One word --- Fantastic! Truly one of the greatest films I have witnessed. It just feels so epic. The story pulls you in so deeply, that you actually find your self moving in your seat. Peter Jackson's finest hour (or 3.25 to be precise)!

This final installment incorporates action, love, humor, suspense and fantasy, all of which are crafted together in a moving and powerful masterpiece. This movie is not only the best ive seen, it brings back my faith in a successful trilogy.

The movie was awsome!!!!! all the actors really fit their parts. If I could I'd rate this movie way over 10.

What the hell is monkey rugby?

Loved it - the trilogy 10 hours of great movie making.

New Zealand makes this movie seem so like another land. I loved all three.

Anyone who gives this film less than a '10' went to the film expecting it to be bad - shame on them for giving it 0's - they belong in the audience for Adam Sandler's films - something they can understand.

Erm...To those idiots who rated this movie below 10 should go and screw themselves. THis movie was brilliant!! There is no other trilogy that could surpass such brilliance. And for those who are grumbeling about scenes being left out - watch the DVD! There is no way Peter could have put in all the scenes, use your brains! Just accept what you've seen and if you didn't like it don't review it - we don't want to hear your crap.… Expand

A wonderful movie. By far the best in recent memory, or even ever! All hail Peter Jackson!

Visually stunning with amazing special effects.I would highly recommend this movie to all.It was better than the previous movies in the series and much broader in outlook.

The best movie I have ever seen. Beautiful, thrilling, inspiring, and heartbreaking: this one has got it all! A truly flawless epic with astonishing depth and breadth. You can just feel the love with which every costume, prop, and set was made in their exquisite detail. The perfectly paced story flows seamlessly and the whole trilogy comes together magnificently. To paraphrase Aragorn, this movie does not belong to one man but to all: every character shines and to say that the ensemble acting is brilliant would be understating how great the cast is. I could list the moments which just took my breath away, but I would basically just tell the whole movie! For over three hours, the members of the audience, strangers in the dark, formed a bond as we laughed, cried, and cheered for the Fellowship and their allies. It was a mesmerizing, rapturous experience. I could go on and on. A wonderful movie that everyone will love and always remember.… Expand

If this movie doesn't win Oscar for best picture I am going to kill myself.

Wow! Continually astonishing and moving. Excellent performances and sure-handed directing make this movie the crowning jewel in an already glittering trilogy. I've seen it three times and it just gets better with each viewing, if that's possible! Do not be discouraged because it is a long movie: it was the fastest three and a half hours of my life! I stayed through all the credits along with a few people who were singing along with "Into the West." I love the portraits of all the characters and how the credits end with an image of the ring.… Expand

Diane P. what are you talking about? The Lord of the Rings the return of the king is the most brilliantly made movie of my time. How could a movie be below standard with such fine casting, directing, acting, detailing, editing etc. come below anyone's standards. You may not be a fan of fantasy but you can still appreciate. The performance that stood out most for me was Sean Astin9;s role as Samwise Gamgee. The relationship between Frodo and Sam's was exactly how I pictured it in the book. LOTR, ROTK has absolutely no downpoints and is worthy of any oscar title. A brilliant movie.… Expand

Speechless....just speechless... thats all i can say.

Stunning. Truly Stunning. I actually feel quite sorry for Jawad S and Joe B - one says it's an FX show and the other a soap opera - oh dear boys, is your resemblance to Orc beauty too close for comfort? And Chewbacca, I was there AT THAT TIME and how do you think Star Wars would be received nowadays? Calm down with YOUR implied "Best Ever" comments, kid. Apples with apples mate!

Peter Jackson has crafted one of the finest films ever to grace the big screen. This trifecta known as The Lord of the Rings will go down in history as the finest trilogy ever made, the finest fantasy ever made, and perhaps the finest movie ever made. It's that good.

I think this movie was excellent especially when the eliphants came out and legolos when all freaky by knocking most of them down.

Deconstructing the Critics. Critic: The is too long. Reply: The Lord of the Rings movies are based on a 1000 page trilogy. To condense this material to any less would undermine the fabric of Tolkien's world. Critic: This movie is a special effect showcase. Reply: Jackson masterfully weaves special effects to re-create the fictional world of Middle Earth. Once again, many critics who complain about special effects do not seem to understand the importance of establishing a foundational basis for Middle Earth. The use of special effects alongside actual landscapes is what creates a believable Middle Earth. Too much of one or another would not do full justice to the work. Critic: The movie does not accomodate for people who have not seen the first two movies. Reply: This is a trilogy, conceived as one large work. That is as foolish as saying that Part Three of The Brothers Karamazov does not accomodate for a new reader. Critic: The ending is too long. Reply: Once again, The Return of King should be viewed as part of a larger whole. There is very nice symmetry involved when one steps back to view the beginning of the Fellowship and the end of Return of the King. Furthermore, The Lord of the Rings is fundamentally the tale of hobbits, and to end abruptly at Mt. Doom would miss the larger character development. Critic: Many story plot lines seem silly and absurd. Reply: This is a criticism of Tolkien's work, not Peter Jackson's film adaptation of it. Critic: The characters are shallow and underdeveloped. Reply: Once again, step back and view how all the characters change over the course of the three films. One feels more attached to these fictional characters than some "real-life" characters. Final Opinion: This movie is grand, elegant, and a work of art that will surely stand the test of time.… Expand

One of the greatest movies ever made. Period.

One of the most breath-taking films ever produced with brilliant acting and dialogue. An adequate adaptation of the books, which some of you seem to forget. How can you say the ending is too predictable? Did you expect them to change the ending from what had been written 50 years ago? Idiots. Look beyond the glitter and big fancy setwork and you will see at the heart of this story the relationship between hopeless hobbits and the definition of the heroic in identity in Aragorn, something our culture has lost. This movie is one of the best I have ever seen and should be at least viewed by all.… Expand

One of the most breath-taking films ever produced with brilliant acting and dialogue. An adequate adaptation of the books, which some of you seem to forget. How can you say the ending is too predictable? Did you expect them to change the ending from what had been written 50 years ago? Idiots. Look beyond the glitter and big fancy setwork and you will see at the heart of this story the relationship between hopeless hobbits and the definition of the heroic in identity in Aragorn, something our culture has lost. This movie is one of the best I have ever seen and should be at least viewed by all.… Expand

One of the most breath-taking films ever produced with brilliant acting and dialogue. An adequate adaptation of the books, which some of you seem to forget. How can you say the ending is too predictable? Did you expect them to change the ending from what had been written 50 years ago? Idiots. Look beyond the glitter and big fancy setwork and you will see at the heart of this story the relationship between hopeless hobbits and the definition of the heroic in identity in Aragorn, something our culture has lost. This movie is one of the best I have ever seen and should be at least viewed by all.… Expand

A Masterpiece !! Brilliantly subtle while totally engrossing. To all the childish posters who add duplicate reviews to bash this movie..please try to be smarter in masking your ignorance. Arleen -"Found it very childish with redundant battle scenes. Not my cup of tea. Sorry" Goliath - "Saw it this weekend and was not impressed. Thought it was boring to say the least. Not my cup of tea." How many still use the term "my cup of tea" ? … Expand

Great, brilliant, breathtaking!

A visual masterpiece! Equally as stunning as the first two installments of the Lord of the Rings, Return of the King picks you up and doesn't let you go until the satisfying, albiet drawn out, ending. All told, this trilogy is perhaps the biggest movie making gamble and payoff in history.

A fitting end to a fantastic film trilogy. Peter Jackson is to be commended for bringing a novel of such scale & complexity to the screen. It all comes together beautifully; the characterisations, the effects, the music, all combine to make a feast for the senses. It would be so unfair to pick any one person out of such an ensemble piece but I think my highest praise goes to Mr J himself for getting together such a cast who were able to bring the printed page to life. A wonderful film (and trilogy) which will live on for many a long year.… Expand

Great, great, great!!!!!!!! The 2nd part of the trilogy is still my favorite though but this is a masterpiece !

The best movie of the trilogy. Amazing soundtrack, the best acting in an ensemble (Sean Astin and Bernard Hill are excellent), and astonishing photography makes this movie one of the best i´ve ever seen. Epic! Unique! You´ll never forget this piece of art... you´ll be stucked on your sit since the very begginning to the last scene...

This is just beautiful. I've seen it twice, and I'm still stunned at this amazing achievement.

The greatest movie of all time.

It's sad that certain studios are engaging in sleazy, underhanded campaigning against this wonderful movie. Just think about what this group people have accomplished led by a little man from New Zealand. But Return of the King doesn't need to make any excuses or apologies. It is what it is: a fantasy epic that tells the story of hobbits, wizards, dwarves, elves, and men. And it is a great movie. The best of the year. Hands down.… Expand

Perfect.

This is the best movie ever seen. after seeing this movie i became opssesed with the film not just rotk but all three. i watch them daily or i search on the internet about it.i am failing in school because i think about it so much. I would advise anyone and everyone to see this awesome film.

The best movie ever made!!! Should win every award in the oscars.

The films in the Lord Of the Rings Trilogy have truly raised the bar for contemporary filmmaking and Peter Jackson is the messiah who has delivered to us, these beautifully crafted epic pictures. Adapted from the timeless books written by JRR Tolkien the LOTR Trilogy blows both Star Wars and Harry Potter out of the water. The third and last in this series of remarkable films is The Return of the King, which is by far the best of the three as well as the best film of 2003. New Zealand was turned into the classic setting of Middle Earth for the filming of the series finale. The beautiful landscapes and eqsuisite backdrops make for a film that is very easy on the eye.… Expand

What an amazing movie! A beautiful conclusion to a gorgeous trilogy. It's been acclaimed by critics and loved by audiences, and rightfully so! Thank you to the cast and crew for achieving what was previously thought to be impossible: bringing to the screen the classic trilogy. A compete success!

Beautiful, thrilling, and moving. Peter Jackson directs with a certain, unerring hand. Having loved the books since childhood, I thought that an adaptation was impossible, but the movies have captured both the soul of the literary trilogy as well as the individual moments that make it so memorable. This film is an amazing achievement.

I love this movie! Best one this year.

Haha, silly people saying unfounded things about this movie. Easily the greatest cinematic achievement to date. No movie ever had the ambitions, the risks, the beauty, the artistic, the cast, and precision. It excells in cinmatography, artistic direction, visual effects, costume, make up, acting, music, and screen play. The movie is nominated for best overall cast by the screen actor';s guild. Hearing people say the acting is terrible is the most dishones thing I ever heard. Best movie achievement to date.… Expand

Beautifully made! I am a pretty jaded moviegoer and fantasy films are normally not my cup of tea, but this trilogy has broken through all stereotypes! It has both the innocence and ambition of old-fashioned moviemaking. It is a great movie, a historic achievement, plain and simple. To think that such wonderful movie would have been made from what had been considered an unfilmable book makes Peter Jackson's accomplishment all the more miraculous. If you haven't yet experienced this beautiful movie, go and see it now!… Expand

Return of the King rules them all! It is both grand and intimate, sweeping and tender. As the conclusion of the epic trilogy, it summons all the power and emotion in its heart-stopping climax and its beautiful and wistful epilogue. On its own, it is none less impressive: beautifully written, flawlessly edited, and impressively acted by the cast. Each step in the trilogy has brought greater power and depth to both the characters and the narrative. And this final film completes this wonderful journey in a way that will not soon be forgotten.… Expand

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! PETER YOU SO DESERVED THIS!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WHOLE TEAM!!!!! LOVE you ALL!

One of the greatest films ever! Could have been shorter but the depiction of this world so unlike our own is amazing. Superb job by Peter Jackson.

The ultimate good verses evil saga is played out in brilliant fashion. You can not help but cheer when the races unite and the hour of men is seen to its conclusion: We survive united and not alone. Superb cast and effects will rank this achievement among the greatest ever put on film. Way to go guys and gals!

Stunning masterpiece and well worth the wait. Everything about it is class, it makes you think your fighting the battle with them! The ending had to be 'long' ; how else can you end a 3 year long film!!

Awesome.

Excellent.

This is a true cinematic masterpiece! I actually watched the first two on the same day that i saw this, and it was simply spectacular. Congratulations to the entire cast and crew on a job well done!!!!!!!

Working on a movie for 7,8 years, it could not be easy. For this, PJ deserves a 10, and every other honor he's got. Just love this adventure!

Perfect.

Moviemaking at its best!

A classic for the ages. I'd give this movie an 11 if I could - it is that much better than most films out there. There has never been a more sublime fusion of Art and populist entertainment.

It's a little slow, but it has the awesomest graphics and the best battle sequences.

Fantastic epic movie, which is beyond expectations.

The books are so moving, magical, inspiring, and jaw dropping, so it would be pretty obvious that the movie would turn out the same. To tell you the truth I was never into the masterful triliogy until last summer. I have to admit I once thought The Lord of the Rings franchise was another book adaption for a movie, when screenplay writers ran out of ideas. When I saw Two Towers last year, I quickly got caught in the Lord of the Rings hysteria and couldn't wait for the finale. Two Towers may be the least memorable of the three, but it certainly caught this ONE fish from the sea. I took the time to read each book, and loved every piece of it!! What other movie do you see that has a director so devoted and close to these books?! Peter Jackson, unlike Christopher Columbus on the Harry Potter series, took seven complete years of his life attempting to film a movie that was considered "unfilmable." He wasn't even a renowned director, his most famous movie at the time being Heavenly Creatures. Yet he took a chance, took a book he truly adored, and created a masterpiece! Return of the King had epic battles, jaw dropping effects, and a great story!! This movie series will be talked about in a hundred years from now being in the same breath as the Godfather and Star Wars! Thank you Peter Jackson and LOTR cast for creating a movie so memorable and awe inspiring at the same time! … Expand

Best movie ever.

This movie is by far the best film to be made in quite a few years. All Tolkien fans are urged to go and see this film - it's worth the Oscars and worth the money.

Epic, masterful work. Fans of Tolkien should understand the long ending and be grateful that he didn't give in to the typical Hollywood: end fight, end movie (no need to worry about resolution.)

When i first herd of the lord of the rings i thot it was just gonna be somme other movie but boy was i wrong! i also enjoyed the battle of midel earth!!! i think i would of preferd another ending thow! oh well.

I love the Lord of the Rings films (and books). See the extended editions.

Quite possibly the best movie ever made. its a masterpiece.

One of the greatest films of all time.

I am a dedicated convert to teh Lord of the Rings series, i was hooked the first time i saw The Fellowship of The Ring. In my opinion The Lord Of The Rings series is collectively the best films ever made. The film makes up for the slight disappointment which was The Two Towers after the mesmorislingly excellent Fellowship of The Rings . Somehow Jackson succeeded in doing the impossible, making the final chapter of the trilogy better than the first chapetr of the series, which was a cinematic masterpiece itself. From the frist second when we found out how Gollum or Speagle turned evil to when Frodo et al departed on the boat, the film kept up its unrelenting excellence. Forget what they say - that the second or thrid film in a series is never better - with Return of The King, i am happy to say, this myth is well and truly derailed and destroyed.… Expand

The great adventure masterpiece of our time.

I really enjoyed this film. It has great acting, great special effects, and a great musical score. I HIGHLY recommend this movie.

It astonishes me how many believed the ending to be far too long. But I feel it was a necessary choice to lengthen it as they did. This film attempted to its best to tie all the loose ends, and to conclude an epic adventure that spanned a total of ten hours of film. In order to do the master works of fiction any justice, every character must say their good byes, every action must be taken to blow the audience away. I found, then, that I wasn't only plastered to my seat, my eyes welling to the brim with tears, but that I wanted to remain with each character long after the story had ended. And for producing that profound want alone, the film deserves the rating I gave it, as well as for it being quite simply one of the great master works of cinema. These are the essential images magic is made of.… Collapse

Peter Jackson is an absoloute marvel at filmaking, even the spectacular action scenes have their share of emotional beauty. The Return of the King is one of the greatest movies I have ever seen, surpassed by Jackson's King Kong.

Simply awesome! Words fail me to describe what I felt when I was watching this movie. Certainly, one of the finest achievements in the history of cinema & certainly the most stupendous achievement in 21st century cinema so far.

Tolkien unravels an amazing book. Jackson resulted an amazing movie.

The last thing I want to do is jump on the bandwagon, and join the millions of people out there gushing and babbling about how amazingly fantastic this movie was. Unfortunately, I have little choice in the matter. It really is an an awe-inspiring conclusion to what is arguably one of the greatest trilogies ever conceived - fantasy or otherwise. I wasn't there when the original star wars trilogy opened for the first time at the movies. I always felt that I missed out on something - the buzz and excitment that inevitably accompanies the opening nights of truely great films. I'm just glad that I was lucky enough to see the full Lord of the Rings trilogy on the big screen - knowing full well that this will go down in history as one of the greats, and may never been shown on the big screen again.… Expand

Every time I come onto this website I am blown away by the stupidity of people. If you've read the books and enjoyed them, how could you not enjoy the movies? People who haven't read the books loved the movies, people who have read the books loved the movies. There always has to be special needs people out there who have to be different from everyone else. if only natural selection were still working as effectively on human beings, because none of you would be alive right now.… Expand

Greatest movie of all time, and for those of you that give it 0's you are ignorant people that haven't read the books and decide that watching the movie should do it all for you. You people can go watch dawn of the dead or some shit and give it 10's and have no idea what a truly great movie entails.

Awesome.

It kept me focused the entire 3+ hours, and excited. That is a testament to a truly great epic. It had everything I could ask for in a fantasy movie.

This movie ROCKS!!! Intense action, amazing action and good story line I loved the books and the movie livies up to standerd this is a must see movie.

The best of the 3 movies!

Superb! Exceptional! best film I've seen in many years

The third book is the best one, and this movie is going to be the best movie ever... the best 9 hours that i have spend in a film... come 17 come.

An operatic-scale feast for all the senses and emotions. Astin and Wood are particular standouts among a stellar cast. The perfect end chapter to a near-perfect cinematic story.

Awesome.

HE BEST MOVIE EVER!!!

You Dont get better than this.

Favourite film of the year. Epic in every way, yet the smallest characters shine the brightest.

Absolutely magnificient. A triumph of cinematic history. Powerful, heartfelt, will sweep you off your feet. The greatest accomplishment since the invention of the internet.

Went to the london premiere! AMAZING i recommend this to anybody.

a visual masterpiece of epic proportion, rare for a fantasy this film has a soul at it's deepest core.

I am a huge Tolkien fan, and so am of course biased when it comes to these films. BUT, this is movie is the real deal. Filmmaking at its most grand.

It's a fabulous movie. Which miracles the world of the legend and the old stories in a great adventure, written by tolkien. you should not miss it.

I love LOTR!!!

I haven't seen the movie yet because it has not been released as of this writing, but for some strange reason I know I will love it. I thought the first picture in the series was very good, the second OK but WAY to long. Yet there is something about the idea of this group of filmmakers producing a conclusion to such a meaty story that stands as irresistible. Frankly, I can?t to see how this thing turns out ? that?s a good thing, huh?… Expand

The greatest story ever told is done justice by this film. Although not a Tolkien fan, I can think of no other visual epic that brings you to another world with such ease and grandeur as this.

An astonishing film, truly. Not one member of the audience got up in the three and one half hour playing time. The accolades are entirely deserved.

The film is quite terrific, but not unflawed. One series of effects (the Army of the Dead) is imagined and rendered on a far less interesting and more ?artificial?-seeming level than everything else. The movie also suffers, like so many others made today, of ending time and again. That said, I loved the film and the series. It is filmmaking at its greatest and most impressive. Story and character remain the most important elements ? the visual effects and extraordinary production design serve the plot rather than dominating it. The characters are all very much as I imagined them in my mind's eye (unlike the contrivances of the DUNE feature) when I read the books oh-so-many years ago. Peter Jackson is a master of the cinema.… Expand

Great!!!

The best movie ever made.

Better than Two Towers, better than Fellowship. Richer, deeper, more emotionally satisfying (and the battle scenes are way cool).

Wow ! I've seen it yesterday at 8:30 pm and, today at noon, I'm still touched and I still feel shivers in my back and I think I will be for some days again... It was so extraordinary made, with full of passion by Peter Jackson. Well, it is the end of the trilogy who, I hope, won't pass as a simple wind for 2004 Academy Awards (Jackson deserve Best Director with this picture, come on !).… Expand