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. Winner of 11 Academy Awards. Actors: Alexandra Astin - David Aston - Noel Appleby - Sean Bean. Director: Peter Jackson. Format: DVD. Format Size: Widescreen. Runtime: 200 mins. Language: English. Subtitle: English Subtitles. Region code: Region 1 (United States Canada Bermuda U.S. territories). Discs: 2. Rating: PG-13. Genre: Adventure. Release Year: 2003.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #607 in DVD
• Brand: iNetVideo
• Released on: 2004-05-25
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: NTSC, Widescreen
• Original language: English, French
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 200 minutes

From 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), the 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 The 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) was relegated entirely to the extended-version 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

Amazon.ca
Point final grandiose apporté à la trilogie du Seigneur des anneaux, débutée en 2000 par Peter Jackson, Le Retour du roi fait également partie des films les plus récompensés dans l’histoire des oscars. En effet, à l’instar de Ben Hur et de Titanic, cette œuvre épique a récolté 11 statuettes en 2004.

Les armées de Sauron assiègent Minas Tirith, capitale de Gondor. Aragorn trouvera-t-il le courage d’accomplir son destin en devenant roi de la cité et en menant les Hommes à la bataille, ralliés par les guerriers de Rohan, leur chef Théoden, et par Gandalf ? Bien que peu nombreuses, toutes les forces disponibles seront utilisées pour faire diversion et laisser Frodon accomplir l’ultime mission. Mais le valeureux Hobbit, accompagné par Sam et Gollum, saura-t-il trouver assez de force en lui pour détruire l’anneau maléfique ?

Malgré l’étirement quelque peu fastidieux du dénouement, force est de reconnaître que Peter Jackson exerce à son mieux, dans Le Retour du roi, ses qualités de cinéaste et de conteur. Mise en scène époustouflante, moments d’intensité frappants et scènes d’émotion poignantes, le film retransmet parfaitement toute l’ampleur du souffle de l’œuvre de J.R.R. Tolkien. Présenté sur un double DVD agrémenté de trois documentaires et de 6 featurettes expliquant bien les secrets de la réalisation et de la production, Le Retour du roi nous fait, en réalité, regretter que l’aventure soit déjà finie. – Helen Faradji