The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Released: December 17, 2003

Studio: New Line Cinema

Genre: fantasy epic

Box Office (numbers in millions):

Domestic: 377.80 Worldwide: 1147.63

Adjusted for Inflation:

Domestic: 605.92 Worldwide: 1737.00

Directing: Peter Jackson

Screenwriting: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson

Starring: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan, Orlando Bloom, Sean Astin, Andy Serkis, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd

Review:

In tackling Lord of the Rings, “Jackson demonstrates the definitive way to translate a popular literary epic for the screen, with sweep and passion and grandeur.” ^EW “The final chapter in the visually stunning chronicle of Tolkien’s legendary tale” ^A07 is “such a pure spectacle, that it can be enjoyed even by those who have not seen the first two films.” ^RE “Anyone who bangs on about all those endings is missing the many joys of Peter Jackson’s Academy Award-laden trilogy-closer.” ^E18 It joined Titanic and Ben-Hur as one of only three films to take 11 of the statuettes. “Deserves. Every. Oscar.” ^E18

The hobbits Frodo (Wood) and Sam (Astin) “undertake a harrowing journey” ^RE to Mount Doom to destroy The One Ring and save Middle Earth, a task made more complicated by “The Ring’s strange power to enthrall its possessors.” ^RE

They are accompanied by “the magnificently eerie, fish-fleshed, bug-eyed creature Gollum.” ^RE Thanks to CGI motion-capture and the voice of Andy Serkis, he “seems as real as anyone else on the screen.” ^RE He is pivotal to the story’s “fantastic dramatic-ironic twist when…[he] saves the day through his own treachery.” ^E18

The movie is “a crowning achievement” ^RE and “visionary use of all the tools of special effects.” ^RE “It has some of the most colossal and entertaining battle scenes ever mounted.” ^E18

Sources:

^A07 American Film Institute (2007). “AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies – 10th Anniversary Edition”
^RE Roger Ebert
^E18 Empire (3/20/2018). “The 100 Greatest Movies”
^EW source unknown

Awards/Honors/Lists:

Dave’s Movie Database Lists:

Dave’s Movie Database Genre Lists:

Box Office:

Awards:

Oscars:

Wins: 11 – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Make-up, Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing

Nominations: 11