The culmination of the Lord of the Rings trilogy ends with exquisite audio and visual glory in this Blu-ray edition of the film. The Return of the King deservedly won 11 Academy awards for Best Picture, Director, Editing, Art Direction, Costume Design, Visual Effects, Makeup, Adapted Screenplay, Sound Mixing, Original Song and Original Score.
The extended version of this story is no less pleasing than the original, as the extra scenes enhance one’s understanding of the story and help create an unforgettable movie experience. The Return of the King is truly Peter Jackson’s finest hour. An amazing story is told and expressed that few films have dared to come close to conveying.
Synopsis – The final battle for Middle-earth begins. Frodo and Sam, led by the mysterious 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.
It makes total sense that the film raked in over a billion dollars at the box office, and that Peter Jackson lost 50 lbs. making it. It was well worth the time and money. This right here is what movies are about, where one can be transported to another time and experience the story as if it were happening all around you. Between the visuals and the sound, the movie itself is great merely on DVD. On Blu-ray, it’s absolute incredible.
Video – The image quality is amazing and the colors are vivid and bold. The Blu-ray format offers crystal clear images that are truly a feast for the eyes. JRR Tolkein himself probably never imagined anything so alive as this.
Audio – The audio is also of an exceptional quality as the soundtrack, dialogue and sound effects are so striking and clear, one would think they were sitting in a movie theater. Definitely an excellent complement to the video aspect of the film.
Special Features – Included is an untold story trailer, commentaries with the director, writers, the design team, production and post-production and the cast. There are also featurettes about designing and building middle-earth, New Zealand as middle-earth, behind-the-scenes of filming Return of the King, visual effects and post-production.
What more can be said of such an awesome undertaking as this? Peter Jackson has truly created a masterpiece in film-making. I thought Return of the King was great when it first came out. But this extended version of the film solidifies its place as one of greatest films ever made. If you’ve never seen it and even if you have 100 times, it is imperative that you witness the awesome spectacle of the extended Blu-ray edition of Return of the King. You won’t be disappointed. Rating: A+
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