World Famous Comics: The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition)
The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition)
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Liv Tyler Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Binding: DVD Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC Label: New Line Home Entertainment Number of Items: 4 Region Code: 1 Release Date: December 14, 2004 Running Time: 250 minutes Theatrical Release Date: December 17, 2003
Product Description: As the remains of the Fellowship prepare for battle, Frodo and Sam, with Gollem in tow, make their way to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring. Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure Rating: PG13 Release Date: 17-JAN-2006 Media Type: DVD
Amazon.com: 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 Jackson 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
LOTR-Return of The King Wonderful movie; if you've seen it and appreciate this sort of thing, you know what I mean.
KING IS A BEFITTING TITLE Fans of film and fantasy have had the pleasure of seeing one of the all time classic tales brought forth from the page to the screen. The story of first Bilbo and then Frodo Baggins has captured the imagination of readers for years now. But the translation to screen was slow in coming. An animated version directed by Ralph Bakshi came out in the seventies and was not adopted by the fans. Until Peter Jackson took the bull by the reigns and turned this unfilmable project into the mega success it was, it looked like all hope was lost.
And now, the final chapter in the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy arrives. The wait was more than worth it. The story of a ring of power that had to be destroyed started with THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, where a group of beings from Middle Earth joined together to accomplish this task. THE TWO TOWERS took us further down that same journey, featuring the tremendous battle of Helm's Deep. THE RETURN OF THE KING takes what was best of both previous films and pulls it all together.
The story picks up with Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) still making the dangerous trek to Mordor in an attempt to destroy the ring of power and save Middle Earth. Still in their company is Gollum (Andy Sirkis), longing to possess the ring once more and plotting against the pair as they near their destination.
The other members of the Fellowship have now reached the fallen tower of Saruman The White (Christopher Lee) and found Merry and Pippin (Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd). In counsel with Theoden (Bernard Hill), Gandalf the wizard (Ian McKellan) and Aragorn (Vigo Mortensen) warn of the coming danger. Finding an orb that connects Merry to the evil Sauron, Gandalf and Merry travel to Minas Trith to warn of the danger and organize an army to protect the rest of Middle Earth from the oncoming attacks of Sauron and his legions of orcs. Instead they find the steward of Minas Trith refusing to surrender the throne to the true king, Aragorn.
The rest of the Fellowship wait for a sign from Minas Trith which comes but perhaps too late as the legions of Sauron are upon them. As they prepare for battle, Aragorn leaves them in an attempt to round up more warriors since they are currently outnumbered. The ghosts of fallen defenders of the crown are called upon to pay off the oath they took to do so.
All of the pieces are placed on the board and we watch as the battle of Minas Trith begins. It is an amazing sight to see as creatures that cannot exist ridden by other creatures that cannot be attack. Flying dragons ridden by frightful leaders, orcs in battle gear raging against the walls of Minas Trith and mobile towers set to allow easy access to the walled city are brought forth and made believable.
All the while, Frodo, Sam and Gollum are nearing the dark lands. The treachery of Gollum is seen by Sam but Frodo continues to defend him, putting the trio at peril. It isn't until near the films end that what it intends for Frodo is revealed.
All of these stories meld into one another easily, creating a tale that is not near as complicated to follow as one would think. The storytelling done here makes it seem real, pulls the viewer into the action and makes you care about each and every character. Even side characters are developed enough that you worry about the outcome of each one.
To reveal the end would be more than just offering a spoiler to readers. The fact is that not everyone comes home by films end. Heroes are revealed, romances are fulfilled and the journey DOES end, sad but true. And it does so with style.
While the two previous films have been overlooked at award ceremonies, to do so now would simply be spiteful in the face of its success. This movie delivers what all have waited for and expected.
As I watched form beginning to end, I felt the same feeling that came over me as I watched the earlier films. We live in a world where heroes are torn down on a daily basis. The good deeds done by those we were brought up to respect are overlooked in an effort by one group or another trying to push forth their own agenda by making them look bad. Take Thomas Jefferson for example. All of his accomplishments have been overlooked in favor of his having a slave as a mistress. This is how we treat heroes today.
But not in fiction, or at least some of it. The lessons of life, the unwanted but sometimes unavoidable task at hand of going to battle, sacrificing oneself for the good of the rest, attempting to actually achieve something without the playing field made level, all of these are depicted in this story. Admiration for these characters, people who find their destinies linked, who have to do all that they can to save their way of life, is felt from the first frame to the last.
Epic films of the past have marveled audiences for decades. The chariot race from BEN-HUR, the desert sands from LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, the demolition of the bridge in BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, have been used to mark film history in both quality and esteem. It is time that these films received the recognition that they deserve as well.
In my 50 years on Earth, I have seen tons of movies. Rarely have I had the chance to see a movie, no a series of movies, that have captured my imagination so well. No time have I seen a series of films (including STAR WARS) that have made me long for the next chapter. These movies are made to be seen on a big screen. Thank goodness big screen TVs have arrived in the nick of time.
Almost perfect Rare is the movie that one can say has everything. Hollywood used to produce these during the 1960's; classics like Ben-Hur, Cleopatra, Spartacus, and The Ten Commandments. But even these pale to the 4.5 hour epic that is Return of the King. The latter has everything; comedy, romance, action, suspense, drama, a great soundtrack, incredible cinematography, unrivaled special effects, a grand cast, and of course; a happy ending. Unlike other epic movies, this one contains numerous scenes that are of a climactic quality; whether it be the Ring's destruction; the triumphant charge of the Rohirrim on Pelennor Fields, the lighting of the torches from Gondor to Rohan, or even Faramir's charge at the behest of his father. The entire movie makes for an incredible emotional roller coaster. And unlike its two predecessors; this one did get Best Picture, along with 10 other Oscars; all of which were well deserved.
Now that I have heaped the praise, lets point out what could have been improved. First and foremost; for the length of the movie; it leaves out a lot of important material from the book. Better for the story and for the critics to include everything from the book, and brake it up into two separate movies. Conclude the first one with the death of Theoden, and include Sharky's (Saruman) conquest of the shire.
A second letdown was Faramir's defense of Osgiliath during the invasion of Sauron's army. It was portrayed very poorly. From the Fellowship of the Ring up to this point, one gets the feeling that Boromir was the swordsman who preferred intimate conflict while Faramir was the archer who'd rather act from afar. Yet when Faramir prepares his men to repel the Orc amphibious invasion, he has his men take up swords and fight on ground level. A more appropriate defense would be for the men to take refuge on the rooftops and decimate the invading orcs with arrows; nearly all the Gondorian soldiers had bows and arrows. They would have lasted a lot longer, and might have even repulsed the invasion.
The third major failing was Aragorn's triumphant entry onto Pelennor Fields with the Army of the Dead. It seems as if the orcs just line up to be killed by Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. This contrasts greatly with every previous battle scene where the orcs are quite vicious and skilled in combat.
But for all its failings, this is probably the best movie released this decade; and by far the best movie to be directed by a non-American. My favorite part of this movie was its soundtrack. It is quite rare for an action movie to have memorable singing parts; this one had two. The first is by Merry in probably the most haunting scene of the movie. The second is by Aragorn on his coronation. Legend has it that both actors came up with the music themselves; a proud achievement for both of them if true. All in all, a great movie, a great DVD set, and a must own.
Great Product I really liked this because it had both the regular and extended versions without all the extras. Four DVDs was a bit much for me, so I thought this was a better version for me.
"Long have you hunted me, long have I eluded you", 28 Sep 2007 Plot:
The saga continues. Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mount Doom, but the deceitful Gollum plans to lead them into a trap and have the ring for himself. Meanwhile, the armies of Mordor are marching on the Gondorian city of Minas Tirith, where Gandalf finds Denethor, father of Boromir and Faramir, losing his sanity...
My Review:
Why do all good things 'have' to come to an end? During the last three years in a row, Peter Jackson has amazingly resurrected winter from its boring blues with the individual instalments of his Tolkien fantasy trilogy, ultimately changing the perspective of our cinematic excitement from the summer months to the end of the year. Now that it's over and done with, what will be the lasting effects of this groundbreaking achievement?
What ROTK does well is that it marks the first time in the series when Dir. Jackson's roots as a horror filmmaker come into the spotlight, or the light of ereniel, his skill greatly used in the right places, whereas other filmmakers just throw the scare at you for no reason. As the orcs attack and head beyond the walls of Minas Tirith, flesh-rotted ghosts draw swords alongside Aragorn and stalker ensues on Frodo through dark, web-shrouded tunnels, pushing the boundaries of its' given certificate.
However, that's not a problem as far as it being the last of the epic trilogy; correct word use there, the look and tone must and does necessarily grow darker as the Hobbits approach Mount Doom and Mordor's evil tightens its grip on Middle-earth.
The tinges of the characters have been moulded over an extraordinary ten hours-plus of great cinematic storytelling. The only characters that have reverted more are Legolas and Gimli, screen time-wise, to perhaps a more subtle and evolved set-piece archer and comedy sidekick correspondingly. Andy Serkis for his Gollum voice work, is rewarded with an early flashback that gets his face on screen, as well as warning us of just how powerful the ring is.
The momentum of the series has kept on rolling on and on though to delivering a climax to the story that's neater and more affecting than what Tolkien managed on the printed page.
With such a long journey, our heroes deserve the emotional pay-off as well as the action peaks, and they will be genuinely touched as the final credits roll. Long live King Kong.
Verdict:
A cleverly crafted climatic ending to a landmark trilogy in cinema history. No other Director would have had the time, patience and skill to bring justice to this. 10/10.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
