The Return of the King
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Movie Reviews of The Return of the King
Movie Review: Give this Rankin-Bass film an honest chance!
Summary: 4 Stars
Gosh. Do people actually watch this movie honestly before tearing it apart? Given the venomous vibs against this film, you would think it was a musical vaudeville remake of The Godfather. Sure, the animation is not up to Disney standards, but remember that this was a 1980s TV production, not a big budget theatrical release. The film focuses on the two hobbits, Frodo and Samwise, as they near the completion of their quest to destroy the One Ring; in its own way, the film is actually quite faithful to the spirit of the novel. Though the film may appear as a children's film, it is neither juvenile nor dumbed-down in its presentation. Yes, there are songs in this Middle-Earth tale (most all Rankin-Bass productions had songs), but have people actually listened to the lyrics? The songs are quite stirring and well-crafted; give them a chance. For instance, "Frodo of the Nine Fingers" starts the film on an immediate note of uncertainty and suspense and draws the audience quickly into the story, which is important considering that this film is a sequel to...nothing! (There were no prior Rankin-Bass productions of Fellowship or Two Towers, just an UNRELATED theatrical animated Lord of the Rings around this time). Other songs also impart some valuable lessons, of which my favorite is "It's So Easy Not to Try."This isn't a typical kiddie film where everything ends happily after ever. The film deals honestly with death, duty, and friendship. In many ways, these themes can be found also in Rankin-Bass' likewise mature, animated production of The Last Unicorn, a film with a massive cult following. Watch The Last Unicorn, then re-watch The Return of the King. Perhaps then you will see this film in a new light.
Movie Review: Not as bad as some think...a damn sight better, in fact
Summary: 4 Stars
I don't agree with the reviewers here who find this 1970s gem cringe-worthy. Sure, Samwise spends way too much time talking to himself, but that's more the fault of Romeo Muller's script than the late, lamented Roddy McDowall's voice work. And the mispronunciations by the cast of Tolkien's place names gets on one's nerves. And yes, the "Frodo of the Nine Fingers" song is a tad overused. But the late, also lamented John Huston is the best damn Gandalf this side of Sir Ian (his voiceover work receives far less notice than his acting and direction, and that's an injustice); the artwork and animation, by a long list of Japanese animators, are gorgeous (this was the first Rankin/Bass TV cartoon to be produced largely in Japan); and the rest of the music has stayed with me since I first saw the film in childhood; come on, admit it -- haven't you sung "Where There's A Whip (There's A Way)" to yourself a time or two? And Glenn Yarbrough deserves to be remembered at least for the poignant, inspirational ballad "It's So Easy Not to Try." (It always makes me sniffle a bit.)
I consider this film a fine bookend to Ralph Bakshi's "Lord of the Rings" and the earlier Rankin/Bass special "The Hobbit" as an animated trilogy. (And more appropriate for young children whose parents wish to introduce them to Tolkien's magical storytelling than the more complex and violent films by Peter Jackson.)
Movie Review: Good Presentation
Summary: 4 Stars
I have not read any of the LOTR trilogy yet. I've only read The Hobbit so far. Based on different things I've read and seen, The Hobbit and possibly The Lord of the Rings were originally intended for a younger audience than many people think. (See the extras on the DVD of the Peter Jackson version for one source - comments from someone who reviewed The Hobbit as a child.) The Return of the King and The Hobbit were made for TV by the same group who gave us Frosty The Snowman. Both are made for a younger audience.
Overall, I prefer Return of the King because of the songs. Although I don't hate them, I'm not a big fan of folk-type songs. Return of the King has more songs that are easier for me to listen to. I prefer the deeper voices used in the songs that make use of a chorus.
Since I haven't read the book, I can't comment on what might be missing. I enjoy what is presented here, and it is definitely darker than The Hobbit was. Frodo and Samwise show their darker sides when they hold The Ring. Most of the characterazation is fairly simple, not much development except with Frodo and Sam.
The extras are somewhat bare-bones. Most involve text screens giving information instead of featurettes.
Movie Review: Return of the King from a Different Perspective.
Summary: 4 Stars
The bad:
No Gimli or Legolas. Merry and Pippen look goofy. The Lord of the Nazgul has the voice of a sissy. Only a cameo for Aragorn
The good .
It does a very good job capturing Sam and Frodo's journey through Mordor in Book VI of Lord of the Rings/ Return of the King, IMHO this was done here even better than it was in the Peter Jackson movie. This is what makes this animated version worth seeing. It also covers some parts of the story that were not in the Peter Jackson film. Like Sam being tempted by the one ring and the one ring's power to cause fear to an enemy . John Huston is terrific as the voice of Gandalf. Roddy McDowell does a great Sam and Orson Bean is great as Frodo. The songs by Glen Yarborough work very well with the story. This version got good reviews when it first came out in the early 80's. and it is still worth seeing.
The best way to look at this version is not to dwell on its shortcomings but on what the film got right. And it got a lot right. Overall the cartoon is reasonably entertaining and if you are a Tolken fan then you ought to take a look at this underrated version.
Movie Review: Glad Rankin/Bass finished it and not Bakshi!
Summary: 4 Stars
Rankin/Bass had one hour and 30 minutes to fit a 450 page novel into a cartoon, and they did it a heck of a lot better than Bakshi would have done. While "The Return of the King" flows somewhat smoothly, Bakshi bumbled and fumbled his way through "The Fellowship of the Ring" and the first half of "The Two Towers", and he had over two and a half hours to do it in! Don't listen to the critics. The film is a reasonable attempt at the impossible. For those of you wanting closure from Bakhi's monstrosity, you'll definitely want to check this out.The DVD, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired. The "Special Features" consist of a two line biography on Tolkien and some worthless production notes. The quality also isn't that great - the picture has improved from the VHS version, but there are many instances when the sound will splutter or simply blank out altogether. Unless you're dying to watch the movie on your computer, the VHS is probably a better bet. Either way, Tolkien fans definitely have to check this one out!