The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Rotten Tomatoes

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

PG-13

Now Playing

3 hr. 20 min.

Fantasy

Adventure

List

94%

280 Reviews

Tomatometer

86%

250,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

The culmination of nearly 10 years' work and conclusion to Peter Jackson's epic trilogy based on the timeless J.R.R. Tolkien classic, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" presents the final confrontation between the forces of good and evil fighting for control of the future of Middle-earth. Hobbits Frodo and Sam reach Mordor in their quest to destroy the `one ring', while Aragorn leads the forces of good against Sauron's evil army at the stone city of Minas Tirith.

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Critics Consensus

Visually breathtaking and emotionally powerful, The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King is a moving and satisfying conclusion to a great trilogy.

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Hussein

one of the best films of all time!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/21/24

Full Review

John T

This was such a wonderful treat. I love how this is the extended edition as well! That we get to see this on the big screen was such a joy! There was no intermission. I had to run too the bathroom during Oppenheimer and I enjoyed that movie, but this one I was so enthralled I never left the movie? There were a lot of people in my theatre. Everybody seemed to love it! Many even clapped at the end! That is why I started this review as I will end it: This was a real treat.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/04/24

Full Review

CP M

4K restoration with crisp color and graphics, great chemistry between Frodo and Sam (makes the final scene all the more memorable), special effects still look great 20 years later.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/19/23

Full Review

Jadyn

Absolutely amazing! My favorite movie ever! I would definitely watch again.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/16/23

Full Review

Masha

Best Trilogy!! NEED THEM REPLAYED MORE!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/20/23

Full Review

Jadan S

Very few movies are perfect from start to finish. This one, The Return of the King, is absolutely perfect no matter what version you see. Be it theatrical or extended, Peter Jackson delivered a masterful conclusion to Tolkien's epic journey.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

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Peter Jackson

Director

Elijah Wood

Frodo Baggins

Ian McKellen

Gandalf

Liv Tyler

Arwen

Viggo Mortensen

Aragorn (Strider)

Sean Astin

Samwise 'Sam' Gamgee

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Jonathan Romney

Independent on Sunday

This atavistic Christians-vs-Moors narrative doesn't belong in the present day, and that's no doubt why so many people are addicted to it: it's so ideologically overstated that it can easily be brushed off as harmlessly quaint escapism.

Feb 28, 2018

Full Review

James Christopher

Times (UK)

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.

Feb 27, 2018

Full Review

Antonia Quirke

London Evening Standard

Viggo Mortensen's Aragorn is the good king of the title, and while the actor may look fetching in a crown and cloak, he doesn't have half of the gravitas of Sean Bean's Boromir in the first film.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 14, 2017

Full Review

Cody Dericks

Next Best Picture

For all its titanic technical breakthroughs and iconic moments of spectacle, its thematic resonance and sweeping storytelling have helped maintain its legacy beyond similar blockbusters.

Rated: 10/10

Dec 27, 2023

Full Review

Allyson Johnson

But Why Tho? A Geek Community

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King asks us to reckon with death and then heals that emotional wound by reminding us that death isn’t a tragedy but the final passage of life.

Dec 18, 2023

Full Review

Collin Garbarino

WORLD

Depictions of true friendship in movies are rare. Depictions of male friendship, even rarer. With The Lord of the Rings, audiences saw trust and affection develop between men brought together by a common purpose.

Rated: 3/4

Nov 3, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

The culmination of nearly 10 years' work and conclusion to Peter Jackson's epic trilogy based on the timeless J.R.R. Tolkien classic, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" presents the final confrontation between the forces of good and evil fighting for control of the future of Middle-earth. Hobbits Frodo and Sam reach Mordor in their quest to destroy the `one ring', while Aragorn leads the forces of good against Sauron's evil army at the stone city of Minas Tirith.

Director: Peter Jackson
Executive Producer: Robert Shaye, Michael Lynne, Mark Ordesky
Screenwriter: Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Production Co: New Line Cinema, Saul Zaentz Company
Rating: PG-13 (Intense Epic Battle Sequences|Frightening Images)
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 17, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 6, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $377.8M
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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