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Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Binding: VHS Tape EAN: 9780780646520 Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC ISBN: 0780646525 Label: New Line Home Entertainment Manufacturer: New Line Home Entertainment Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: New Line Home Entertainment Release Date: December 14, 2004 Running Time: 201 minutes Sales Rank: 13819 Studio: New Line Home Entertainment Theatrical Release Date: December 17, 2003
Description: A new version of the final installment in the epic trilogy! The WINNER of 11 Academy Awards including BEST PICTURE is now 50 minutes longer! This extended version of the epic conclusion of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy includes new score by Howard Shore and over 350 new digital effects shots. The once-great kingdom, watched over by a fading steward, has never been in more desperate need of its king. But can Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) answer the call of his heritage and become what he was born to be? In no small measure, the fate of Middle-earth rests on his broad shoulders.
Amazon.com: The greatest trilogy in film history comes to a grand conclusion with the extended edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Not only is the third and final installment of Peter Jackson's adaptation of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien the longest of the three, but a full 50 minutes of new material pushes the running time to a whopping 4 hours and 10 minutes.
One of the scenes cut from the theatrical release but included here, the resolution of the Saruman storyline, generated a lot of publicity when the movie opened, as actor Christopher Lee complained in the press about losing his only appearance. It's an excellent scene, one Jackson calls "pure Tolkien," and provides better context for Pippin to find the wizard's palantir in the water, but it's not critical to the film. In fact, "valuable but not critical" might sum up the ROTK extended edition. It's evident that Jackson made the right cuts for the theatrical run, but the extra material provides depth and ties up a number of loose ends, and for those sorry to see the trilogy end (and who isn't?) it's a welcome chance to spend another hour in Middle-earth. Some choice moments are Gandalf's (Ian McKellen) confrontation with the Witch King (we find out what happened to the wizard's staff), the chilling Mouth of Sauron at the gates of Mordor, and Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) being mistaken for Orc soldiers. We get to see more of Éowyn (Miranda Otto), both with Aragorn and on the battlefield, even fighting the hideously deformed Orc lieutenant, Gothmog. We also see her in one of the most anticipated new scenes, the Houses of Healing after the battle of the Pelennor Fields. It doesn't present Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) as a savior as the book did, but it shows the initial meeting between Éowyn and Faramir (David Wenham), a relationship that received only a meaningful glance in the theatrical cut.
And for those who complained, no, there are no new endings, not even the scouring of the Shire, which many fans were hoping to see. Nor is there a scene of Denethor (John Noble) with the palantir, which would have better explained both his foresight and his madness. As Jackson notes, when cuts are made, the secondary characters are the first to go, so there is a new scene of Aragorn finding the palantir in Denethor's robes. Another big difference is Aragorn's confrontation with the King of the Dead. In the theatrical version, we didn't know whether the King had accepted Aragorn's offer when the pirate ships pulled into the harbor; here Jackson assumes that viewers have already experienced that tension, and instead has the army of the dead join the battle in an earlier scene (an extended cameo for Jackson). One can debate which is more effective, but that's why the film is available in both versions. If you feel like watching the relatively shorter version you saw in the theaters, you can. If you want to completely immerse yourself in Peter Jackson's marvelous and massive achievement, only the extended edition will do. --David Horiuchi
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Honestly Susprised :)
I did not think they could suscessfully make a flim of this story without it being a shambles. I was very happy to learn I was wrong they did an outstanding job with special effects as well as the tale told in the movie by staying on task with what needed to be included and triming what could be taken out.
Rating: - Part 3 in the Epic Trilogy!!!
I love The Return of the King a lot better than the theatrical version, because a lot of really awesome things were left out, like Saruman's cameo, more battle sequences, and a more overall satisfaction to the trilogy! It it extremely long, 250 minutes! If you need to know the story, here's my version; The film begins with how Smeagol became Gollum. Later, we see Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and King Theoden heading to Isengard to get information out of Saruman. At Rohan, Pippin sees in the Palantir that Sauron wants to strike at Minas Tirith. Gandalf and Pippin travel there to warn them. ... Read More
Rating: - Perfect product! Got here right on time!
I would definitely recommend this product to anyone. Perfect product, exactly like description. Got here right on time.
Rating: - THIS IS THE BEST MOVIE EVER!
I sat trying to think of a cool, witty, or flashy title for this review, but I couldn`t think of one good enough for the movie. All of them fell short of it`s wonder. The plot, actors, and screenwriting of This movie left me gasping. So even if you have to settle for a lame review title afterwards, please see this movie.
Rating: - New Item
Item shipped in a timely manner and packaged well against damage. Love the LOTR series and this is a welcome addition to my collection.
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