This film screams "OSCAR!" and it got annoying about half an hour into the film.

Actually, a 10 isn't nearly enough. It derserves every academy award it won. Emotional resonance is prevalent throguhout, acting is top grade, and the action is quite the eye-opener. If you thought the battle of Helm's deep in Two Towers was good, wait till you see The battle for minas tirinth. Possibly the best movie ever made.

The best of the three, made me cry, crap my pants, and everything. The best movie of the year by far with some of the best performances yet. And, this is the best movie I have seen in my entire life.

Direction by Peter Jackson is bracing, sophisticated, stylish, lyrical, brash, romantic, and elegiac all in one. The cast conjures forth the best ensemble performance of the year, and Sean Astin finds himself with a performance deserving an Oscar nomination. Oh, and Miranda Otto does the females proud -- no doubt -- delivering the other Oscar-worthy performance of the film. Don't wait to see this one. Here is a cinematic beauty to behold in theatres.… Expand

Ahh? glorious hype! There?s nothing better ? except when that hype is realised and a film actually lives up to a monstrous billing. And I for one had no doubts at all that RotK would be every inch the film I dreamed it would be. Problem is, having seen it I realise that I was wrong. Okay, before I get into the meat of the review, let me first garnish it with a little perspective: 1. I absolutely loved FotR, I came out the cinema describing it as ?a mother###### of film? and I found the extended edition to be substantially better. 2. TTT was better than FotR. 3. I HAVE NEVER READ THE BOOKS. Actually, this last one is the only garnish you need. As far as I can tell, whether you merely like this film (or are disappointed) versus whether you think it?s the greatest thing since [insert great film here ? let?s say Shawshank] depends almost wholly on your ability to fill in the gaps in this film with your knowledge of the novels ? after all, no film can be convincing unless the audience believes in what they are seeing. But this raises an interesting question; is this a film in its own right, or a adjunct to the book? Or is the book an accompaniment to the film in this final completion of a grand LotR story? I?m sure Tolkien did not write it with the film in mind and given that the film does not hold to the book?s plot, is it not right to view this trilogy of films in isolation? Is it not right to expect to be able to watch and enjoy this film without having read the books? I would like to think so. And I certainly never doubted that throughout the first two films. Sadly this did not last through RotK. I would dearly like to wipe every over-ecstatic reviewer?s memory of any knowledge of Middle-Earth and sit them down to watch the trilogy from start to finish (okay, brain-washing is a little harsh; I?ll let them have toilet breaks between films :P ) I wonder how many would give it the same mark? How many people can honestly say that had they not known (and bought into) the story before-hand that Aragon finding himself next to an evil mountain full of easily-influenced dead warriors a little too convenient? What about the conspicuous absence of the Dark Lord Sauron then? Would making one of the nine Nazgul tougher than the others seem a little like last-minute compensating if you hadn?t known about it in the book (and even worse if it is the same in there!)? Maybe Gandalf leaving in the middle of the potential massacre of the inhabitants of Minas Tirith to stop a king killing his already half-dead son (who let?s be honest isn?t going to help all of his people if the hordes of Sauron get through the gates) seemed somewhat tactically naïve? Well, I can go on and on with such instances ? it?s my pet hate in films; lack of believability ? okay one more: Did Arwen?s fate being ?bound to the ring? make no sense at all?? Yet no one who had read the books complained ? even a little ? clearly they had remembered these characters their motivations and relevance, or perhaps it is enough to have known that you enjoyed the book to accept the reality you are presented with? There were other issues I had with the film; Gollum disappointed me ? his language and grammar started to sound a little too? contemporary for my liking (like his MTV award acceptance speech). And it was a shame that the dichotomy of the Gollum character was solidified in this film ? no more wrangling between friendship with Frodo and seizing the ring which was part of what made the TTT so superb, in RotK he chooses evil and stays that way. I know a lot has also been said about the omission of Saruman and I will say only this; the film missed Lee. Gone was the embodiment of evil (and what a magnificent embodiment he was) and it made the hurried introduction of the leader of the Nazgul even harder to stomach and the war of good against evil somewhat unfocused. And why should everyone live? (Did Galadriel not say that Frodo came to realise that the quest would claim his life?!). This is a story about the how the next age of middle earth began, surely these heroes are some of the greatest ever remembered? Nothing frames a hero quite like death. Perhaps when Frodo fails to throw the ring into the fiery chasm, Sam grabs him and takes them both over the cliff into the lava? Or how poignant would it have been if Frodo and Sam had been enveloped by lava on the slopes of mount Doom, forgotten heroes? There are any number of endings that the trilogy could have had, but instead they chose an hour of schmaltz ? and even that failed to make sense until someone later told me that ring-bearers could not stay on Middle-Earth (and Sam consequently has to leave too). And that made me realise that not having seen the film was not the only problem with seeing this film; that it had to stick to the fundamental storyline of the books is also a problem. That the ending chapter and its own end was not altered to make it ultimately more of a message and less of a curtain-call lessened the impact of the whole trilogy. So we come full-circle; expectations. I expected to come out of the film having learned something about sacrifice. Some truth about humanity that I and my friends can celebrate, a realising that while something may be the right thing to do, it may not come without great cost. That some beliefs are so great that they are worth fighting for and maybe even giving your life for should the need arise. But I learned only that people like happy endings. So I have to rate this now, and before I do, I had better just say this: believe it or not, I enjoyed the film. I sat through 3h 20 and didn?t even think about the toilet. The CGI were good, acting good enough ? and I was never bored (except at the end). It was a really good film. It was also well below my expectations given LotR and TTT. Ultimately, the greatness of the trilogy lies in how it was made, the vision that was realised, the spectacle that appears on screen rather than the intricacies of the plot and character motivations. Viewed as a 10h trilogy, it is an exceptional piece of work, viewed individually, it is 2/3rds exceptional, 1/3rd very good. I just wish that third had come first. … Expand

MASTERPIECE!!!!! My favourite film of all time. Amazing scenes that will leave you breathless and scenes of real emotion are crammed into every second of this long and entertaining movie.

I am not really a fan of fantasy literature or films but how can you watch these films and be anything but amazed, the sheer scope of these three gigantic movies envisioned by Peter Jackson blows me away, the mans sheer dedication to his craft is unprecidented, one only has to look back at his first feature Bad Taste and ok its not anything on this scale or level of story telling but that took him six years or so to make with no budget and a crew and cast of mates on weekends. After good but commercially unrecognised movies like The frighteners , and Heavenly Creature Jackson comes up with just about the biggest films ever mad. I can understand if this is not you thing but if you didnt think it was your cup of tea cinema go'ers then why pay the admission, i for one would not pay the entrance to see a 3hr Sandra Bullock romantic comedy!!! But in all seriousness this movie is about as good as it gets i for one am going back to the movies tonight just to remind myself how good it really is. This movie really is the best modern cinema can offer if you don't have respect for this then i suggest needle work or mabey stamp collecting!!!!!!!!!!… Expand

Cormac P., heres what i want u to do, BURN IN HELL!!!!!!!!!!!! SO DON'T YOU ANDREW K!!!!!!!!! How can you how can you say that its nothing when everything about this movie is spectaculer. Even you, yes you Frieda L, you can suck my cup of tea. And everyone that disis it like Robert H, Leigh C, David R, Arleen, Dwayne R, Jawad S, Joe B, J R, Goliath, Harriet, Bob B, Sally L, Rebecca R, Fantasy, Jude T, Simon L, C B, Antonio A, John D, Joyce T, Rick S, Sweet angle, Brian K, Mike G, Jeffery G, Matt B, Eric M, Matt R, Maria T, Marcus B, Matt P, John S, Sam K, Joe C, i want you all to die and rott in hell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have no joy in this series so all of you all are full of s&^%t!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you all are the weakest link. goodbye. … Expand

This whole thing just doesn't make sense. 1 star for the pretty nice visual effects.

What an amazing achievement! I love this movie! Thank you to the cast and crew for making such a memorable final chapter to this dazzling trilogy.

Extremely long winded and surprisingly boring. As far as I am concerned it is much overrated. Should appeal to children as the accolades it has received are not justified.

Awesome but kind of weird. There's cool sequences, like when the guy from Master and Commander lights these beacon fires, and when Legolas takes out a heffalump, but why does Faramir's dad want to burn him alive? And why is this dad being so crazy and such a sloppy eater? I didn't understand that dad's story so I just had to enjoy how cool it was when he threw himself off the top of the city--even though it kind of interrupts this way better battle scene. It made me think the film-makers were just sticking in stuff, hoping it would all work out. Plus, the only people who had changes in their stories were Gollum and the fat hobbit. The others have to stand around and say the same things a lot. But that heffalump scene is pretty awesome. These 14 year-old kids behind me all yelled and started applauding.… Expand

Darned good movie, and a very entertaining series, but nothing compared to the original Star Wars trilogy. Those films were technically magnificent, exciting, funny, captivating. The LOTR films do a nice job of bringing the literature to life, but they certainly don't do what the first 3 Star Wars films did. Generation Y never got a chance to see the originals on the big screen AT THAT TIME, when nobody was doing movies like that. Props to Peter Jackson, but let's lighten up with the "Best Ever" comments, Kids.… Expand

Is this the greatest movie of all time? Probably not. Is Lord of the Rings the greatest trilogy of all time? Lets leave it a few years before making that judgement but I can think of two very good reasons why it may well end up being considered the best - Return of the Jedi and The Godfather 3. What this movie most definitely is however is a magnificent, thunderous, amusing, touching, beautiful spectacle of a movie, the likes of which we only get the privalege of seeing once every few years. Too much CGI? Not once in this movie did I stop and think "that was clever", I was totally immersed in the story and the fantastic images merely served to make the story more compelling and real. I can only think that people that give this movie a 0 do it for the simple purpose of dragging the average score down and to me that is childish, petty and annoying. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I've got no problem with someone thinking it was a little long winded in places, a bit boring for those who didn't buy into the first two movies or a little too battle heavy. Fine, so 5,6? No, 0. Come on!! While these people attempt in vain to get a life the rest of us can rejoice in movie making at its very best, the likes of which we may not see agin for many years to come.… Expand

Found it very childish with redundant battle scenes. Not my cup of tea. Sorry.

Much ado about nothing. Too long.

This movie is as good as the originating material will allow. However, the Rings Trilogy is not a screenplay. It was written as immersing fictional history, not singular plot, story and characters. After watching the characters on the screen for nine hours, I still don't understand what makes them tick. This is a simple escape to a fantasy world, but done in such a way as to re-define what motion pictures are capable of in relating a long story (this is not just a simple tack-on, like most sequels). The Trilogy on film, taken as a whole, is one for the ages. This film, standing alone, is simply OK. Sure, millions are slaughtered, evil is vanquished and world order is restored. Fans of the books must be awed by how well the story is actualized on-screen. But it's a sprawling fairy-tale both in print and on film, not a concise nugget of entertainment, and it doesn't compete with the best movies that keeps the mind alert, engaged, and retentive. It's really not fair to rate this as a movie. It is something different and unique, an awesome allegorical theme park on film. … Expand

Bambam BooBoo you're name is redundant and I have now seen all three sagas and it is not my cup of tea either. Too long for my taste and that ending, well I thought it would never end? But I am glad that the majority thought it was wonderful.

Crying at the ending of this movie, pleeeeze? Sorry, not my cup of tea either.

I get the feeling the naysayers had their opinions formed on this trilogy before it was even released a couple years ago. I have seen ROTK three times now and watched other people in the audience cry through the ending(s). This is really having an impact on people who see it. An epic for the ages. I think the quote taken from Michael Wilmington's review sums it all up best: "Like all great fantasies and epics, this one leaves you with the sense that its wonders are real, its dreams are palpable."… Expand

I absoulutely loved this movie. The fight scenes were spectacular, making the locations look utterly believable. That coupled with the emotional story creates a beautiful story, that has all the necessary elements to make it a blockbuster hit. The love story between Aragorn and Arwen, the friendship between Frodo and Sam, and the evil of Gollum draws you into the story. I have watched it three times and have not yet grown tried. Director Peter Jackson has created an ultimate classic from a classic book. It is a movie that will live forever as one of the most magical films of all time. The characters are delved into more deeply. Overall, a very wonderful movie.… Expand

Return of the King is a radiant, heartfelt, compelling, transcendent film. It is a tribute to one of the greatest literature epics. It is a film made with flair and verve by filmmakers who evince love and respect for their source with every scene, every frame. It is a historic achievement. And it is an amazingly good movie. It is shameful that certain persons involved in other films have resorted to dirty tricks and classless campaigning against it. But in the end it doesn't matter, because this movie trilogy has risen above such temporary pettiness. I personally don't care what awards it wins or doesn't win because it doesn't need these things for people like me to love it or for it to be validated as a truly great film. … Expand

Stunningly beautiful and genuinely touching. I really love this movie. It's scope ranges from the widest battle shots to two hobbits crawling up a mountain. Every scene, every character, every line is part of tightly woven epic that reaches an amazing culmination. The wistful conclusion gently demonstrates the full meaning of their quest: what has been won, what has been lost, and how everything has changed. Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, etc. have delivered a complete triumph of a movie that will be remembered.… Expand

The Best!!

What can I say? This is a gorgeous, inspiring epic, lovingly made. The artistry is consistently astonishing. The ensemble cast comes into its own. Wow. It took my breath away.

Oh my God. It's already won the Broadcast Film Critics Awards, the Golden Globes, the Producer's Guild Award, and the Director's Guild Award! And all of them deservedly so! This is a grand, gorgeous movie and an unparalleled achievement in filmmaking. The way it has captured Tolkien's vision is nothing short of miraculous.

Tolkien deserves better than this trash. I miss you, Ghan-buri-Ghan.

It was great. I have to agree with some people that the ghosts left the battle something to be desired. The battle did last long enough though to make it epic. But, it really wasn't the epic battle of the movie. The battle at the Black Gate was honestly the epic one. If you think about it, they faced impossible odds, and they were all united to fight the odds. Anyway, the film was one of the best ive ever seen, and it is not overrated. Its actually underrated from my point of view. I reccomend this film to anyone who loves fantasy movies. Oh yeah, and CONGRATS to the Lord of the Rings cast and crew. You worked hard to make it, and you won alll 11 Oscars. HORRAY FOR LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING!!!!!!!… Expand

Far too overrated, but still pretty good.

That was an awesome movie, you can really attach to the charactors, you feel that you know them. The battles are great and also the acting. Overall, one of the best movies I have seen in my life.

A fitting end to the greatest film trilogy ever created. Everything, from the acting, to the cinematography, to the special effects, to the score, is flawless. Return of the King retains Tolkien's ascending level of excitement and suspense. Yes, Jackson removed some scenes, but in the interest of time, it was worth it. Lord of the Rings is spectacular in every regard; LOTR is to our time what Star Wars was to the late 70s-80s....purely amazing filmmaking.… Expand

More like "Lord of the Borings."

I wish there was a score of 11/10. This is the greatest movie of all time, next to "The Godfater" of course. Those who gave this film a score of 5 or less, you should have no right to post your score, because you obviously have no reason abilities, or know a good movie when you see one.

Ten doesnt even begin to tell how much i like this movie not including the others.

This is the best movie I have ever or possibly will ever see.

I suspect the people who give this or any LOTR movie a low score must be frustrated Matrix- or Star Wars-fans, jealous of LOTR's success.

I am a big fan of all three franchises, but in our hearts, we all know that LOTR far outshines the other two in most respects - acting, direction, cinematography, and overall story depth are but a few that spring to mind.

Make no mistake, this trilogy (which not long ago most thought would be impossible to make) is a cinematic achievement rivalled by few, and bettered by none.… Expand

It's a movie with a lot of war i love it.

Flawless CGI really brings Tolkien's creatures to life in this film. Peter Jackson has done it again, he was made for adapting long books to long films. With King Kong the plot had to be stretched because Jackson obviously wanted another long film, like one of these LotR movies. But with Jackson working with Tolkien's books he couldn't have gone wrong. He filled the cinematic Middle Earth with almost everything Tolkien described, and followed Tolkien's sequence of events quite closely. At some points the film sores to give a feeling that you're watching a true legend unfold before your eyes, like the scene where the Witch King gets killed by Eowyn. Sir Ian McKellen is a terrific actor and some of the lines which actors say carry real wisdom in them. The musical score was absolutely beautiful, the best of any movie I've ever seen and probably ever will see. The plot was the most engaging and interesting ever, with fight-scenes all over the place to keep the less taken-in among us in our seats. Even the fight scenes have their own emotional beauty to them. And although the ending of the film was heavily criticized for being too long, I feel it was necessary as it was not a case of ending the film, but ending the film for each character in turn. The film deserves all the 10/10s it recieves, and is truly a masterpiece.… Expand

I hate all the Lord of the Rings films, there all pathetic works of cinema that should have never been made. If you ever see a copy of any of them on dvd somewhere, stop what ever you're doing and make every attempt to destroy the disk-you'll be making the world a better place.

These films show film journalists and fans everywhere that fantasy films can be absolutely superb. And this film has been the perfect end to what has been an epic masterpiece and adventure.

The greatest film I've ever seen.

I recently re-watched the entire trilogy. I can safely say, that these are my all time favorite movies. RotK has some of the best action scenes I've ever had the pleasure to watch. The love between Aragorn and Arwyn is so beautiful and well crafted that I myself started to love Arwen. Every character was fleshed out so much so that there is no question as to them being real. You really feel that this is more of a true story then a fantasy epic. The sets? My god, I want a scal model of Minas Tirith. These sets were so well designed, so well painted, that it was just, amazing. Special effects were easily the best I have ever seen. The Oliphaunts were my favorite effect next to the Fell beast, which was also an amazing effect. Finally, the story, its a fitting end to the best trilogy that i can think of. At four hours long (the credits accounting for the last twelve minutes or so), it doesn't rush, nor does it feel drawn out. This trilogy, not just the film, but the entire trilogy, set the bar for how book-to-movie adaptations should be made. Thank you, Mr. Peter Jackson, thank you for giving me my most cherished film series of all time.… Expand

An amazing finale to an epic trilogy. The first two out of necessity lacked the satisfactory feel of really ending, whereas this final film had the privilege of finishing all character arcs and loose ends and presents Tolkein's finest book in all its majesty. Even if it was 10 times longer I would have watched it to the end.

The best movie of all time.

Veeery slooow movie.

Despite the fact that I had to sit in the second row of the theatre and practically didn't see much of the action sequences, I enjoyed the movie very much. The movie made me stuck in my chair, and my bladder felt like it was going to explode. But all in all best out of the three and just a beautiful peice of artwork.

I don't understand why this movie is getting such great reviews, everyone i know loves it. It's a very plain, boring, average movie just like the other movies in the trilogy. I could understand why someone who had read the book would like it, but there are too many characters and this is not a novel so there isn't enough character development. The story is very simple, the movie slows down to a crawl, the action has been done before and the story leaves much to be desired. -Mike… Expand

Easily the best movie of the year, mabey even ever!!

How can anyone think that this movie is anything less than a 10? And how can someone think its a 1??? So he changed it a bit from the book but that is the beauty of interpretation. I think if anything Tolkien would have been pleased with the outcome of Jackson's masterpiece.

Is it really possible to judge this movie on its own merits without considering that it is really the final three hours of a nine hour work? I had the pleasure of watching all three films back to back and, let me tell you, the work as a whole is amazing. Others have written about this, but this is essentially a movie of climaxes - to say more would be to utter spoilers. Sean Astin is terrific - once again, I found myself more emotionally involved with his story than with any other. There are some flaws - I was more aware of hobbit stand ins this time than before and, yes, the Mortensen/Tyler romance never quite achieved the level of poetic grandeur that Jackson, perhaps, wanted. On the other hand, it certainly didn't achieve a level of poetic grandeur in the books either. Anyhow, I had a great time - I lived the "I laughed, I cried" cliche to its fullest.… Expand

Okay, how can anyone say this is bad this is one of the best movies of all time and anyone who says otherwise should slap themselves.

Absolutely astonishing.

I think this movie is a great movie and the most defining movie trilogy of recent years. It is pure entertainment. For those of you blasting the movie for not being artistic, LOTR wasn't meant to be artistic. It's meant to be a form of escapism, which is why it's called FANTASY. Sure, art has a place in film, but if you want to see a film just to have a good time, this is where it's at. I just recently read the books, and I don't think there is anyway to put in all the subtleties of the book trilogy in a movie that is less than 6 hours long (yes, this is geared to all you unsatisfied tolkien fans out there). I think Peter Jackson has adapted the movie into a very entertaining set of films that includes the more important aspects of the books and I think they can inspire others to also read the books (which is a good thing). So, overall, if you're not a bitter tolkien fan, or a stuck up artsy movie critic wanna-be, and you want to see a good, well crafted piece of entertainment, see this movie.… Expand

Magnificient! I dont know how can anyone say this film is annoying its really a shame. And this film deserves more oscars than any other movie yes, because of its heart and wonderful spectacle. Just brilliant.

As good as a movie gets. It may not win an Oscar, but in the end it doesn't need to. Oscars are given to validate the opinion of a small group of narrow-minded fools, but this will be validated by a group a million times greater and more diverse for ages to come.

Great! End dragged on a bit!

I think it was a very good movie, although it was kind of long. Peter Jackson should get Best Director for all the hard work he has put into the trilogy. The thing I liked least about the movie was the ending, it seemed to have several. I also wished it had been more faithful to the book and had Saruman in it. But all in all it was a great film.

Wow! They don't make em like this... ever. A masterful achievment by Peter Jackson and crew.

I cried I laughed it was the best movie ever you ppl who trashed it how can you this work is a masterpiece have you ppl even read the books??????? I highly doubt most of you have if you are leaving such comments as you are any tolkien fan would say that Jackson did a spectacular job on rotk. You ppl who say its boring how how how I mean how its nonstop emotion and drama truly one of the greatest movies ever in my opinion and taken from the one of the best piece of literature you could ever read and you ppl are acting like 5 year olds its sad really belittling truly great actors some how have been knighted Jackson took some liberties I admit but still they just added to the emotion of the movie and this movie deserves the Oscar this time I guess you ppl don?t really appreciate good movies and/or good literature and those of you who are so picky saying that the book should be reflected out in the movie word for word oh my god I can?t say anymore without screaming as for you the ppl who defended rotk hats off to you I have to leave I?m getting a migraine and all you ppl who have trashed rotk you all deserve to be eaten by shelob. ~ Daisy … Expand

BORING.

BORING.

Yes, it's very good. A million times better than the third part of any other trilogy I can think of. Peter Jackson has done an incredible job with this. But I'm surprised by the relentlessly laudatory reviews of the critics. This is easily the weakest of the three movies (and books), but to be fair, I've seen both the original and extended versions of the other two. Like Fellowship, but not the Two Towers, I expect the extended version will correct some of the obvious oversights (and I certainly don't mean cutting out the unnecessary Scouring bits). To my surprise, the dialogue really started to sound wooden in this one and the battles reached the point of overkill--two things that never happened in the others. Is it great? Not as a standalone movie, but as the final installment, absolutely. … Collapse

Very uninspiring. I actually loved the first one, liked the second and now hated this one. What is it with sequels?

This movie was very well made. It definately deserves best picture in the OSCARS. And Peter Jackson should get best directer. He put a lot of hard work into all three of the movies. There is also great acting in the movie.

The best trilogy ever made. A great book now comes full circle. This is one of the few movies where I actually wanted to see all the credits, just to get a glimpse at the sure amount of love and effort that comes with such a movie as this. A blast for the eyes, the action is 10 times the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi. Just look at how closely the visual landscape of Mount Doom resembles early inspired paintings of the book, and tears will literally come to your eyes. A depiction of pure love for art and literature. I advise for every movigoer, fan or not to see it. … Expand

It's a very messy, dull and unfaithfull retelling of a silly, confused and overrated book.

All i have to say is... wow.

I really wish people would stop whining that it's not like the book. It's a completely different entity.

Extremely dissapointed as I was expecting to see an artistic masterpiece which it was not. Do not understand all the hoopla about this film. Below average and definitely about 40 minutes too long.

The best film i've ever watched!

To call this the best film of all time is simply ridiculous. It is entertaining but way too long. Some of the acting and directing was atrocious. Too much emphasis on FX and not enough character development to suit my taste.

If you like to see creatures banging hammers on the heads of other creatures, this is the movie for you. Otherwise, it is pretty boring.

BORING and a massive waste of time. The ending is as predictable as a soap opera. Crap.

They say it's the greatest trilogy ever. Please! Save that title for The Godfather, these two shouldn't even be mentioned in the same line. This is a just a visual FX show folks, save your money.

While I loved the movie from start to finish, I would have also like to have seen more of the book. I know I am asking for a lot but there you have it.

Anyone who didn't like this movie because it "didn't have enough of the book" is a dork.

Excellent! Great shots, great actors, great scenery...Absolutely loved it!

Film of a grand scale - as significant as Gone With the Wind.

Gollum to open this film made it a complete story - the full circle of Tolkien.

This movie was really good, just like the previous two. Acting was great, and the action flowed well. I give this movie a 9 because the conclusion took too long. It made me keep thinking "Frodo, please just get on the boat and get on with life,". The goodbyes didnt need to take 15 minutes. It could have ended with a bang, but the ending dragged on a little and kind of ruined an otherwise perfect final chapter. Too bad. … Expand

Having seen all three I thought the trilogy is really overrated. I do not understand the ranting about how wonderful this film is? I found it very busy, loud and way too long for my taste.

This movie definitely rocks. Why? Because it just does. Peter Jackson's attempt at making this movie has gone successfull. He has stayed as loyal to the book as he can, the special effects are unlike anything seen before, the music is extremely moving, and in my opinion, this is the greatest cinematic epic ever. Period.

Saw it this weekend and was not impressed. Thought it was boring to say the least. Not my cup of tea.

Just incredible.

All those trashing the lord of the rings and saying such things as "predictable!" then first of all learn how to read and then pick up Tolkien's wonderful book and start reading. Many of you have trashed it so becasue your intellegence is below our standard level, and if this is an American site then it's probably normal so don't worry about it.

Anyone who doesn't like the lord of the rings can suck my ass. You dirty pieces of shit are the reason it has an 8.9 out of ten instead of one hundred. And all you purists can shut the hell up because its called a screenplay, which means it is made for the cinema and isn't going to have every fucking thing that was in the books in the movies. You stupid shitlickers

Peter Jackson has taken a beautiful story and ruined it. Lost is the scope, theme, and moral of the story. Changed are the plot and characters. Added is Hollywood sap and cheese. Sickening.

It's amusing to watch the reaction of Star Wars and Godfather fans as many professional critics slaughtered their sacred cows by proclaiming Lord of the Rings trilogy better -- which it is. At 37, I have viewed those other trilogies many times. I love Stars Wars and the Godfather movies, but the Lord of the Rings is both grander and more subtle. And the Return of the King distills its best qualities to their essence. Their has never been a better blend of operatic grandeur and intimacy, and there won't be until someone takes decades to create world and its history again.… Expand

Peter Jackson has truly made history, creating the greatest trilogy of all time, leaving all others in the dust, it's been out for 2 weeks and already well on it's way to making $1 billion.

Slow in places with a predictable ending. Too much emphasis on FX which took away from the acting. Overrated as far as I am concerned.

A Fitting ending to the greatest trilogy of all time!

A Fitting ending to the greatest trilogy of all time!

A Fitting ending to the greatest trilogy of all time!

Without ten thousand words i could not do justice to this wonderful, wonderful piece of cinema history. you owe it to yourself to watch this film at the cinema and your jaw WILL drop.

I was surprised at the emotion the third installment pulled from me. Astin's (Sam) performance was the heart of this movie, and ultimately the heart of the trilogy. We come to realize that he, rather than Frodo, represents us all.

An absolutely stunning movie! I've seen it once and I have to admit that I felt a slight disappointment that it somehow had not reached my expectations. However...it was also exactly how I felt after watching the Two Towers for the first time. But each time I have watched the TT on DVD and the extended version, I have gained a greater appreciation for how wonderfully made these movies are. Therefore, I know that good things can only come out of watching the Return of the King again and again and I know that the extended version will certainly make this the "One Movie to rule them all". The acting is certainly not hollow and the original themes of Tolkien are all there. Themes of hope, perseverance, loyalty, self-sacrifice, courage, and the list goes on and on. Jackson himself stated that he has made an attempt to avoid placing any of his own themes in the story. In fact, I didn't find mind the absence of the scouring of the shire because Jackson always has a good and logical reason for making the changes he has for the movies. As for the endings, I'm very glad that he has been true to the book. I disagree with those who said that this movie focuses too much on battles when in fact I felt that ROTK focused much more on Frodo and Sam's journey than the TT, which it should since that is the main theme of the story-Small Hands can do Great Things. Too long! some say...personally I would be willing to sit as long as Jackson made it...be it 5 hours or 12. Now I can only hope that Christopher Tolkien will let Jackson make the Hobbit... … Expand

First i would like to say i wholeheartedly agree with what "fun eddie" said about people giving this movie a zero. on metacritic it seems like everyone either gives it a 0-1 or a 9-10. most of the time i will give movies a 2 for being horrible(with the exception of timeline, 0) or a 8, maybe 9. But i can say that this movie truly deserves a 10, and im not just giving it to raise the score. this film is so flawless in every way, i personally think it is the best movie ever made. some people who gave it 10's may not, and that is fine. not during one scene did i wish the movie would hurrry up, or enough of that character, or anything. every scene was perfectly crafted and the battle scenes were simply the most stunning battle scenes ever. the battle of pelennor fields beats braveheart by miles. the music is composed perfectly, and gimli is along for some small jokes that nonetheless will make you smile. the sound is amazing, particularly i thought when the trolls were beating the drums and the orcs were chanting their warcries as the horns were blowing. if some movie like cold mountain wins best picture instead of this, i will simply give up watching the oscars.… Expand

Wow, this movie is great! The best film in 10 years! If not, the best since E.T.! I don't know how anyone can give this movie less than a nine.