces to help keep Sauron distracted from the movements of the ring bearer. Meanwhile Frodo, accompanied by his friend Samwise Gamgee and the former ring bearer Golem, continues his journey to cast the One Ring into Mount Doom. However Golem intends to lead them not to their destination but into the lair of Shelob.

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 Eowyn (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.
The film made Oscar history on 29th February 2004, when it won all eleven categories in which it had been nominated. Tying with 1997's TITANIC and 1959's BEN HUR for the most ever wins. The Oscars were awarded for Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Costume Design, Art Direction, Film Editing, Original Score, Original Song, Make Up, Visual Effects and Sound Mixing.

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Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, triumphantly completed by the 11-Oscar-winning The Return of the King, sets out to show that Tolkien's epic work, once derided as mere adolescent escapism, is not just fodder for the best mass entertainment spectacle ever seen on the big screen, but is also replete with emotionally satisfying meditations on the human condition. What is the nature of true friendship? What constitutes real courage? Why is it important for us to care about people living beyond our borders? What does it mean to live in harmony with the environment and what are the consequences when we do not? When is war justifiable and when is it not? What things are really worth fighting for? These are the questions that resonate with a contemporary audience: to see our current social and political concerns mirrored--and here finally resolved--in Middle-earth is to recognise that Jackson's Lord of the Rings is both a parable for our times and magical cinematic escapism.

As before, in this concluding part of the trilogy the spectacle never dwarfs (sic) the characters, even during Shelob the spider's pitiless assault, for example, or the unparalleled Battle of the Pelennor Fields, where the white towers of Minas Tirith come under ferocious attack from Troll-powered siege weapons and--in a sequence reminiscent of the Imperial Walkers in The Empire Strikes Back--Mammoth-like Mumakil. The people and their feelings always remain in focus, as emphasised by Jackson's sensitive small touches: Gandalf reassuring a terrified Pippin in the midst of battle that death is not to be feared; Frodo's blazing anger at Sam's apparent betrayal; Faramir's desire to win the approval of his megalomaniac father; Gollum's tragic cupidity and his final, heartbreaking glee. And at the very epicentre of the film is the pure heart of Samwise Gamgee--the real hero of the story.

At over three hours, there are almost inevitably some lulls, and the film still feels as if some key scenes are missing: a problem doubtless to be rectified in the extended DVD edition. But the end, when it does finally arrive--set to Howard Shore's Wagnerian music score--brings us full circle, leaving the departing audience to wonder if they will ever find within themselves even a fraction of the courage of a hobbit. --Mark Walker

Aspect Ratio:	Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Animated Menus, The Quest Fulfilled A Directors Vision, A Filmmakers Journey Making The Return Of The King, National Geographic Special, Aragorns Destiny Featurette, Minas Tirith Capital Of Gondor Featurette, The Battle Of Pelennor Fields Featurette, Samwise The
Subtitles:	English
Year:	2003
Release Date:	May 25, 2004
Runtime:	192 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	E D R 4046
Keywords:	Action, King, Two, General, Wide, Screen, Lord, Fantasy, Rings, Return, Adventure, Discs, Lotr, Rotk
Genre:	Action/Adventure