Critic Reviews
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003) Rank 3 Reviews
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based on (351) reviews
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Film-Critiques.com
An almost perfect film, but it is ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Film-Critiques.com
TheMovieBoy Review (Dustin Putman)
In the two years since the release of 2001's "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," awareness and general fandom for the film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy trilogy has grown to near-astronomical levels. At this point, to ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at TheMovieBoy Review (Dustin Putman)
The Net-Monster
One of the problems I've had with this trilogy is that by the time the next sequel comes out, I've already forgotten everything that happened in the previous movie. And yes, I know there's really no "3" in the title, but how the hell else am I ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at The Net-Monster
Mr. Cranky
Instead of ending his massive retelling of the Tolkien series with a bang, director Peter Jackson has turned "The Return of the King" into the fat, lumbering relative who won't leave when he's supposed to and simply lingers, sweating, on the living ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Mr. Cranky
City Pages (Laura Sinagra)
A recent New York Times Magazine cover story promised that, for left-leaning yutes, joining the Howard Dean campaign affords the best chance to make smart friends, get laid, and do something meaningful in life. Yes, in this teched-up X-Box world of ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at City Pages (Laura Sinagra)
Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)
The thrilling conclusion to what has become the film event of our time -- the definitive screen fantasy -- features more spellbinding moments, bigger battles, more emotion and more poetry than the terrific first two films in the trilogy. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)
Guardian [UK] (Peter Bradshaw)
No flabber has been left ungasted by Mr Jackson's mighty battle sequences, nor no gob unsmacked. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Guardian [UK] (Peter Bradshaw)
Cinema Signals (Jules Brenner)
At 210 minutes, some might wish Peter Jackson had been just a mite less enchanted by the Tolkien mythology, but I wouldn't have missed it for anything. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Cinema Signals (Jules Brenner)
Goatdog's Movies (Michael W. Phillips, Jr.)
Truly awe-inspiring. If it takes a while to get going, and seems to overstay its welcome with an overlong ending, I forgive it. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Goatdog's Movies (Michael W. Phillips, Jr.)
IGN Movies (Glen Oliver)
One of the most visceral theatrical experiences of all time. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at IGN Movies (Glen Oliver)
Jam! Movies (Bruce Kirkland)
A wonderful film, bursting at the seams with action, adventure, a staggering battle scene, and enough sad emotional scenes to milk tears from a thousand cynics. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Jam! Movies (Bruce Kirkland)
Film Snobs (Jimmy O)
Does this mean we can now kill George Lucas? ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Film Snobs (Jimmy O)
TheMovieChicks.com (Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone)
The final chapter has more emotion and expands on the character development, not just the action. It is a fitting end for our travelers. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at TheMovieChicks.com (Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone)
MovieJustice (Joseph Kastner)
King makes many leaps and bounds above most of the films this year but fails to achieve the consistency and magnificence that The Two Towers accomplished. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at MovieJustice (Joseph Kastner)
Jam! Movies (Drew McAnulty)
Peter Jackson, you bow to no one. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Jam! Movies (Drew McAnulty)
Matt's Movie Reviews (Matt Easterbrook)
Not to be missed -- a wonderful blend of Old Hollywood-style entertainment with modern technical skills, of brain candy and food for the soul. You'll never look at epics the same way again. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Matt's Movie Reviews (Matt Easterbrook)
Film Snobs (Stephen Himes)
Jackson's movies are a triumph of cinematic voice, much like Tolkien's books are a triumph of literary voice. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Film Snobs (Stephen Himes)
Citysearch (Dan Fazio)
filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)
If you can make it through the slow parts, Return of the King rewards the patient with the most heart-pounding action of the year. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)
Jam! Movies (Mike Ross)
On the surface, The Return of the King has everything anyone would ask for in a fantasy adventure: larger-than-life heroes, vile villains, cool monsters and battles galore. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Jam! Movies (Mike Ross)
Las Vegas Weekly (Josh Bell)
King is ... the final touch of an undeniable masterwork. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Las Vegas Weekly (Josh Bell)
Film Threat (Mark Sells)
It's a bittersweet finale to one gigantic masterpiece, rich with character, ambience, and exhilarating action. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Film Threat (Mark Sells)
Independent (--)
Bullz-Eye.com (--)
Sunday Times (Australia) (--)
eye WEEKLY (Jason Anderson)
Really, the film offers an embarrassment of riches to anyone caught up in Jackson's own mad quest to portray Tolkien's universe in all its manly glory. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at eye WEEKLY (Jason Anderson)
Montreal Gazette (John Griffin)
Future Movies UK (Ed Colley)
Seattle Times (Moira MacDonald)
A rich, layered tale of a king, a wizard and two little hobbits whose courage saved their world. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Seattle Times (Moira MacDonald)
Reverse Shot (--)
Watching a great tennis match can be exhilarating but we don’t call it an artistic masterpiece: why then should we treat The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King any differently? King could be the most exhilarating movie of the year; it’s ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Reverse Shot (--)
Movie Habit (Marty Mapes)
Looking at the sum of its parts, The Lord of the Rings is probably the best trilogy ever made ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Movie Habit (Marty Mapes)
Xi-online (Gerthein Boersma)
Wat kun je als recensent de nieuwsgierige Lord of the Rings fan nog vertellen over het derde en laatste deel van Peter Jackson's epische Tolkien-verfilming? Wat moet men met een kreet als "Aanrader!" of een aansporing als "Ik zou er heengaan!"? Het ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Xi-online (Gerthein Boersma)
Reel Film Reviews (David Nusair)
The movie's refusal to end will likely test the patience of even the most ardent Lord of the Rings fan, and it's a shame that the series ends on such a flat note. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Reel Film Reviews (David Nusair)
Popkorn Junkie (--)
Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)
[The] trilogy is, by any measure, a crowning moment in cinema history ... So why is the final installment, less than awesome? ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)
Critic Doctor (Peter Sobczynski)
Still a pretty stirring epic and is a worthy conclusion to the saga. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Critic Doctor (Peter Sobczynski)
Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Pops your eyes, excites your senses and brings you in as close as a whisper for scenes of startling emotion. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Deseret News, Salt Lake City (Jeff Vice)
Even the weakest of these movies is head-and-shoulders above the vast majority of films churned out these days. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Deseret News, Salt Lake City (Jeff Vice)
Scotsman (Alastair McKay)
Movie Insider (Lynda Lin)
San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)
A grand adventure with lots of fun things to look at. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)
Globe and Mail (Liam Lacey)
A movie for our time, perhaps for all time, mostly a good time and definitely a long time. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Globe and Mail (Liam Lacey)
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)
Yes, good triumphs over evil, but watching the Rings series, we don't forget that real-life war and terror are accelerating outside the theater. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)
Perihelion Journal (Jay Antani)
If this wasn't quite the best movie of 2003, it was definitely the most fun to be had at the movies all year ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Perihelion Journal (Jay Antani)
Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Liam Lacey)
The [final] battle is vast, and undoubtedly required thousands of hours of matching puppetry, robotics and computer code, but it is not without tedium. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Liam Lacey)
Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
A colossus in technological filmmaking. A trilogy for the ages, where the whole is greater than its parts. I'm usually annoyed with films that can't tell their story without a sequel, as the other LOTR films suffer because they are missing a conclusion. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
Poffy The Cucumber's Movie Mania
Okay, tattered robes deployed? – check; multiple story lines at the ready to entwine and entangle viewers? – check; sets constructed on a budget which would've stamped out hunger in Ethiopia? – check; everyone smeared in poo? – check – let's ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Poffy The Cucumber's Movie Mania
filmcritic.com
Peter Jackson returns with his third and final installment in The Lord of the Rings trilogy with the explosive – and exhausting – conclusion to his acclaimed series. Let’s cut to the chase: Jackson’s final entry is the best of the series, largely ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at filmcritic.com
San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)
Though an estimable success overall, The Return of the King has several scenes too many and too great a concentration on battles. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)
SPLICEDwire (Rob Blackwelder)
Jackson's vision, and his capacity for bringing it to life... are unquestionably worthy of very high praise, (but) I never got the mind-blowing 'Wow!' I'd wanted... ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at SPLICEDwire (Rob Blackwelder)
Hollywood.com (Kit Bowen)
With a sweeping narrative, mind-blowing battle sequences and gut-wrenching performances, could there be a grander finale to a classic epic? Not in this millennium. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Hollywood.com (Kit Bowen)
Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
The material will satisfy those simply looking for thrills as well as those angling for more. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
National Post (Chris Knight)
Jackson has done a fine job, taking an immensely dense book and crafting a brilliant new look for a mythology that was born old. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at National Post (Chris Knight)
Denver Post (Lisa Kennedy)
Confirms Jackson's reputation as a kinetic director who has made author J.R.R. Tolkien's work his own -- not as plagiarist but as a visionary. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Denver Post (Lisa Kennedy)
St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt (St. Paul))
Has energy and power, particularly in a battle scene highlighted by spectacular shots of catapulting boulders. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt (St. Paul))
Slant Magazine (Ed Gonzalez)
More goose-pimply epic swirl and top-notch Uruk-hai smackdowns, but there’s also more of the dreamy Christian allegory that highlighted the first film. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Slant Magazine (Ed Gonzalez)
Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)
The Return of the King is too long...The various story lines...come together in stilted, episodic ways. The narrative is less-than-seamless. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)
MovieFreak.com (Sara M. Fetters)
And if, ultimately, The Return of the King isn't quite the thrilling conclusion we were all quite hoping for, it is still very much a rousingly successful end to what may be the most accomplished and satisfying movie trilogy of all time. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at MovieFreak.com (Sara M. Fetters)
Boston Globe (Ty Burr)
Audiences who don't have halberds to grind and who possess rear ends of steel and a taste for declamatory heroics will find themselves rewarded. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Boston Globe (Ty Burr)
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Return of the King is such a crowning achievement, such a visionary use of all the tools of special effects, such a pure spectacle, that it can be enjoyed even by those who have not seen the first two films. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Kansas City Star (Robert W. Butler)
It leaves us with precisely the same feelings of sadness and satisfaction as are evoked by J.R.R. Tolkien's original novels. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Kansas City Star (Robert W. Butler)
TV Guide (Maitland McDonagh)
Despite its length, the film only starts feeling as long at the end -- or, more correctly, ends. Serious fans of the novels will be prepared for the serial codicils, but the uninitiated are likely to think the film is over several times before it ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at TV Guide (Maitland McDonagh)
Lobo Howls (Judith Wolfe)
Film Threat (Kevin Carr)
If The Return of the King was 2 1/2 hours long, it would have rocked. It would have been better than The Two Towers, which is the best film in the series. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Film Threat (Kevin Carr)
JoBlo's Movie Emporium (JoBlo)
What can I say about this movie that hasn't already been said? Well actually...quite a bit! How about the fact that it's a decent film, but overrated...at least by all those who deem it to be "perfect". I'm sorry, but this film -- as great as its ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at JoBlo's Movie Emporium (JoBlo)
IndependentCritics.com (TC Candler)
Okay... here goes. I am preparing myself for another year of vicious, profanity-laden and hysterically defensive e-mails from the rabid fanatics who refuse to believe that these 'Lord of the Rings' movies aren't beloved by everyone. I have received ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at IndependentCritics.com (TC Candler)
d+kaz. Intelligent Movie Reviews (Daniel Kasman)
Eclipse Magazine (Michelle Alexandria)
Is a seriously flawed piece of work that is missing that certain element called "believability." It's visual eye candy without the chocolate center. ...read the complete Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie review at Eclipse Magazine (Michelle Alexandria)
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