The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

HKFanatic

It's an improvement on "Two Towers" in the sense that the awkward comedy has been left behind. But when I watch this movie, I can't help but feel like the last 20-30 minutes are a perfunctory series of "Well, we've got to have this scene and this scene, etc." It gets from Point A to Point B and so on, but not in a manner I find particularly inspiring. Still, the trilogy was a monumental achievement.

Harry Rossi

Absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. Just a perfect movie for a perfect trilogy. Its the best of the three even though in my mind they are really one film and should be seen back to back. I couldn't ask for more in a film. Just incredible.

House 0f Leaves

I don't care what anyone thinks--this movie makes me weep. As a Tolkien geek, I am perfectly comfortable with this.

Zachary T.

They're classics, but I still sometimes find the first two films tonally inconsistent, repetitive, overlong and overstuffed with exposition. This one has grown on me in its own right. The overabundance of endings aside, the action is swift and succinct; Gondor's socio-political turmoil is one of the series' best subplots. It gives McKellen a lot to do. He really shines here as a wise, vigilant, pragmatic hero.

Ethan

All in all this is a great ending to the trilogy but did we really need all those fucking endings Peter Jackson. I understand closure but damn.

Seth Farmer

The film that most butchered Tolkien, and yet, the ending is absolutely perfect. Bring on the denouments; this is truly The End.

Easton Dubois

Maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention but I didn't see Elvis anywhere.

Chris_Parker

The weakest of the trilogy. Return of the King lacks the mesmerising atmosphere of Fellowship of the Ring and the narrative fluidity of The Two Towers. The formula it uses is - Build up to battle - Battle - Build up to battle - Battle - Half a dozen endings. It blends its enchanting score with gorgeous cinematography but as a film, it's all over the place and it immensely lacks the focus of its predecessors.