The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

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Sequel of:

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Reboot:

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (TV)

Original title: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Year: 2003
Running time: 201 min.
Country: New Zealand
Director: Peter Jackson
Screenwriter: Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens (Novel: J.R.R. Tolkien)
Music: Howard Shore
Cinematography: Andrew Lesnie
Cast: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, Andy Serkis, John Rhys-Davies, Orlando Bloom, John Noble, Miranda Otto, David Wenham, Bernard Hill, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Liv Tyler, Karl Urban, Christopher Lee, Brad Dourif, Ian Holm, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Lawrence Makoare, Marton Csokas, Sean Bean
Producer: Co-production New Zealand-United States; Wingnut Films. Distributed by New Line Cinema
Genre: Fantasy. Adventure. Action | Medieval Fantasy. Sword and Sorcery. Epic film. Sequel. Cult Movie
Movie Groups: The Lord of the Rings
New
Synopsis / Plot: Sauron's forces have laid siege to Minas Tirith, the capital of Gondor, in their efforts to eliminate the race of men. The once-great kingdom, watched over by a fading steward, has never been in more desperate need of its king. But can Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) answer the call of his heritage and become what he was born to be? In no small measure, the fate of Middle-earth rests on his broad shoulders.
With the final battle joined and the legions of darkness gathering, Gandalf (Ian McKellen) urgently tries to rally Gondor's broken army to action. He is aided by Rohan's King Theoden (Bernard Hill), who unites his warriors for history's biggest test. Yet even with their courage and passionate loyalty, the forces of men--with Eowyn (Miranda Otto) and Merry (Dominic Monaghan) hidden among them--are no match for the enemies swarming against Gondor. Still, in the face of great losses, they charge forward into the battle of their lifetimes, tied together by their singular goal to keep Sauron distracted and give the Ring Bearer a chance to complete his quest. Their hopes rest with Frodo (Elijah Wood), a tiny but determined hobbit making a perilous trip across treacherous enemy lands to cast the One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom. The closer Frodo gets to his final destination, the heavier his burden becomes and the more he must rely on Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin). Gollum--and the Ring itself--will test Frodo's allegiances and, ultimately, his humanity.

Awards: 2003: 11 Academy Awards, including Best Movie and Director. 11 Nominations

2003: 4 Golden Globes: Best Movie Drama, Director, OST, Original Song

2003: 4 BAFTA Awards, inc. Best Picture and Adapted Screenplay. 12 Nominations

2003: National Board of Review: Best Cast

2003: Film Critics Circle of New York: Best Film. 2 Nominations

2003: Los Angeles Film Critics Association: Best Director & Production Design

Show 8 more awards

2003: Toronto Film Festival: Best Director (Peter Jackson)

2003: American Film Institute (AFI): Top 10 - Movies of the Year

2003: 4 Critics' Choice Awards: Best Picture, Director, Acting Ensemble and Composer

2003: Chicago Film Critics Awards: Best Picture, Director & Original Score. 7 Nom.

2003: Producers Guild Awards (PGA): Best Film

2003: Directors Guild of America (DGA): Best Director

2003: Writers Guild of America (WGA): Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay

2003: Screen Actors Guild (SAG): Best Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

Critics' reviews

"No one made a better movie this year [2003] (...) The glory of these three Rings is that they can't be compartmentalized into crafts, or even individual films. They are one grand, serious, mature epic"

Richard Corliss: Time
"The jewel in the crown of the masterful trilogy."

Claudia Puig: USA Today
"'King' is a meticulous and prodigious vision (...) [It] is the product of impressive craft and energy"

Elvis Mitchell: The New York Times
"The best of the lot. With epic conflict, staggering battles, striking landscapes and effects, and resolved character arcs (...) More than nine hours of masterful storytelling"

Todd McCarthy: Variety
"'The Return of the King' combines the simple and the spectacular to bring a towering adventure to a close (...) Some of its most memorable moments are its simplest"

Kenneth Turan: Los Angeles Times
"There are no small moments anywhere in it, and maybe there should have been - but it shows a great moviemaker in the full joy of his passion, and it's visionary enough to qualify as a working definition of cinema itself."

Ty Burr: Boston Globe
"At once exhausting and riveting. It’s a technological marvel, and for those not with the program, a bit of a bore."

J. Hoberman: Village Voice
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