The Return of the King

1980
5.7| 1h38m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 11 May 1980 Released
Producted By: Rankin/Bass Productions
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

Two Hobbits struggle to destroy the Ring in Mount Doom while their friends desperately fight evil Lord Sauron's forces in a final battle.

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Director

Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin, Jr.

Production Companies

Rankin/Bass Productions

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The Return of the King Audience Reviews

Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.
Moustroll Good movie but grossly overrated
Siflutter It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.
Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
O2D I see some reviewers got Frodo of the nine fingers and the ring of doom! stuck in their heads.Well let me tell you, it will never go away.I went many years without seeing this movie and have never forgotten that song.So anyway, the funniest part about the music is how this time they hired a minstrel to write a song about their journeys.What???But sadly, the music is the best part of this movie.After the disappointing Hobbit cartoon you wouldn't think they could do much worse but they could and did.I guess for a thirty-seven year old made for TV cartoon movie, it's really not that bad.I bet if you watched every other TV movie that was made in 1980, this would be the best.But it's 2017 and we have had a half dozen awesome hobbit movies so this is terrible.
ryderstrong69 This was a great adaptation of the book. The songs and poems translated very well into the cartoon. People often like to put these movies up against the Peter Jackson films made decades later and of course movies made in the late 70s and early 80 with budgets under 4 million dollars wont be as good as live action films with budgets in the 100 million dollar range. That said for the time period it was a very good animated film that was enjoyable for kids and adults. The animation was good even by a lot of todays standards. This movie has also inspired a lot of people to go out and read the LOTR books. If you enjoy the books or even the Newer films you should check this movie out.
Darth Mackinnon Ten minutes less singing replaced with actual development of the story would have made this mediocre animated version of Tolkien's classic at least somewhat similar to the actual story. As it is, we get a lot of tired, dull hippy tunes and a story that moves slower than molases, and a neglect of a number of critical events from the book. Generally inferior to the Bakshi "Lord of the Rings" and definitely inferior to Peter Jackson's stunning special editions. ("Do you not know death when you see it?!") Still, mildly amusing, and there's always that groovy "Where there's a whip..." Calypso-disco may yet be the strongest weapon in Mordor's arsenal!
CelluloidRehab This is an animated version of Tolkien's Return of the King and parts of the Hobbit. It is not overly accurate nor thorough, but it is still quite memorable and enjoyable.The movie starts with Bilbo's 129th birthday celebration. The guest list includes Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Elrond and Gandolf. The Minstrel of Gondor comes out and proceeds to sing. From there we are treated to flashbacks. First a flashback of events from the Hobbit, followed by events from Fellowship of the Ring and Two Towers. The story picks up during Sam's rescue of Frodo from the tower. We are treated to the Battle of Gondor, Frodo & Sam's trip to Mount Doom (through the lands of Mordor) and the Battle at the Black Gate.This movie is mostly a patchwork of elements from the novel. There are some good voice talents being used. First and foremost is John Huston as Gandalf (and the narrator). One can also recognize Roddy McDowall as the voice of Samwise Gamgee. The voice of Gollum is also memorably done by Brother Theodore. These three characterizations (and voices) along with the music is what makes this movie truly memorable. The music is just so wonderful. I fondly remember my childhood watching this movie, in syndication on television during the mid to late 80's, and being simply captivated. It is quite evident that the target audience for this movie is children. While this movie is not perfect, it definitely opened the door for me to read the books and learn more. I highly recommend this movie to everyone.-Celluloid Rehab