The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

M
2003
|
200 mins
Trailer
Poster for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The epic climax in the fantasy saga sees all races of Middle Earth, both good and evil, drawn into a... More

Where to watch The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King... More is available to stream in New Zealand now on Netflix and Google Play and Prime Video and Apple TV Store and Neon and Neon Rentals and Academy On Demand and AroVision.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Ratings & Reviews

"Don't worry that your expectations will be too high - Return Of The King will exceed them all."

Total FilmTotal Film

"The sense of closure is exquisite, but I'm not sure I'm able to forgive Peter Jackson for the three years that he has taken to put it on the screen. The wait has been excruciating."

The TimesThe Times

"No flabber has been left ungasted by Mr Jackson's mighty battle sequences, nor no gob unsmacked."

The GuardianThe Guardian

"Yes, the running time is long, and yes, those many endings in a slow, dreamy coda left me feeling spent - better spent than I can ever remember."

Wall Street JournalWall Street Journal

"Some story strands are crudely abbreviated; others fail to develop elements that were already well-established."

Time OutTime Out

"The resounding climax to a landmark in cinema history."

Empire MagazineEmpire Magazine

"Pops your eyes, excites your senses and brings you in as close as a whisper for scenes of startling emotion."

Rolling StoneRolling Stone

"A masterpiece, rich with character, ambience, and exhilarating action."

Film ThreatFilm Threat

"The final chapter... restores faith in the idea that popular entertainment can soar to majestic heights."

SalonSalon

"A movie for our time, perhaps for all time, mostly a good time and definitely a long time."

The Globe and MailThe Globe and Mail

"Utterly breathtaking."

CNNCNN

"The Return of the King is, at its most visceral level, a grand adventure with lots of fun things to look at."

San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chronicle

"Towers above its predecessors with cleaner storytelling and a more satisfying balance between terrific acting and eye-popping effects."

New York PostNew York Post

"Majestic, moving and immense... about as awesome as cinema gets."

BBCBBC

"A breathtaking argument for director Peter Jackson winning every award there is to give..."

Hollywood ReporterHollywood Reporter

"I can’t think of... another monumental work of sustained storytelling that surges ahead with so much inventiveness and ardor."

Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly

"The final battle is kind of magnificent. I found myself thinking of the visionary films of the silent era, like Lang ("Metropolis") and Murnau ("Faust"), with their desire to depict fantastic events of unimaginable size and power, and with their own cheerful reliance on visual trickery."

Roger EbertRoger Ebert

"A “King” that earns its crown, Peter Jackson’s final installment in his monumental “The Lord of the Rings” represents that filmmaking rarity — a third part of a trilogy that is decisively the best of the lot."

VarietyVariety

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Details

Award winner
Winner of 11 Oscars, including Best Picture, Director and Visual Effects at the Academy Awards 2004. Best Film (Drama), Golden Globes 2004. Best Film, BAFTA Awards 2004.
Rating
M, Violence & fantasy horror
Runtime
200
Genre
Adventure, Fantasy
Country of origin
USA, New Zealand

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Trailers