Product Description

The final battle for Middle-earth begins. Frodo and Sam, led by Gollum, continue their dangerous mission toward the fires of Mount Doom in order to destroy the One Ring. Aragorn struggles to fulfill his legacy as he leads his outnumbered followers against the growing power of the Dark Lord Sauron, so that the Ring-bearer may complete his quest.

DVD Features:
3D Animated Menus
DVD ROM Features:Exclusive online content Link to www.lordoftherings.net
Documentaries:3 in-depth programs that reveal the secrets behind the production of this epic adventure, including: "The Quest Fulfilled: A Director's Vision" (23:05) "A Filmmaker's Journey: Making The Return of The King" (28:30) National Geographic Special (45:57)
Featurette:6 featurettes --Aragorn's Destiny (3:25) --Minas Tirith: Capital of Gondor (3:10) --The Battle of Pelennor Fields (2:14) --Samwise the Brave (4:32) --Eowyn: White Lady of Rohan (3:45) --Digital Horse Doubles (4:35)
Other:2-DISC SET The Battle For Middle Eath Continues--Video Games from EA (3:00)
TV Spot
Theatrical Trailer:Original Theatrical Trailers "The Lord of The Rings" Trilogy Supertrailer (6:45)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1111 in DVD
• Brand: NEW LINE HOME VIDEO
• Released on: 2004-05-25
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: AC-3, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Dubbed in: Spanish
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .40 pounds
• Running time: 201 minutes

Amazon.com
With The Return of the King, the greatest fantasy epic in film history draws to a grand and glorious conclusion. Director Peter Jackson's awe-inspiring adaptation of the Tolkien classic The Lord of the Rings could never fully satisfy those who remain exclusively loyal to Tolkien's expansive literature, but as a showcase for physical and technical craftsmanship it is unsurpassed in pure scale and ambition, setting milestone after cinematic milestone as the brave yet charmingly innocent Hobbit Frodo (Elijah Wood) continues his mission to Mordor, where he is destined to destroy the soul-corrupting One Ring of Power in the molten lava of Mount Doom. While the heir to the kingdom of Men, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), endures the massive battle at Minas Tirith with the allegiance of the elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom), dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) and the great wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Frodo and stalwart companion Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) must survive the schizoid deceptions of Gollum, who remains utterly convincing as a hybrid of performance (by Andy Serkis) and subtly nuanced computer animation.

Jackson and cowriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens have much ground to cover; that they do so with intense pacing and epic sweep is impressive enough, but by investing greater depth and consequence in the actions of fellow Hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd), they ensure that Return of the King maintains the trilogy's emphasis on intimate fellowship. While several major characters appear only briefly, and one (Christopher Lee's evil wizard, Saruman) relegated entirely to the extended version on DVD, Jackson is to be commended for his editorial acumen; like Legolas the archer, his aim as a filmmaker is consistently true, and he remains faithful to Tolkien's overall vision. If Return suffers from too many endings, as some critic suggested, it's only because the epic's conclusion is so loyally inclusive of the actors--most notably Astin--who gave it such strength to begin with. By ending the LOTR trilogy with noble integrity and faith in the power of imaginative storytelling, The Return of the King, like its predecessors, will stand as an adventure for the ages. --Jeff Shannon

DVD features
Like the first two Lord of the Rings installments, the theatrical-release DVD of The Return of the King has superior picture and sound quality, and that's the important thing. The features on disc 2, however, fall a little short. Two brief documentaries (23 and 28 minutes) chronicle the making of the trilogy and have some good information, but they're best suited to those who aren't very familiar with the films, and some of the material overlaps. A surprise is the complete National Geographic Beyond the Movie program, but it's mostly an excuse for film clips as it draws rather tenuous connections between Tolkien and history, such as comparing Aragorn to William Wallace or Gandalf to Ben Franklin. The six lordoftherings.net featurettes (17 minutes total) are part recap and part making-of, and the Eowyn and digital-horse segments have some appeal. Also included are trailers (including the trilogy supertrailer), TV spots, and a pitch for the related video games (the already-released Return of the King plus the upcoming Battle for Middle-Earth). Unfortunately, some of the more enticing features of the previous theatrical releases are missing: no music video, no preview of an upcoming movie (obviously, because all the films have been released), and no preview of the inevitable extended edition (presumably because there's a longer time between the release of the ROTK theatrical version and the release of the extended version). Still, the film doesn't really need any extras to make it a worthwhile pickup. --David Horiuchi

From The New Yorker
The final act of Tolkien's saga. Many hours after Gandalf (Ian McKellen) showed up in the Shire and arranged for the transportation of a significant piece of personal jewelry, Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) staggers to the brink of Mount Doom and prepares, if he can muster the will, to cast the One Ring into the flames. By any standard, it has been an exhaustively splendid trip, crammed at once with private anxiety and lofty overviews of public strife. In this last installment, we are privileged witnesses not just to the Ringbearer's quest but also to a furious pitching of battles, as an ocean of orcs beats against the shining walls of Minas Tirith. The old gang-Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), and Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen)-is on hand to save the day and, by implication, the future of a civilization. The director, Peter Jackson, loyal as ever to the original book, has inherited a serious case of anticlimax; he is no more capable than Tolkien of finding a pastoral peace, at the close, that can match the energy of his war. Nevertheless, there should be enough here to dazzle the doubters; will Jackson have the nerve to remix his work, in all its majesty, and release a ten-hour marathon next year? -Anthony Lane
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker