DVD Movie Review: Lord Of The Rings 3, The Return Of The King

Synopsis:
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 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.

Cast: Elijah Wood Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Bernard Hill, Viggo Mortensen, John Noble, Miranda Otto, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, Karl Urban, Hugo Weaving, David Wenham, Marton Csokas, Ian Holm
/ Director: Peter Jackson

Prices and where to buy it:
You can buy the DVD Lord Of The Rings 3, The Return Of The King at Amazon.com

Critic Quotes and Reviews:
THE RETURN OF THE KING, the third and final film in Peter Jackson's THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, finds Middle-earth on the cusp of great change. Weary hobbits Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) venture further into the dark realm of Mordor, guided by the increasingly desperate Gollum (Andy Serkis), the two-faced former owner of the Ring that Frodo must destroy in the fires of Mount Doom. Meanwhile Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) contend with the deranged ruler Denethor (John Noble) at the once-mighty city of Minas Tirith, as Merry (Dominic Monaghan) joins Éowyn (Miranda Otto) and the Riders of Rohan to hold back the forces of Sauron. Amidst the chaos, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) must rise to his destiny, aided by Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) in assembling allies for a massive battle that will decide the fate of Middle-earth.With RETURN, Jackson brings J.R.R. Tolkien's world-renowned tale to a stunning conclusion. As with THE TWO TOWERS, the director deftly weaves various storylines together in one remarkable scene after another. Spectacular visuals complement Jackson's sharp focus on the characters and their emotional battles. While the special effects help to create huge battles and frightening creatures on a previously unseen scale, they never outshine the excellent ensemble of actors who bring the heart of the story home. A truly astounding work of filmmaking, THE RETURN OF THE KING skillfully concludes one of the greatest trilogies in cinema history. Buy.com

DVD Information:
Format: DVD, Widescreen
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Runtime: 250 minutes
Screen Aspect: Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 2.35:1
Sound Quality: English Dolby Digital EX 5.1 Surround Sound, DTS ES 6.1 Surround, Stereo Surround
Subtitles: Spanish
Media Quantity: 4 DVD Disc

Other Information and Links:
Studio: New Line Home Entertainment
Theatrical Release Date: 2003
DVD Release Date: 1/17/2006

DVD Features:

Cast commentary features dialogue between split-personality characters Gollum and Smeagol (Andy Serkis)
Audio: English Dolby Digital EX 5.1 Surround Sound, DTS ES 6.1 Surround Sound, Stereo Surround Sound
Two discs with hours of original content including multiple documentaries and design/photo galleries with thousands of images to give viewers an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Four audio commentaries by the director and writers, the design team, the production team and the cast featuring more than 30 participants including Peter Jackson, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom and many more!

Complete DVDs Information:
DISCS 1-2: The Feature
FEATURE (approx. 250 minutes) - A new version of the final installment in the epic trilogy! The Academy-Award® winning film now has 50 minutes of never-before-seen footage incorporated into the film for this highly-anticipated video release:

Widescreen (2.35:1) version of the Special Extended Edition
Dolby Digital EX 5.1 Surround Sound
DTS ES 6.1 Surround Sound
Stereo Surround Sound
English subtitles and closed captions
Spanish subtitles
Four audio commentaries by the director and writers, the design team, the production team and the cast featuring more than 30 participants including Peter Jackson, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom and Academy Award® winners Richard Taylor, Howard Shore…and many more.
Cast commentary also features dialogue between split-personality characters Gollum and Smeagol (Andy Serkis)!

DISCS 3-4: The Appendices
Two discs with hours of original content including multiple documentaries and design/photo galleries with thousands of images to give viewers an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King:

THE APPENDICES PART V: "The War of the Ring"

Disc intro by director Peter Jackson
J.R.R. Tolkien: The Legacy of Middle-earth documentary
From Book to Script: From Book to Script: Forging the Final Chapter documentary and Abandoned Concept: Aragorn Battles Sauron
Designing and Building Middle-earth: Designing Middle-earth documentary, Big-atures documentary, Weta Workshop documentary, Costume Design documentary
Design Galleries - 2,123 images
Home of the Horse Lords documentary
Middle-earth Atlas: Tracing the Journeys of the Fellowship interactive map
New Zealand as Middle-earth interactive map w/on-location footage

THE APPENDICES PART VI: "The Passing of an Age"

Disc intro by Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan
Filming The Return of the King: Cameras in Middle-earth documentary, Production Photos (gallery) - 69 images
Visual Effects: Weta Digital documentary, The Mumakil Battle demonstration/multi-angle interactive feature
Post Production: Journey's End: Editorial: Completing the Trilogy documentary, Music for Middle-earth documentary, The Soundscapes of Middle-earth documentary, The End of All Things documentary
The Passing of an Age documentary
Cameron Duncan: The Inspiration for "Into the West": Cameron Duncan: The Inspiration for 'Into the West' documentary, DFK6498 short film, Strike Zone short film