Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #34360 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-12-10
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Box set, PAL, Special Edition, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 5
• Running time: 240 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The greatest trilogy in film history, presented in the most ambitious sets in DVD history, comes to a grand conclusion with the extended edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Not only is the third and final installment of Peter Jackson's adaptation of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien the longest of the three, but a full 50 minutes of new material pushes the running time to a whopping 4 hours and 10 minutes. The new scenes are welcome, and the bonus features maintain the high bar set by the first two films, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.

What's New?
One of the scenes cut from the theatrical release but included here, the resolution of the Saruman storyline, generated a lot of publicity when the movie opened, as actor Christopher Lee complained in the press about losing his only appearance. It's an excellent scene, one Jackson calls "pure Tolkien," and provides better context for Pippin to find the wizard's palantir in the water, but it's not critical to the film. In fact, "valuable but not critical" might sum up the ROTK extended edition. It's evident that Jackson made the right cuts for the theatrical run, but the extra material provides depth and ties up a number of loose ends, and for those sorry to see the trilogy end (and who isn't?) it's a welcome chance to spend another hour in Middle-earth. Some choice moments are Gandalf's (Ian McKellen) confrontation with the Witch King (we find out what happened to the wizard's staff), the chilling Mouth of Sauron at the gates of Mordor, and Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) being mistaken for Orc soldiers. We get to see more of Éowyn (Miranda Otto), both with Aragorn and on the battlefield, even fighting the hideously deformed Orc lieutenant, Gothmog. We also see her in one of the most anticipated new scenes, the Houses of Healing after the battle of the Pelennor Fields. It doesn't present Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) as a savior as the book did, but it shows the initial meeting between Éowyn and Faramir (David Wenham), a relationship that received only a meaningful glance in the theatrical cut.

If you want to completely immerse yourself in Peter Jackson's marvelous and massive achievement, only the extended edition will do.

And for those who complained, no, there are no new endings, not even the scouring of the Shire, which many fans were hoping to see. Nor is there a scene of Denethor (John Noble) with the palantir, which would have better explained both his foresight and his madness. As Jackson notes, when cuts are made, the secondary characters are the first to go, so there is a new scene of Aragorn finding the palantir in Denethor's robes. Another big difference is Aragorn's confrontation with the King of the Dead. In the theatrical version, we didn't know whether the King had accepted Aragorn's offer when the pirate ships pulled into the harbor; here Jackson assumes that viewers have already experienced that tension, and instead has the army of the dead join the battle in an earlier scene (an extended cameo for Jackson). One can debate which is more effective, but that's why the film is available in both versions. If you feel like watching the relatively shorter version you saw in the theaters, you can. If you want to completely immerse yourself in Peter Jackson's marvelous and massive achievement, only the extended edition will do.

How Are the Bonus Features?
To complete the experience, The Return of the King provides the same sprawling set of features as the previous extended editions: four commentary tracks, sharp picture and thrilling sound, and two discs of excellent documentary material far superior to the recycled material in the theatrical edition. Those who have listened to the seven hours of commentary for the first two extended editions may wonder if they need to hear more, but there was no commentary for the earlier ROTK DVD, so it's still entertaining to hear him break down the film (he says the beacon scene is one of his favorites), discuss differences from the book, point out cameos, and poke fun at himself and the extended-edition concept ("So this is the complete full strangulation, never seen before, here exclusively on DVD!"). The documentaries (some lasting 30 minutes or longer) are of their usual outstanding quality, and there's a riveting storyboard/animatic sequence of the climactic scene, which includes a one-on-one battle between Aragorn and Sauron.

One DVD Set to Rule Them All
Peter Jackson's trilogy has set the standard for fantasy films by adapting the Holy Grail of fantasy stories with a combination of fidelity to the original source and his own vision, supplemented by outstanding writing, near-perfect casting, glorious special effects, and evocative New Zealand locales. The extended editions without exception have set the standard for the DVD medium by providing a richer film experience that pulls the three films together and further embraces Tolkien's world, a reference-quality home theater experience, and generous, intelligent, and engrossing bonus features. --David Horiuchi

Special Features
Disc 1 & 2: • Extended Directors cut of the Main Feature • Includes Audio commentaries from director Peter Jackson with writer/producer Fran Walsh and writer Philippa Bowens; Members of the design team; Members of the production and post-production team; Members of the cast

Disc 3: • Introduction from Peter Jackson • "J.R.R. Tolkien: The Legacy of Middle-Earth" Documentary • "From Book To Script - Forging The Final Chapter" Documentary • Abandoned Concept: Aragorn battles Sauron • "Designing Middle-Earth" Documentary • "Big-atures" Documentary • "Weta Workshop" Documentary • "Costume Design" Documentary • "The Peoples of Middle-Earth" galleries with audio • "The Realms Of Middle-Earth" galleries with audio • "Miniatures" galleries with audio • "Home Of The Horse Lords" Documentary • "Middle-Earth Atlas: Tracing the Journeys of the Fellowship" interactive map • "New Zealand As Middle-Earth" interactive map with on-location footage

Disc 4: • Introduction from Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan • "Cameras In Middle-Earth" Documentary • Production photos: a gallery of 69 images • "Weta Digital" Documentary • "The Mumakil Battle" interactive feature • "Editorial: Completing The Trilogy" Documentary • "Music For Middle-Earth" Documentary • "The Soundscapes Of Middle-Earth" Documentary • "The End Of All Things" Documentary • "The Passing Of An Age" Documentary • "Cameron Duncan: The Inspiration For Into the West" Documentary • "DFK6498" short film • "Strike Zone" short film

Disc 5: • Select Movements From 'The Lord Of The Rings' Score From All Three Films • Howard Shore Conducts The Symphony Orchestra Of Montreal, Canada

Minas Tirith Collectors Statue

Synopsis
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.

Customer Reviews

Proper review - I own it! Stunning!
This is actually a proper review, as I have bought it and had it delivered!!

This is a fantastic finale to a truly epic trilogy. For fans of Tolkien's original work the added 48 minutes, interspersed as usual within the running time of the film, add plenty that was missing from the big screen. The voice of Saruman makes an entrance, as does the Cross Roads of the Fallen King, the Corsairs of Umbar, the Houses of Healing, Aragorn and the Palantir (even if it is in the wrong place), and of course the Mouth of Sauron. Many of the existing scenes have been augmented too, making the final work a masterpiece.

The set comes with a great 50 minutes DVD detailing Howard Shore's creation of the music behind LOTR. It includes the live music played in a concert hall in Canada.

The model, which this year is a perfect miniature of Minas Tirith, is the best yet and reminiscent of the Pillars of the Kings from Fellowship. It also doubles as a trinket box, as the top lifts off to reveal a hidden compartment etched with the White Tree and the stars of Elendil.

This is certainly the best of the trilogy as far as the boxed-set is concerned - and I think the best film too. It only poses one question - what will I do at this time next year.....?

Good, Bad and the Ugly
Here it is, the final piece of the extended trilogy. 5 (yes, Five) discs of Return of the King and an extra disc about the composing of the soundtrack - and what you get doesn't disappoint, even if you are a Tokein purist (like me).

Nearly an extra hour of additional footage allows you to see what happens to Saruman, more shots of Minas Tirith (which is by far one of the best set pieces ever made), in addition to filling plot holes, and also see some more at Pelennor Fields. But my personal favourite is that Denethor's best line in the book (albeit a little shortened) 'You may triumph on the field of battle for a day, but against the power that has risen in the East there is no victory'

The extra features, are par for the course for the series. I don't think exhaustive quite cuts it - you get all the little bits about how the film was made, the design aspects and set construction, as well as a deleted scene. The only way you could get more special features is if they'd invited you onto the set.

Thats the good. The bad only rely applies if you are a Tolkein purist (in which case why are you watching the films!). Saruman's fate is not as written, and there is no scouring of the shire. Faramir's dream ('I saw a great wave....') is now given to Eowyn, and I'm not sure how well it works. Its not bad, its just not quite right.

-Spoiler warning:

The Ugly - ditto, this is purist stuff. Everyone and their aunt will notice that between Gandalf picking Pippin up after the Gate is broken, and his arrival at the tomb of the stewards, his staff is missing. We see how that happens, but frankly its not that impressive. All the rumours of the Gandalf/Witchking slugfest are just that. The lines and the CGI in that scene are great, its just not quite right (if Gandalf can take on a demon of the ancient world as Gandalf the Grey, then how come he can't take on the Witchking as Gandalf the White kind of problem).

So, if you're going to buy this, get it for the special features and the 4'' polystone Minas Tirith. The extra scenes are nice but a little out of place at points - if you bought the extended editions of the other two, you'll want this box set rather than the 4 disc set, simply for the sculpture (yes, I like the sculpture)

excellent
This is an excellent finish to the films. The extra footage makes the story feels less rushed and allows for more character development. The House of Healing scenes, although they are brief, have been put back in, showing some of the meeting between Eowyn and Faramir. This felt like something of a gap before, especially as so much time was spent previously building up their characters. Faramir's dream is also in, although it is moved forward and given to Eowyn. There is also a truly unsettling, digitally enhanced Mouth of Sauron and a version of the death of Saruman, although there is no Scouring of the Shire. Personally I didn't mind this so much, as I think it might have felt like a bit of an anti-climax, although possibly Tolkien purists might miss it. I thought this adaptation was about as good as adaptions get, and the small omissions and changes in the story were understandable for reasons of timing and pace. This gift set includes an extra DVD of Howard Shore conducting his music, and a pretty good model of Minas Tirith which could be used as a book-end or for keeping stamps,etc in. Otherwise it's the same as the plain extended version. I think the set is probably worth getting for the extra DVD if you liked the music - although it's abbreviated from the live version, you do get the highlights and some brief comments from Shore. Roll on the 25th anniversary edition( teasingly mentioned by Jackson in his commentary with the other adapters - which is well worth a listen - although I don't know if he now regrets saying that as I think he may be bugged about it for the next twenty-five years!)
All in all, I think the extended edition particularly brings out the human emotions at the heart of the story and for me it was this, and not so much the special effects (fantastic as they are) that gave the trilogy an epic quality and make it so much better then most fantasy films.