Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1330 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-12-10
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Box set, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 250 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 Boyens; 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

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

Great conclusion to PJ's epic
Yes this is a fantastic conclusion to Peter Jackson's retelling of Tolkien's classic fantasy tale of good versus evil. I would like to point out though that in my experience you will get so much more out of the movie if you have read the book BEFOREHAND.

This applies to most movies that are based on books. I also found this with the Harry Potter movies, so I always read the book before the movie was released, and enjoyed the movie much more because of it. The lord of the rings is probably my favourite book of all time, so give it a read if you havent already done so.

What we all waited for - The Battle for Middle Earth
The Return of the King is another enjoyable movie that ended up winning 11 Academy awards including Best Director for Peter Jackson. The accolades were more in recognition of the whole trilogy rather than this movie alone. It features the final showdown between good and evil and wraps up all the different story-lines that emerged out of the first two films. Essentially Frodo (Elijah Wood) succeeds in his quest to destroy the One Ring and Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) becomes king. We are treated to the enormous apocalyptic battles that we got a brief taste of in the epilogue of Fellowship of the Ring and some of the trailers. Much of the film focuses on the kingdom of Gondor and it's capital, the ancient city of Minas Tirith. The city is structured much as Tolkien vividly described it, with both beauty and power emanating from it. It represents the last bastion of strength against the evil Sauron, but faces attack by the countless hordes of bloodthirsty orcs, battle trolls, evil men, oliphaunts and other beasts unleashed from Mordor, giving a real sense of doom for middle-earth. Meanwhile, away from all the hostilities, the two hobbits Frodo and Sam secretly edge closer towards Mount Doom, with the treacherous Gollum as their guide. The music is once more of the highest calibre, with several variations of the inspiring Gondor theme played throughout the movie. The extra discs are further good value if you want to see how the film was put together.

In this extended edition we have lots of really good new scenes. While the theatrical version just had Saruman imprisoned in his tower, which seemed rather inconclusive, the extended edition shows the fellowship led by Gandalf, confronting Saruman at Isengard. Saruman's depicted ending does represent a departure from the book, but the dialogue and acting during this scene is very much Tolkienesque. There are more shots of Minas Tirith and we hear a little about how Gondor fall into decay. I would also have liked more on Minas Morgul and events inside Mordor but I suppose there just wasn't enough time for that. During the siege of Gondor, we are treated to the Witch-King face-off with Gandalf, where some more great Tolkien writing is used. The part where Frodo and Sam are mistaken for orcs and join their march inside Mordor to the Black Gate is also very good. The Houses of Healing were included but could have been done better to explain how Aragorn is recognized as rightful king. In the book, his healing powers are also used on Faramir and Merry, which leads the people of Gondor to realize a king (Aragorn) has returned and is amongst them.

While many people gave this box-set 5 stars I would have to settle with 4. This is because some parts of the film (esp. the Army of the Dead resolving the battle within 30 seconds) just seemed to diminish the story. It is also too long at over 4 hours, mainly because of the 30 minutes of unnecessary multiple endings. After the ring is destroyed (ending 1), we have the fellowship reunited (ending 2), and then Aragorn's coronation (ending 3), Sam's wedding (ending 4), Frodo and Bilbo leaving the Shire (ending 5), the Grey Havens (ending 6) and Sam arriving back in Hobbiton (ending 7). This made things just drag and drag; any of endings 2,4,5 and 7 could have been easily removed without compromising the story.

To summarise, the film is a very good piece of story-telling and screenplay that concludes one of the best fantasy stories written in recent times. I look forward to more film adaptations of Tolkien's Middle Earth.

The pieces are moving...
Antipodean director Peter Jackson here proves beyond doubt that he's picked up Spielberg's mantle as the director most competent at blending dazzling special effects with convincing emotional drama. The third part of Jackson's opus sees the One Ring return to Mordor in the hands of a Hobbit, while the hordes of Gorgoroth sweep into the realm of man in their tens of thousands. Bad Taste this ain't.

This is the boldest of the three movies in that it necessarily must take the most risks in depicting Tolkien's universe. It's a delicate balancing act. For instance, some will love the Jackson of old re-emerging for the Paths of the Dead sequence, while others will resent its Temple of Doom comedy-horror stylings. Legolas skipping up the leg of an olyphaunt and then sliding down its trunk as it falls: fanboys loathe that stuff; the kids love it. But thankfully, due to Return of the King's structure - a series of action scenes built around Gandalf's (Ian McKellen) dreadful narration - one doesn't have to wait long until the next set-piece arrives. And we're spoiled for choice. Gandalf, for example, doesn't only narrate - he also, exhilaratingly, sweeps onto the plain of Pelennor to ward off the Nazgul with a blinding shaft of light. Shelob doesn't disappoint; Weta have created a memorable monster who tickles the neck-hairs of Tolkien devotees and unsuspecting arachnophobics alike (I had not yet read the novel at this point...). And the lighting of the beacons, erupting from far snow-capped peaks, calling to Gondor under the bellowing strains of Howard Shore's aptly triumphant score, might be the single most rousing sequence in movie history. It's the ignition of hope, a glimmer of unbridled joy before the darkness descends.

The biggest omission from the novel is the Scouring of the Shire. I happen to agree with the sreenwriters' decision. By that time, we've already had two or three endings. We've been stuffed with a veritable feast in the form of the Battle of Pelennor and the Fall of Sauron; the Scouring, I believe, would have been an unwanted dessert. Besides, Tolkien's epilogue was something of a matter of celebrity. Aragorn's final words to the hobbits, as all of Middle Earth kneels, says more about the height of their standing than any Shire-war would.

Some minor flaws still remain. Legolas and Gimli's character arcs still reach no real resolution (but then, do we really need another two endings?). The position of the Battle of Pelennor in the story's narrative doesn't really lend itself to the classical Hollywood narrative very comfortably - there's a predictable, albeit only slight, feeling of 'winding down' in all that follows. Also, on this extended DVD, the point at which we are asked to change discs comes at a most inopportune time, as the drums of war are at their peak.

But it seems strangely impertinent to sniff out the trilogy's few flaws; to do so is like picking at the hem of the Bayeux Tapestry. Will we ever see such a wholly satisfying series of films again? Not in my lifetime. This is pure cinema. Jackson and his creative family just don't stop giving. He has successfully translated his love for his source material and created a body of work that will live on and become equally loved. The scope of his achievement is undeniable; as entertainment, this is about as close to perfection as cinema will get.