Tolkien Gateway - User contributions [en]

The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest

2012-12-20T22:22:02Z

86.129.123.200: /* Reception */

{{video game infobox
| image=[[File:Aragorns_Quest_BoxArt.jpg|250px]]
| name=''The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest''
| developer=[[Headstrong Games]] (Wii), [[TT Fusion]] (other platforms)
| publisher=[[Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment]]
| platform=[[wikipedia:Nintendo DS|Nintendo DS]], [[wikipedia:PlayStation 2|PlayStation 2]], [[wikipedia:PlayStation 3|PlayStation 3]], [[wikipedia:PlayStation Portable|PlayStation Portable]], [[wikipedia:Wii|Wii]]
| releasedate=[[wikipedia:North America|NA]]: [[14 September|September 14]] [[2010]] [[wikipedia:Australasia|AU]]: [[6 October|October 6]] [[2010]] [[wikipedia:Europe|EU]]: [[29 October|October 29]] [[2010]]
| genre=Third-person, "hack and slash", action adventure
| modes=Single-player, two-player co-operative
| rating=[[wikipedia:Australian Classification Board|ACB]]: PG [[wikipedia:Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]]: E10+/T (PS3) [[wikipedia:Pan European Game Information|PEGI]]: 12+ [[wikipedia:Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle|USK]]: 12
| distribution=Physical}}'''''The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest''''' is a third-person, action adventure video game in which the player fights through [[Middle-earth]] as [[Aragorn]]. The game was developed for the Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 by [[TT Fusion]], and for the Wii by [[Headstrong Games]]. It was released on [[14 September|14]] [[September]], [[2010]].

''Aragorn's Quest'' is the first officially-licensed game to be released by [[Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment]], who took over the license from [[Electronic Arts]] to publish ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''-related games.

==Plot==
Set in the early [[Fourth Age]], 15 years after the destruction of [[the One Ring]] and downfall of [[Sauron]], [[Samwise Gamgee]] waits for the return of [[Aragorn]] to [[The Shire]] for a great party. As the [[Mayor of Michel Delving|Mayor]], Sam is in charge of arranging the festivities for King Elessar's arrival; in the mean-time, he regales his children with tales of Aragorn's exploits. (Cf. [[Aragorn]] and [[Arwen]] meeting [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]] at [[Brandywine Bridge]] in {{FoA|15}}.)
[[File:Aragorn's Quest - Sam and Frodo Gardner.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]] and [[Frodo Gardner|Frodo]] in [[The Shire]]|left]]
Sam's son, [[Frodo Gardner|Frodo Gamgee]], runs around [[Hobbiton]] completing tasks, whilst also re-living the Aragorn's adventures (as retold, not always perfectly accurately) by Sam.

==Gameplay==

The player controls [[Frodo Gardner|Frodo Gamgee]] in the hub world of [[the Shire]], where he can talk to people and perform simple tasks. When sitting down with his father, the player can control Aragorn in a fairy tale-like setting. Wii players can also control [[Gandalf]] as a second character.

Aragorn will wield a sword, a shield, a bow and spears, and can mount a horse.

===Controls===
The controls on the Wii have been compared with those of Nintendo's [[wikipedia:The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess]],<ref name="Kotaku Review"/><ref name="1UP Review"/> with the analogue-stick being using to control the on-screen character, with swiping of the Wii Remote up, down or to the side makes Aragorn perform similar on-screen actions; the D-pad switches weapon (to bow-and-arrow and flaming torch, for example), and the Z-button locks on, and C looks around. The controls for the PlayStation 3 - which only works with [[wikipedia:PlayStation Move|PlayStation Move]] - is much the same as those for the Wii.

The Nintendo DS version of the game uses rudimentary touch-screen controls (such as tracing a rune in order to open doors).<ref name="IGN Review" />
===Multiplayer===
[[File:Aragorn's Quest - Orcs.jpg|thumb|200px|right|[[Aragorn]] and [[Gandalf]] fighting [[orcs]]]]At any point (on the Wii and PlayStation 3), a second player can drop into the game as [[Gandalf]], and work co-operatively in order to complete the tasks. Gandalf wields his staff and can utilise powerful magic to defeat enemies, such as hitting enemies with lightning and shooting firebolts, as well as the ability to heal, and use his sword; Gandalf's magic is recharged with orbs from dead enemies.

When in [[The Shire]], a second player can also play as [[Elanor Gardner|Elanor]] (dressed as Gandalf) to help Frodo Gamgee complete the mini-quests in Hobbiton; the second player has the same magical abilities as Gandalf in the Aragorn quests.

==Characters==
===Playable===
* [[Frodo Gardner|Frodo Gamgee]]
* [[Aragorn]]
* [[Gandalf]] - by a second player
* [[Elanor Gardner|Elanor]] - by a second player

===Non-playable ===
* [[Arwen]]
* [[Bilbo Baggins]]
* [[Boromir]]
* [[Elrond]]
* [[Éomer]]
* [[Éowyn]]
* [[Frodo Baggins]]
* [[Gamling]]
* [[Gimli]]
* [[Legolas]]
* [[Merry Brandybuck]]
* [[Merry Gardner]]
* [[Pippin Gardner]]
* [[Pippin Took]]
* [[Rose Cotton]]
* [[Samwise Gamgee]]
* [[Théoden]]

===Cast===
Cast members are billed by name only; no roles are specified in the game's credits.
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
! Role !! Actor
|-
| [[Sean Astin]] || [[Samwise Gamgee]]<ref>[http://www.filmcrave.com FilmCrave], "[http://www.filmcrave.com/movie_news_story.php?id=23091 Samwise in The Hobbit? Sean Astin speaks about the rumors]", [[19 May|19]] [[May]] 2010 (accessed [[27 September|27]] [[September]] [[2010]])</ref>
|-
| [[John Rhys-Davies]] || [[Gimli]]<ref name="Joystiq">[http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq], "[http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/10/john-rhys-davies-sean-astin-sign-up-for-aragorns-quest/ John Rhys-Davies, Sean Astin sign up for Aragorn's Quest]", [[10 September|10]] September 2010 (accessed [[27 September|27]] [[September]] [[2010]])</ref>
|-
| [[Deborah Baker, Jr.]] || Unspecified<ref name="YouTubeCredits"/>
|-
| [[Steve Blum]] || Unspecified<ref name="YouTubeCredits">"[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZxeX7tYekQ Lord of the Rings Aragonr's Quest Walkthrough Black Gates pt 2 ]" (including game credits), [http://www.youtube.com YouTube] (accessed 23 March 2011)</ref>
|-
| [[Kieron Elliott]] || [[Pippin Took]]<ref>{{webcite|author=[[Kieron Elliott]]|articleurl=http://www.kieronelliott.net/Voice%20Over/|articlename=Voice Over|dated=|website=www.kieronelliott.net|accessed=12 February, 2012}}</ref>
|-
| [[Chris Edgerly]] || Unspecified<ref name="YouTubeCredits"/>
|-
| [[Elan Garfias]] || [[Pippin Gardner|Pippin Gamgee]]<ref>"[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2284098/resume Elan Garfias's resume]", [http://www.imdb.com IMDb] (accessed 23 March 2011)</ref>
|-
| [[Tom Kane]] || [[Gamling]]
|-
| [[Andy Pessoa]] || Unspecified<ref>"[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2185248/resume Andy Pessoa's resume]", [http://www.imdb.com IMDb] (accessed 23 March 2011)</ref>
|-
|}

Archive sounds from [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (film series)]] were used for many of the main characters. It is unclear whether [[Chris Edgerly]] provided additional lines for Aragorn as he did in previous games.

==Trailers==
Since the first announcement in May 2009, Warner Bros. have periodically released trailers (and one interview) demonstrating various aspects of the gameplay. All video links are to [[wikipedia:YouTube|YouTube]], and times are in minutes:

<table class="TGtable" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0 auto;"><tr><td style="background: #F2E6CE;">'''Video'''</td><td style="background: #F2E6CE;">'''Length'''</td><td style="background: #F2E6CE;">'''Release Date'''</td><td style="background: #F2E6CE;">'''Description'''</td></tr>

<tr><td>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQc22PRMNW4 Debut Trailer]</td><td>1:05</td><td>c. [[29 May|29]] [[May]] [[2009]]</td><td>Displays Sam's story-telling and Aragorn's fighting prowess</td></tr>

<tr><td>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjpicDWu76U Trailer #2]</td><td>1:17</td><td>[[14 December|14]] [[December]] [[2009]]</td><td>Gameplay and, for the first time, two-player co-operative</td></tr>

<tr><td>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0yb_4B-uh8 Overland Trailer]</td><td>5:12<td>[[18 June|18]] [[June]] [[2010]]</td><td>Lengthy gameplay sequences</td></tr>

<tr><td>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2cH9zz5AIo Vignette]</td><td>1:57</td><td>[[10 August|10]] [[August]] [[2010]]</td><td>Action sequences of the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]]</td></tr>

<tr><td>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sajrZ0Gcrvc Co-op Trailer]</td><td>1:24</td><td>c. [[26 August|26]] [[August]] [[2010]]</td><td>Co-op gameplay and tutorial, with controls</td></tr>

<tr><td>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5-OnjRgwOk Behind the Scenes]</td><td>2:09</td><td>[[10 September|10]] [[September]] [[2010]]</td><td>[[Sean Astin]] and [[John Rhys-Davies]] explain the game and their characters</td></tr>

<tr><td>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBnGp4tP5hk Launch Trailer]</td><td>1:26</td><td>[[14 September|14]] [[September]] [[2010]]</td><td>Generic clips of gameplay and enemies (with an [[Oliphaunt]] and the [[Durin's Bane|Balrog]])</td></tr></table>

==History and Development==
[[File:Aragorn's Quest - Troll3.jpg|thumb|200px|right|[[Aragorn]] fighting a [[troll|troll]]]]In [[May]] [[2009]], it was announced that [[Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment]] had taken over from [[Electronic Arts]] and entered into partnership with the [[Middle-earth Enterprises|Saul Zaentz Company]] and [[New Line Cinema]] (itself a subsidiary of [[Warner Bros.]]) to produce video games based on ''The Lord of the Rings'' [[The Lord of the Rings|books]] and [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|films]].<ref name="Voodoo">[http://ve3d.ign.com Voodoo Extreme], "[http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/47438/The-Lord-Of-The-Rings-Aragorns-Quest-Officially-Announced The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest Officially Announced]", [[28 May|28]] [[May]] [[2009]] (accessed [[28 September|28]] [[September]] [[2010]])</ref> The game's title was initially leaked at [[wikipedia:Electronic Entertainment Expo|Electronic Entertainment Expo]] (more commonly known as "E3"), before being confirmed a week later by Warner Bros., "''accessible gameplay set in a friendly, colorful rendition of Middle-Earth. Players assume the role of Strider and embark on his greatest quests from The Lord of the Rings trilogy.''"<ref name="Softpedia">[http://www.softpedia.com Softpedia], "[http://news.softpedia.com/news/Warner-Bros-Has-Long-Term-Plans-for-Lord-of-the-Rings-113001.shtml Warner Bros. Has Long Term Plans for Lord of the Rings]", [[1 June|1]] [[June]] [[2009]] (accessed [[27 September|27]] [[September]] [[2010]])</ref> The press release promised a more family-friendly experience in which the player relives [[Aragorn]]'s adventures, as retold by [[Mayor of Michel Delving|Mayor]] [[Samwise Gamgee]], available on the Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable in the Fall 2009.<ref name="Shack News">[http://www.shacknews.com/ Shack News], "[http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/58718 The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest Revealed]", [[20 May|20]] [[May]] [[2009]] (accessed [[27 September|27]] [[September]] [[2010]])</ref> Kotaku were luke-warm to the announcement of "''a kids' game''".<ref name="Kotaku kids">[http://www.kotaku.com Kotaku], "[http://kotaku.com/5263517/the-first-non+ea-lord-of-the-rings-game-isa-kids-game The First Non-EA Lord Of The Rings Game Is...A Kids Game]", [[20 May|20]] [[May]] [[2009]] (accessed [[28 September|28]] [[September]] [[2010]])</ref>

{{blockquote|The Lord of the Rings franchise is world renowned for its captivating adventures, and we are creating new experiences in the game space designed to appeal to a wide array of consumer tastes from core to casual... The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest is the first of many different types of games we will be developing with the film and literary rights. It is also the first game allowing kids and their families to interact in their favorite locations and stories from The Lord of the Rings with accessible gameplay.|Martin Tremblay, President of [[Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment]]<ref name="IGN Announce">[http://www.ign.com IGN], "[http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/987/987602p1.html Warner Bros. Announces Lord of the Rings Game Franchise Partnership]", [[28 May|28]] [[May]] [[2009]] (accessed [[27 September|27]] [[September]] [[2010]])</ref>}}

In August 2009, Warner Bros. announced that ''Aragorn's Quest'' had been delayed until Spring 2010, but no reason was given for the delay.<ref name="Shacknews Delay">[http://www.shacknews.com Shacknews], "[http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/59936 The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest Delayed]", [[11 August|11]] [[August]] [[2009]] (accessed [[28 September|28]] [[September]] [[2010]])</ref><ref name="Kotaku Delay">[http://www.kotaku.com Kotaku], "[http://kotaku.com/5335571/another-game-delayed-to-spring-this-time-lord-of-the-rings Another Game Delayed To Spring, This Time Lord Of The Rings]", [[12 August|12]] [[August]] [[2009]] (accessed [[28 September|28]] [[September]] [[2010]])</ref> Come Spring 2010, however, no release date had been announced; on [[10 March|10]] [[March]] 2010 Warner Bros. informed [http://www.kotaku.com Kotaku] that ''Aragorn's Quest'' would be ported to the PlayStation 3, supporting PlayStation Move. Kotaku speculated that this why the game was being delayed, again, until Fall 2010. <ref name="Kotaku PS3">[http://www.kotaku.com Kotaku], "[http://kotaku.com/5490658/playstation-move-gets-its-first-wii-port PlayStation Move Gets Its First Wii Port]", [[10 May|10]] [[May]] 2010 (accessed [[28 September|28]] [[September]] [[2010]])</ref>

==Reception==
{{VG reviews
| agg1=[http://www.gamerankings.com/ GameRankings]
| agg1score=59.75%<ref name="GameRankings">[http://www.gamerankings.com/ GameRankings], "[http://www.gamerankings.com/wii/960403-the-lord-of-the-rings-aragorns-quest/index.html The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest]" (accessed [[25 November|25]] [[November]] [[2010]])</ref>
| agg2=[http://www.metacritic.com Metacritic]
| agg2score=56% <ref name="Metacritic">[http://www.metacritic.com Metacritic], "[http://www.metacritic.com/game/wii/the-lord-of-the-rings-aragorns-quest The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest] (accessed [[25 November|25]] [[November]] [[2010]])</ref>
| rev1=[http://www.1up.com 1UP]
| rev1score=C+ <ref name="1UP Review" />
| rev2=[http://www.aeropause.com Aeropause]
| rev2score=6.0 <ref name="Aeropause Review">[http://www.aeropause.com Aeropause], "[http://www.aeropause.com/2010/09/review-the-lord-of-the-rings-aragorns-quest-wii/ Review: The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest (Wii)], [[16 September|16]] [[September]] [[2010]]</ref>
| rev3=[http://reviews.cnet.com CNET]
| rev3score=7.0 <ref name="CNET Review" />
| rev4=[http://www.next-gen.biz Edge]
| rev4score=5.0 <ref name="Edge Review">[http://www.next-gen.biz Edge] "[http://www.next-gen.biz/features/the-lord-of-the-rings-aragorns-quest-review The Lord Of The Rings: Aragorn's Quest Review]", [[30 September|30]] [[September]] 2010 (accessed [[4 October|4]] [[October]] [[2010]])</ref>
| rev5=[http://www.gamerevolution.com GameRevolution]
| rev5score=C- <ref name="GameRevolution Review">[http://www.gamerevolution.com GameRevolution], "[http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/wii/lotr-aragorns-quest The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest Review for the Wii]", [[28 September|28]] September 2010 (accessed [[29 September|29]] [[September]] [[2010]]</ref>
| rev6=[http://www.gamespot.com GameSpot]
| rev6score=7.0 <ref name="GameSpot Review" />
| rev7=[http://www.gametrailers.com GameTrailers]
| rev7score=6.1 <ref name="GameTrailers Review" />
| rev8=[http://wii.gamezone.com GameZone]
| rev8score=4.5 <ref name="GameZone Review">[http://wii.gamezone.com GameZone], "[http://wii.gamezone.com/reviews/item/the_lord_of_the_rings_aragorns_quest_review/ The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest review], [[6 October|6]] October 2010 (accessed 25 November 2010)</ref>
| rev9=[http://www.ign.com IGN]
| rev9score=7.0 <ref name="IGN Review" />
| rev10=[http://www.nintendopower.com/ Nintendo Power]
| rev10score=55% <ref name="Nintendo Power Review">[http://www.nintendopower.com/ Nintendo Power], issue 260, [[November]] [[2010]], p. 88</ref>
| rev11=[http://www.nintendoworldreport.com Nintendo World Report]
| rev11score=5.0 <ref name="NWR Review">[http://www.nintendoworldreport.com Nintendo World Report], "[http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/24195 Review - Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest]", [[2 October|2]] October 2010 (accessed [[4 October|4]] [[October]] [[2010]])</ref>
| rev12=[http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/ Official Nintendo Magazine]
| rev12score=58% <ref name="ONM Review">[http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/ Official Nintendo Magazine], issue 62, [[December]] [[2010]], pp. 80-1</ref>
| rev13=[http://worthplaying.com Worthplaying]
| rev13score=7.0 <ref name="Worthplaying Review">[http://worthplaying.com Worthplaying], "[http://worthplaying.com/article/2010/9/30/reviews/77222/Wii Review - 'The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest']", [[30 September|30]] [[September]] 2010 (accessed [[4 October|4]] [[October]] [[2010]])</ref>
}}''The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest'' has received generally mixed reviews, with reviewers praising the sound quality and accessibility, but ultimately believing that the easiness of the game and the visuals hold it back from achieving the sort of sword-fighting ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' game that many would like to see. There is a general feeling amongst reviewers that ''Aragorn's Quest'' was an opportunity missed to make a truly great ''The Lord of the Rings'' action adventure hack and slash game.

[http://www.1up.com 1UP] compared the controls of ''Aragorn's Quest'' to [[wikipedia:Nintendo|Nintendo]]'s [[wikipedia:The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|Twilight Princess]], praising the varied gameplay and the game's accessibility, but complaining that the game's side-quests were too repetitive, the [[wikipedia:Wii|Wii]] controls were too simplistic and "''a bit iffy''", with the experience of the two-player co-op mode being ruined by lag.<ref name="1UP Review">[http://www.1up.com 1UP], "[http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3181508 The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest Review (Wii)]", [[21 September|21]] September 2010 (accessed [[27 September|27]] [[September]] [[2010]])</ref> Similarly, [http://www.gametrailers.com GameTrailers] said "''The bottom line is that combat is not fun, and enemies are typically a cakewalk.''" and that the Wii controls were a nuisance, as was the lack of camera control; they also thought that the voice acting was "''awkward''" (although the soundtrack "''fits right in''") and that the game looks "''drab''".<ref name="GameTrailers Review">[http://www.gametrailers.com GameTrailers], "[http://www.gametrailers.com/gamereview.php?id=11382 The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest Review], ''unknown date'' (accessed [[27 September|27]] [[September]] [[2010]])</ref>

{{blockquote|the greatest strength of Aragorn's Quest comes not from its diverting but unspectacular combat, but the way it so accurately captures the atmosphere of the locations in the films and the resulting pleasure that comes from adventuring in these memorable Middle-earth locales.|[http://uk.gamespot.com/wii/adventure/lordoftheringsaragornsquest/review.html GameSpot Review]}}

[[File:Aragorn's Quest - Edoras.jpg|thumb|left|200px|An array of characters]]However, [http://www.gamespot.com GameSpot], in a more positive review, said, "''The environments impress with their variety, attention to detail, and the way they so faithfully reflect the visual style of the films.''" but that ''Aragorn's Quest'' lacks challenge, with the Wii controls being "''imprecise''"; they wish that more attention-to-detail had been paid to enemies.<ref name="GameSpot Review">[http://www.gamespot.com GameSpot], "[http://uk.gamespot.com/wii/adventure/lordoftheringsaragornsquest/review.html The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest Review]", [[17 September|17]] September 2010 (accessed [[27 September|27]] [[September]] [[2010]])</ref> [http://www.ign.com IGN] thought the Wii version was far superior to the PlayStation 3 version of the game, but still suggested this was a game for just [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] aficionados as only they would be able to overlook the game's flaws; IGN also complained about the mixed visual style, but loved reliving moments from [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|the films]].<ref name="IGN Review">[http://www.ign.com IGN] "[http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/112/1122359p1.html The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest Review]", [[20 September|20]] September 2010 (accessed [[27 September|27]] [[September]] [[2010]])</ref>

[http://reviews.cnet.com CNET] describes the storytelling as "''charming''"; they also found the motion-controls on the Wii "''frustrating''" but felt it didn't matter because defeating the "''very easy''" enemies was still "''satisfying''". CNET also said the ending of the game was an "''anti-climax''", but praised the environments: "''The environments impress with their variety, attention to detail, and the way they so faithfully reflect the visual style of the films.''<ref name="CNET Review">[http://reviews.cnet.com CNET], "[http://reviews.cnet.com/wii-games/the-lord-of-the/4505-9993_7-33667269.html#reviewPage1 The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest (Wii) - GameSpot editors' review]", [[16 September|16]] September 2010 (accessed [[29 September|29]] [[September]] [[2010]])</ref> Finally, [http://www.kotaku.com Kotaku] loved the game's film-based adventure, "''attractive''" visuals, variety of characters and film-based soundtrack, but absolutely hated the easiness of the game, claiming that one person could play the two-player co-op mode.<ref name="Kotaku Review">[http://www.kotaku.com Kotaku], "[http://kotaku.com/5642722/the-lord-of-the-rings-aragorns-quest-review-saurons-a-chump The Lord of The Rings: Aragorn's Quest Review: Sauron's A Chump]", [[20 September|20]] September 2010 (accessed [[27 September|27]] [[September]] [[2010]])</ref>

'''In Short:''' reviewers enjoyed the graphical style and musical score, faithfully recreating the feel and atmosphere of the films (although some thought the mixed style was confused, and some thought the attention-to-detail was inconsistent), but felt that the Wii controls were frustratingly inaccurate and that enemies were far too easy. Though aimed primarily at families and younger gamers, reviewers were keen to point out that anyone could enjoy it, but it would appeal primarily film-fans who would be able to over-look the game's faults.

==See Also==
* [[:Category:Images from The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest|Images from The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest]], for an extensive gallery of screenshots
* ''[[The Lord of the Rings: War in the North]]'', another game from [[Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment|Warner Bros.]], released in [[2011]]
* ''[[The Lord of the Rings: Middle-Earth Defense]]'', a forth-coming tower-defence game for the [[wikipedia:iPhone|iPhone]] and [[wikipedia:iPod Touch|iPod Touch]]

==External Links==
* '''[http://www.aragornsquest.com/ Official website]'''
{{references}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest}}
{{title|italics}}
[[Category:Action games]]
[[Category:Adventure games]]
[[Category:Nintendo DS games]]
[[Category:PlayStation 2 games]]
[[Category:PlayStation 3 games]]
[[Category:PlayStation Portable games]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. Interactive games]]
[[Category:Wii games]]

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

2012-12-20T21:28:24Z

86.129.123.200: correction

{{cleanup}}
{{disambig-more|The Return of the King|[[The Return of the King (disambiguation)]]}}{{film infobox
| image=[[Image:Peter Jackson's The Return of the King - Poster.jpg|250px]]
| name=The Return of the King
| director=[[Peter Jackson]]
| producer=Peter Jackson Barrie M. Osborne [[Fran Walsh]]
| writer='''Novel:''' [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] '''Screenplay:''' [[Fran Walsh]] [[Philippa Boyens]] Peter Jackson
| narrator=
| starring= see below
| music=[[Howard Shore]]
| cinematography=Andrew Lesnie
| editing=Michael J. Horton
| distributor=[[New Line Cinema]]
| released=[[17 December|December 17]], [[2003]]
| runtime='''Theatrical:''' 200 min. '''Extended Edition:''' 252min.
| country=New Zealand & USA
| language=English
| budget= $94 million
| website=[http://www.lordoftherings.net Official website]
| imdb_id=0120737
}}'''''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King''''' is the third part of [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (film series)]], based on [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.

The film premiered in [[Wellington]], [[New Zealand]], on December 1 2003, was attended by the director and many of the stars. Further premieres took place in major cities around the world in the days leading up to the film's worldwide theatrical release on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 with a runtime of 200 minutes (that is, 3 hours and 20 minutes).

Globally, The Return of the King became the second film ever to pass the $1 billion mark at the box office. In 2004 the film won 11 Academy Awards, equalling the record shared by ''Ben-Hur'' and ''Titanic''.

The first two films were ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring|The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers|The Two Towers]]'', although the film's story contains events in the later sections of ''[[The Two Towers]]'' as well as most of ''[[The Return of the King]]''.

==Plot==
{{Stub}}

==Scenes==
# [[The Finding of the Ring]] **
# [[Journey to the Cross-roads]]
# [[The Road to Isengard (scene)|The Road to Isengard]] **
# [[The Voice of Saruman (scene)|The Voice of Saruman]] *
# [[Return to Edoras]] **
# [[Gollum's Villainy]]
# [[Éowyn's Dream]] *
# [[The Palantír (scene)|The Palantír]] **
# [[Arwen's Vision]]
# [[The Reforging of Narsil]]
# [[Minas Tirith (scene)|Minas Tirith]] **
# [[The Decline of Gondor]] *
# [[Cross-roads of the Fallen King]] *
# [["The Deep Breath Before the Plunge"]] **
# [[Minas Morgul (scene)|Minas Morgul]]
# [[Sam's Warning]] *
# [[Pippin's Task]]
# [[Osgiliath Invaded]] **
# [[The Lighting of the Beacons]]
# [[Théoden's Decision]] **
# [[The Fall of Osgiliath]] **
# [[The Wizard's Pupil]] *
# [[The Stairs of Cirith Ungol (scene)|The Stairs of Cirith Ungol]]
# [["Courage Is the Best Defense"]]
# [[Peregrin of the Tower Guard]] *
# [[Allegiance to Denethor]]
# [[The Parting of Sam and Frodo]]
# [[The Sacrifice of Faramir]] **
# [[Marshalling at Dunharrow]] **
# [[Andúril - Flame of the West]]
# [[Aragorn Takes the Paths of the Dead]] **
# [["No More Despair"]]
# [[Dwimorberg - The Haunted Mountain]] **
# [[The Muster of Rohan (scene)|The Muster of Rohan]]
# [[The Paths of the Dead]] **
# [[The Siege of Gondor (scene)|The Siege of Gondor]] **
# [[The Corsairs of Umbar]] *
# [[Shelob's Lair (scene)|Shelob's Lair]]
# [[Merry's Simple Courage]] *
# [[Grond - The Hammer of the Underworld]]
# [[The Tombs of the Stewards]] **
# [[Breaking the Gate of Gondor]]
# [[The Choices of Master Samwise (scene)|The Choices of Master Samwise]]
# [[Denethor's Madness]]
# [[The Witch King's Hour]] *
# [[The Ride of the Rohirrim (scene)|The Ride of the Rohirrim]]
# [[The Pyre of Denethor (scene)|The Pyre of Denethor]] **
# [[The Battle of the Pelennor Fields (scene)|The Battle of the Pelennor Fields]] **
# [["A Far Green Country"]]
# [[The Nazgûl and His Prey]]
# [[The Black Ships]]
# [[Shieldmaiden of Rohan]]
# [[Victory at Minas Tirith]] **
# [[The Passing of Théoden]]
# [[Oaths Fulfilled]]
# [[The Houses of Healing (scene)|The Houses of Healing]] *
# [[Pippin Looks After Merry]] **
# [[The Tower of Cirith Ungol (scene)|The Tower of Cirith Ungol]] **
# [[The Last Debate (scene)|The Last Debate]] **
# [[Aragorn Masters the Palantír]] *
# [[The Captain and the White Lady]] *
# [[In the Company of Orcs]] *
# [[The Land of Shadow (scene)|The Land of Shadow]] **
# [[The Mouth of Sauron (scene)|The Mouth of Sauron]] *
# [[The Black Gate Opens (scene)|The Black Gate Opens]]
# [["I Can't Carry It for You... but I Can Carry You."]]
# [[The Last Move]]
# [[Mount Doom (scene)|Mount Doom]] **
# [["The Eagles are Coming!"]]
# [[The Crack of Doom]]
# [[Sauron Defeated (scene)|Sauron Defeated]]
# [[The End of All Things]]
# [[The Fellowship Reunited]]
# [[The Return of the King (scene)|The Return of the King]]
# [[Homeward Bound (scene)|Homeward Bound]]
# [[The Grey Havens (scene)|The Grey Havens]]
# Credits
# Official Fan Club Credits *

<nowiki> *</nowiki> denotes a scene only available in the Extended Edition cut of the film.

<nowiki> **</nowiki> denotes a scene which includes extended content only available in the Extended Edition cut of the film.

==Cast==
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
! Actor !! Role
|-
| [[Jane Abbott]] || Woman at coronation
|-
| [[Gino Acevedo]] || Corsair
|-
| [[Noel Appleby]] || [[Everard Proudfoot]]
|-
| [[Alexandra Astin]] || [[Elanor Gamgee]]
|-
| [[Sean Astin]] || [[Samwise Gamgee]]
|-
| [[David Aston]] || Gondorian Soldier #3
|-
| [[John Bach]] || [[Madril]]
|-
| [[Sala Baker]] || [[Sauron]]/Stunt extra
|-
| [[Sean Bean]] || [[Boromir]]
|-
| [[Jarl Benzon]] || [[Glorfindel]]
|-
| [[Jørn Benzon]] || Stunt extra
|-
| [[Cate Blanchett]] || [[Galadriel]]
|-
| [[Orlando Bloom]] || [[Legolas]]
|-
| [[Billy Boyd]] || [[Peregrin Took]]
|-
| [[Ian Brodie]] || Gondorian
|-
| [[Jed Brophy]] || Stunt extra
|-
| [[Sadwyn Brophy]] || [[Eldarion]]
|-
| [[Alistair Browning]] || [[Damrod]]
|-
| [[Marton Csokas]] || [[Celeborn]]
|-
| [[Emma Deakin]] || [[Diamond of Long Cleeve]]
|-
| [[Brad Dourif]] || [[Gríma|Gríma Wormtongue]] (Extended edition only)
|-
| [[Ross Duncan]] || Stunt extra
|-
| [[Richard Edge]] || Gondorian Soldier #1
|-
| [[Michael Elsworth]] || [[Cirdan]]
|-
| [[Jason Fitch]] || Uruk #2
|-
| [[Sean Fitzpatrick]] || Stunt extra
|-
| [[Michael Fowler]] || Gondorian, Orc
|-
| [[Lee Hartley]] || Stunt extra
|-
| [[Bernard Hill]] || [[Théoden]]
|-
| [[Ian Holm]] || [[Bilbo Baggins]]
|-
| [[Bruce Hopkins]] || [[Gamling]]
|-
| [[Alan Howard]] || [[The One Ring|The Ring]] (voice)
|-
| [[Ian Hughes]] || [[Irolas]]
|-
| [[Billy Jackson]] || Child
|-
| [[Katie Jackson]] || Child
|-
| [[Peter Jackson]] || Corsair
|-
| [[Andrew Lesnie]] || Corsair
|-
| [[Lawrence Makoare]] || [[Witch-king]] of [[Angmar]], [[Gothmog, Lieutenant of Morgul|Gothmog]]
|-
| [[Ian McKellen]] || [[Gandalf|Gandalf the White]]
|-
| [[Bret McKenzie]] || [[Figwit|Elf escort]]
|-
| [[Sarah McLeod]] || [[Rose Cotton|Rosie Cotton]]
|-
| [[Maisy McLeod-Riera]] || [[Frodo Gamgee|Baby Gamgee]]
|-
| [[Christopher Lee]] || [[Saruman|Saruman the White]] (Extended edition only)
|-
| [[Brian Massey]] || Soldier at Coronation
|-
| [[Dominic Monaghan]] || [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]]
|-
| [[Viggo Mortensen]] || [[Aragorn]]
|-
| [[Justin Nicholls]] || [[Gondorian Ranger]]
|-
| [[John Noble]] || [[Denethor]]
|-
| [[Paul Norell]] || [[King of the Dead]]
|-
| [[Miranda Otto]] || [[Éowyn]]
|-
| [[Craig Parker]] || [[Gothmog, Lieutenant of Morgul|Gothmog]] (voice), Orc Lieutenant (voice)
|-
| [[Bruce Phillips]] || [[Grimbold]]
|-
| [[Robert Pollock]] || Stunt extra
|-
| [[Rick Porras]] || Osgiliath soldier/Corsair
|-
| [[Shane Rangi]] || Harad Leader #2
|-
| [[John Rhys-Davies]] || [[Gimli]], [[Treebeard]] (voice)
|-
| [[Todd Rippon]] || Harad Leader #1
|-
| [[Christian Rivers]] || Beacon guard
|-
| [[Thomas Robins]] || [[Deagol]]
|-
| [[Michael Semanick]] || Man of Rohan
|-
| [[Andy Serkis]] || [[Gollum]], [[Witch-king]] of [[Angmar]] (voice)
|-
| [[Howard Shore]] || Man of Rohan
|-
| [[Harry Sinclair]] || [[Isildur]]
|-
| [[Pete Smith]] || Stunt extra
|-
| [[Bruce Spence]] || [[The Mouth of Sauron]] (Extended edition only)
|-
| [[Peter Tait]] || [[Shagrat]]/Corsair Captain
|-
| [[Richard Taylor]] || Corsair
|-
| [[Joel Tobeck]] || Orc Lieutenant #1
|-
| [[Royd Tolkien]] || Ranger
|-
| [[Liv Tyler]] || [[Arwen]]
|-
| [[Karl Urban]] || [[Éomer]]
|-
| [[Stephen Ure]] || [[Gorbag]]
|-
| [[Hugo Weaving]] || [[Elrond]]
|-
| [[David Wenham]] || [[Faramir]]
|-
| [[Elijah Wood]] || [[Frodo Baggins]]
|}

==Awards==
On January 27, 2004, the film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score ([[Howard Shore]]), and Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Make-up, Best Music (Song), Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects; however, none of the ensemble cast received any acting nominations. On February 29, the film won all eleven Academy Awards, winning in every category for which it was nominated. It tied with ''Ben-Hur'' and ''Titanic'' for the most Oscars ever won by a single film, and broke the previous record for a sweep set by ''Gigi'' and ''The Last Emperor''. The film was the first of the fantasy genre to win the Best Picture award. The film's win was also only the second time a sequel had won the Best Picture category (the first being ''The Godfather, Part II''). It could be argued that it is in fact the third sequel to win Best Picture, as The Silence of the Lambs was based on characters appearing in Manhunter. In the opinion of some critics, however, this accolade was not just for the merits of the individual film, but more a reward for the trilogy as a whole.

The film won also four Golden Globes, two MTV Movie Awards, two Grammy Awards, nine Saturn Awards and the Hugo Award.

==Synopsis==

As confirmed in the feature on [[Gollum]] in the Extended DVD Edition of ''The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'', [[Andy Serkis]] appears in person in a flashback scene playing Sméagol before his degradation into [[Gollum]]. This scene was actually held over from the previous film because it was felt that it would have a greater emotional impact if audiences had already seen what the Ring's influence had done to Sméagol. In his degraded state Gollum is "played" in the movies by a CGI character whose movements are sometimes derived from a motion-capture suit worn by Serkis, and sometimes from footage of Serkis interacting with the other actors and then digitally replaced by Gollum.

The city of [[Minas Tirith]], glimpsed briefly in ''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'', is seen in all its glory. The filmmakers have taken great care to base the city closely upon Tolkien's description in ''The Return of the King'', Book V, Chapter 1. Close-ups of the city are represented by sets and long shots by a large and highly-detailed model, often populated by CGI characters.

This film contains key scenes that occurred in the middle portion of the novel ''The Lord of the Rings'' but were not included in the film ''The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers''. These include the scene in which the monstrous [[Shelob]] attacks Frodo and is wounded by Sam.

Other key events include the Siege of [[Gondor]]; the re-forging of the shards of [[Narsil]] into Aragorn's new sword [[Andúril]]; [[Aragorn]], [[Gimli]] and [[Legolas]]' journey through the [[Paths of the Dead]]; the epic [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]], and the charge of the [[mûmakil]] (everything being carefully choreographed in advance, a process Jackson describes as like planning a real battle); [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Éowyn]]'s role in the defeat of the Lord of the Nazgûl; the destruction of [[the One Ring]] and the final fall of [[Sauron]]; Aragorn's assumption of the throne; and the departure of several of the heroes to the [[Undying Lands]].

''The Lord of the Rings'' movie trilogy is highly unusual in that it is to date the only movie series whose separate installments were written simultaneously and shot all at once, so that it could be considered three parts of a single very long film. This ensured that all three movies were consistent in terms of story, acting, effects, and direction.

==Plot==

The Lord of the Rings; The Return of the King picks up the story from the end of [[The Two Towers]]. The film begins with a flashback sequence, wherein we discover how the character [[Gollum]] first came across [[the One Ring]]. As this sequence ends, we find [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]], [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]] and [[Gollum]] approaching the mountains of [[Mordor]], with [[Mount Doom]]'s eruptions disturbingly close.

The plot then switches back to [[Isengard]]. [[Gandalf]], [[Aragorn]], [[Legolas]], [[Gimli]] and [[Théoden]], the victors of the [[Battle of the Hornburg]], there confront the traitorous wizard, [[Saruman]]. They are informed by [[Saruman]] that [[Sauron]] is readying his forces for a final strike. Before he can give them more information, he is attacked by his servant [[Gríma|Wormtongue]]. He is fatally stabbed in the back, and plummets from [[Orthanc]]'s top to be impaled on one of his machines, dropping from his sleeve a [[Palantíri|palantir]], which [[Gandalf]] retrieves.

That night, after a post-battle party in [[Edoras]], [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]], fascinated by the seeing stone, takes it from [[Gandalf]], ignoring [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]]'s urgings to leave it alone. Whilst gazing into the crystal ball, [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] is spied by [[Sauron]] and through a psychic link, the [[Dark Lord]] attempts to interrogate the hobbit. Barely able to resist the Eye's power, [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] is nearly broken into submission, but [[Gandalf]] and [[Aragorn]] wrest it from his tortured fingers. [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] is left deeply shaken, but lives.

Gandalf is now certain that Sauron will come after Pippin, thinking he has the ring. Gandalf knows that Sauron is also preparing to attack Minas Tirith, capital city of Gondor, and rides there with Pippin to alert the city's ruler, Lord Steward Denethor. Still mourning over the death of the son Boromir, Denethor refuses to accept Gandalf's offer of help from Rohan.

At the same time, Frodo and Sam, led by Gollum reach the gates of [[Minas Morgul]], the main gateway into Mordor. As they are about to climb the stairs to the caves of Cirith Ungol, a powerful beam erupts from Minas Morgul, and a huge army of Orcs begins marching out to attack Minas Tirith, accompanied by the Witch King of Angmar, one of the Nazgul.

Gandalf and Pippin spot the beam in the distance, and light the beacons at Amon Din to alert nearby kingdoms including Rohan. Aragorn spots the beacon near Edoras and convinces Theoden to gather the Rohirrim cavalry and prepare for war...

==Cuts and alterations==

According to British newspaper reports appearing on November 13, 2003, [[Christopher Lee]] was unhappy to learn that a seven-minute scene featuring a confrontation at [[Isengard]] in which [[Gandalf]] casts [[Saruman]] out of the order of [[Wizards]], would ''not'' be appearing in the finished film, and he decided to boycott the premiere as a result. [[Peter Jackson]] confirmed that this scene, although not in the theatrical release, would be included in the extended VHS and DVD editions. These were released on December 10 2004 in the UK and December 14 in the U.S., with an expanded length of 250 minutes (4 hours, 10 minutes) (slightly shorter in PAL versions). The final ten minutes of the extended DVD comprises a listing of the names of the charter members of the official fan club.

[[Christopher Lee]] apparently reconciled his differences with Peter Jackson because he appears on the behind-the-scenes documentaries and Cast Commentary on the extended DVDs.

The release of the theatrical edition had originally been scheduled for worldwide release in late August but actually appeared on May 25. The early release of the standard edition had led some fans to hope that the extended edition might be released as early as August, but the release was actually put back from mid-November, presumably because of the amount of work involved in preparing the extra footage and bonus material.

Other rumours suggested that the extended DVD might be a five or six-disc set, with the movie occupying three discs rather than two, and that the extended cut might be as long as ''six hours''. In January 2004, [[Peter Jackson]] indicated that the then recently completed extended edition is actually four hours and ten minutes long. He mentioned the inclusion of the "Mouth of Sauron" scene, as well as [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] and [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]] running with the Mordor orcs. He also stated that not all of the unused footage shot for the movie would necessarily appear in the extended cut. (In the Director and Writers' Commentary on the extended DVD edition he jokes about including some scenes in a 25th Anniversary edition, provided he is not too senile to remember by then.)

The extended DVD is actually a 4-disc set like its predecessors, with the movie and commentaries occupying Discs 1 and 2 and the behind-the-scenes material on discs 3 and 4. A Collectors' Box Set was also released, which also included a sculpture of [[Minas Tirith]] and a bonus 50-minute music documentary DVD, ''Howard Shore: Creating The '' Lord of the Rings ''Symphony: A Composer's Journey Through Middle-earth''.

Fans also hoped that the extended discs would feature deleted scenes and outtakes, but none are included except for a few in the behind-the-scenes documentaries. There are further rumours of an even more spectacular Lord of the Rings Trilogy box set in the future, and Jackson has half-seriously mentioned the possibility of re-editing the trilogy into a TV miniseries, along the lines of the ''Godfather'' movies.

A sequence that did not make it from the book into the film at all despite the hopes of many fans, was the "[[Scouring of the Shire]]", in which the [[Hobbits]] return home at the end of their quest to find they have some fighting to do, owing to Saruman's takeover of [[the Shire]]. Jackson felt that it would tax the audience's patience to mount another battle scene after the critical conflict, the defeat of [[Sauron]], had already been resolved.

In the book, the fall of [[Saruman]] takes place at the end of the scouring, but in the film's theatrical release Saruman is left trapped in the tower of [[Orthanc]] by the Ents. In the extended edition Saruman appears on the roof of Orthanc bearing a Palantír and taunts Gandalf and his company with hints of a darkness in the heart of Middle-earth which will destroy them. (This is apparently a reference to Denethor's madness.) [[Saruman]] is finally stabbed by [[Gríma|Gríma Wormtongue]] (which in the book occurs at the end of the Scouring of the Shire) and Gríma is shot by [[Legolas]] (in the book he is shot by a Hobbit). [[Saruman]] falls from the tower and is impaled on a wooden stake projecting from a mill-wheel. (This is an homage to Lee's ''Dracula'' movies; Peter Jackson wanted to be the last director to drive a stake through his heart.) The Palantír then falls into the water where it is found by [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]]. In the theatrical version there is no explanation as to how the Palantír fell into the water. In the book Gríma simply throws the Palantír at the company, not realising its value.

Fans hoped that several other key scenes from the book would be included in the extended cut, although inevitably not all of them were:

*'''Book:''' [[Théoden]] meets [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] and calls them ''holbytlan'', suggesting that the word ''hobbit'' is derived from [[Rohirric]]; Pippin comments that the King of Rohan is "A fine old fellow. Very polite." [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] promises to tell him more about [[pipe-weed]]; the relationships of [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] with [[Théoden]] and [[Denethor|Denethor II]] are more significant in the books. '''Movie:''' Just adds a scene where [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] pledges his allegiance to [[Théoden]].

*'''Book:''' On the way to the Morgul Vale, [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]], [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]] and [[Gollum]] pass through the Crossroads, where there is a giant statue of a seated king with his head laying on the ground nearby, "crowned" anew with flowers that have grown there, an image of hope amidst destruction. '''Movie:''' Included without alteration.

*'''Book''': The [[Witch-king]] enters Minas Tirith when its gate is breached and challenges [[Gandalf]] to fight, but as a cock crows the horns of the Rohirrim announce their arrival and the Witch-king is forced to return to meet their assault. In the book this takes place at the gate of Minas Tirith. '''Movie:''' When the gate is breached trolls and orcs enter the city. Shortly afterwards, the Witch-king, riding his Fell Beast, intercepts [[Gandalf]] and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]], on [[Shadowfax]], who are racing from the gate to the Citadel (at the summit of the city) to save [[Faramir]] from being burned alive by [[Denethor]]. The witch-king holds up his sword, which erupts into flame; Gandalf is then thrown off his horse as his staff breaks, presumably because of the witch-king's power. The arrival of the Rohirrim is announced by their horns, but there is no sound of a cock crowing first (despite the fact that Tolkien described this as one of his favourite images).

*'''Book:''' The Rohirrim bypass the main road to [[Gondor]] by negotiating with the Wild Men of Drúadan Forest for passage through their woods. '''Movie:''' There is no mention of the Wild Men or of Drúadan Forest; the Rohirrim just ride all night.

*'''Book:''' In the Pyre of Denthor scene it is revealed that Denethor has a [[Palantíri|palantír]], usually kept in a secret room at the top of the White Tower of Ecthelion, which he has been using to obtain strategic information for the defence of [[Gondor]]. But [[Sauron]] has infiltrated the palantír and used it to show [[Denethor]] a vision of the Black Ships. The vision is true as far as it goes, but [[Denethor]] does not realise the ships have been taken over by [[Aragorn]]'s army. '''Movie:''' Not included, but there is a scene after the Battle of Pelennor Fields, where [[Aragorn]] finds a Palantir in [[Denethor]]'s cloak in the throne room and reveals himself to Sauron (see below). The implication that this is the cause of Denethor's madness is left to viewers with knowledge of the book. Denethor, in the theatrical cut, does cryptically say that "the eyes of the White Tower are not blind", and he ''implies'' that he has a Seeing-stone, which someone that read the book might understand but would be lost on a movie-only audience. It is also possible, however, that the [[Palantíri|Palantír]] [[Aragorn]] used was the stone of Orthanc, and [[Denethor]]'s seeing-stone was completely cut out of the films.

*'''Book''': [[Éomer]] grieves over the deaths of [[Éowyn]] and [[Théoden]] after the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]]. '''Movie:''' We see [[Éomer]]'s shock at his sister's apparent death, and his attempts to nurse her back to health with the aid of [[Aragorn]].

*'''Book:''' [[Aragorn]] cures [[Éowyn]], [[Faramir]], and [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] in the House of Healing. '''Movie:''' His healing of [[Faramir]] and [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] is not included, although the healing of [[Faramir]] was reportedly filmed.

*'''Book:''' [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]] must use the Phial of [[Galadriel]] to get past the Silent Watchers of [[Cirith Ungol]]. '''Movie:''' Although the Silent Watchers briefly appear on screen, [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]]'s confrontation with them, which was reportedly filmed, is not shown.

*'''Book:''' [[Faramir]] and [[Éowyn]] meet and fall in love in the [[Houses of Healing]]. '''Movie:''' Referred to in a brief scene in which they begin to bond.

*'''Book:''' [[Aragorn]] reveals himself and his reforged sword to [[Sauron]] using the ''palantír'' recovered at [[Isengard]]. '''Movie:''' Included with alteration. Takes place following the Last Debate; [[Sauron]] retaliates by showing [[Aragorn]] a vision of [[Arwen]] apparently dying, which is not in the book.

*'''Book:''' Incognito in [[Orcs|Orc]] armour, [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]] and [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] are forced to march with a band of Orcs who are heading for the Black Gate. '''Movie:''' Included. The scene ends with [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] and [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]] pretending to fight, causing the other Orcs to join in, and slipping away while they are distracted - a simplification of the original scene.

*'''Book''': The Mouth of Sauron taunts Gandalf at the Black Gate and presents evidence that Frodo had been captured (which was true, although Frodo was rescued by Sam before he could be interrogated). '''Movie:''' Included with alterations. The Mouth torments the Fellowship by claiming that Frodo has been horribly tortured and killed. He then taunts Aragorn over his broken sword and Aragorn decapitates him with the reforged Andúril. In the book he is allowed to live until the battle.

* '''Book:''' The spirit of Sauron rises like a black cloud from the ruin of Barad-dûr before being blown away by the [[Aman|West]] wind. '''Movie:''' Not included. In both versions of the film the destruction of the Ring causes the [[Eye of Sauron]] to erupt in flame and then explode as [[Barad-dûr]] collapses.

* '''Book:''' After the coronation, Gandalf counsels King Elessar and shows him where to find a seedling of the [[White Tree of Gondor|White Tree]]. '''Movie:''' Not included. In the extended cut Gandalf tells Pippin that the dead White Tree remains in the courtyard in the apparently forlorn hope that it will blossom again; in a later scene the tree is seen bearing a single white flower. During Aragorn's coronation the courtyard is covered by the blossoms, and the tree is seen in the background in full bloom.

* '''Book:''' Eowyn disguises herself as "Dernhelm," and smuggles Merry along with her, allowing them both to take place in the Battle of Pelennor Fields. '''Movie:'''Included with alteration. Eowyn does stow away with the Rohirrim, and does take Merry with her. However, at no point does she use the guise of Dernhelm. Her face is never completely concealed, thus the audience is always aware of who she is. While some have argued this takes away the surprise later, when Dernhelm reveals herself to be a woman when told that no man can kill the Witch-King, it has been counter-argued that having the audience know who she is maintains their emotional investment in her character.

Other alterations to the story include:

*In the film, shards of [[Narsil]] are re-forged by [[Elrond]] at [[Arwen]]'s urging, and Elrond travels to [[Rohan]] where he presents the reforged sword to Aragorn and orders him to take the [[Paths of the Dead]]. In the book, Narsil was reforged when Aragorn first brought the hobbits to Rivendell (following a prophecy that the reforging could only take place after "Isildur's Bane", the Ring, was found).

*The company of [[Rangers of the North]], who along with the two sons of Elrond join Aragorn after Saruman is defeated, do not appear at all in the film, in which Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli take the [[Paths of the Dead]] alone. One of them also presents Aragorn with a banner woven by Arwen. Elrond's appearance; in which he presents Aragorn with Anduril; and the previous film's Elvish army at the Hornburg; partially substitute.

*In the book, the rangers, Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn ride through the mountain path to summon the dead, then ride through the Morthond valley to the [[stone of Erech]], where the dead agree to serve. Aragorn then leads the dead and members of his group to Pelargir to attack the corsairs. After the Dead defeat the corsairs, they disappear, and the ships carry Aragorn, the rangers, Legolas, Gimli, and some forces from southern Gondor to the battle of Pelennor fields. In the movie, Aragorn gets the dead to serve in an underground cave, exits the underground path at Pelagir to see the corsairs. The dead then sail on the ships to Pelennor fields. No rangers or southern Gondorians are in the movie. The book version makes more sense when considering the maps, as Pelargir is a long way from Edoras or Minas Tirith, and Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli run for a short time considering the distance. Also, in the film the dead are used to completely overrun and destroy the forces of Mordor on the [[Pelennor Fields]], though in the book the dead were only used to defeat the [[Corsairs of Umbar]].

*In the book, the beacons of Gondor are lit before Gandalf and Pippin arrive, as a part of Denethor's careful mustering of Minas Tirith's defences. In the film, Denethor refuses to light the beacon of Minas Tirith, or indeed to organize any defence of the city, so Gandalf persuades Pippin to sneak past the guards and light it, causing the rest of the beacons to be lit in response.

*In the book, Gondor's formal request for aid is sent to Rohan by a courier carrying the [[Red Arrow]] (although Rohan was already mustering to Gondor's defence, in part at Gandalf's urging). In the film, there is no courier, and the Riders are spurred to help Gondor by the beacons (above).

*In the film, [[Gollum]] tricks [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] into mistrusting [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]] and sending him away, so that Frodo enters [[Shelob]]'s Lair alone. In the book, Frodo and Sam have no break in their trust, except for a brief instant upon Frodo's rescue from the orc tower where he demands that Sam return the Ring.

* In the film, the burning Denethor runs along the "prow" of Minas Tirith and falls like a meteor. In the book, Denethor lights his pyre and lies down upon it to burn, clasping the ''palantír''. (In fact the "prow" of Minas Tirith, located on the Seventh Level, is on the opposite side of the city from the burial chambers where the pyre is, located on the fifth level. While on fire, Denethor would have had to run across the ''entire'' city to fall like that. In his commentary on the extended DVD Peter Jackson admits that he was aware of the distance issue but included the scene for dramatic effect.)

*Unlike the book, Merry is not taken to the Houses of Healing to recuperate from his encounter with the Witch-king (with the aid of Aragorn's knowledge of the healing herb [[athelas]], which he also uses to heal Faramir and Éowyn), but instead rides out to the Last Battle alongside Aragorn and Gandalf.

*In the book, there is a very rare sequence of lighthearted comedy in the Houses of Healing, where a Gondor doctor repeatedly recites herbal lores to a very frustrated Aragorn, who wants the herb but has no interest in hearing the bumbling healer's endless rhymes about them. This is omitted in the film.

*In the book, Gollum slips accidentally into the [[Crack of Doom]] while dancing in triumph after biting the Ring off Frodo's right hand third finger. In the film, Gollum bites the ring off Frodo's index finger, and Frodo jumps on him one last time, causing them both to fall; it is subsequently revealed that Frodo was able to catch himself on the rock below the precipice, from which Sam pulls him back (after a brief hesitation by an apparently suicidal Frodo).

*In the film, it is not revealed that Frodo is to sail to the west with Bilbo, Gandalf, Elrond, Galadriel, and Celeborn until after most of them have boarded the ship. In the book, Frodo and Sam join with Bilbo and the elves in the woods while travelling to the harbour. In the books Celeborn also takes a later ship.

Following the destruction of [[the One Ring]], most of the second book of ''The Return of the King'' involves tying up loose ends (although Tolkien considered the "[[Scouring of the Shire]]" to be one of the most important chapters of the trilogy, it is completely omitted from the film). These dénouements are only briefly summarized in the films, where we get a hint of [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]]'s periodic bouts of illness following his return to the Shire, we see [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]] getting married to Rosie, and we follow [[Gandalf]]'s and the [[Ring-bearer]]s' departure from the [[Grey Havens]]. The film's closing scene shows Sam returning from saying farewell at the Grey Havens and coming back to the Shire and his home and family (returning at night in the book, during the day in the film).

The film remains faithful to the book in quoting the last lines spoken by Gandalf ("I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil", although Gandalf has some minor dialogue following this in the movie) and by Sam ("Well, I'm back.").

==Box office records==

After two years of attention and acclaim since the release of ''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,'' audience anticipation for the final installment of the trilogy had reached a fever pitch when the movie was finally released to theatres on December 17, 2003. New Line Cinema reported that the film's first day of release (a Wednesday) saw a box office total of $34.5 million—an all-time single-day record for a motion picture released on a Wednesday (until Spider-Man 2 came along and grossed $40.4 million). This was nearly twice the first-day total of ''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' (which earned $18.2 million on its first day of release in 2001), and a significant increase over ''The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' as well (which earned $26.1 million on its first day in December of 2002).

The substantial increase in initial box office totals caused optimistic studio executives to forecast that ''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' would surpass ''The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' in total earnings. If this proved to be true, then this would be the first blockbuster movie trilogy for each successive film to earn ''more'' at the box office than its predecessor, when all three films were blockbuster successes. (The general opinion in movie circles in 2003 was that a movie had to earn more than $150 million to be considered a "blockbuster").

These forecasts proved accurate. According to [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/ Box Office Mojo], between the time of the film's release, its winning the Academy Award for Best Picture on Sunday, February 29, 2004, and Thursday, March 11, 2004, ''Return of the King'' had earned approximately $1,052,547,293 in worldwide box office revenue—$368,875,000 in North America, and $683,649,123 in sixty countries worldwide. The final North American box office stands at $377,027,325, and the worldwide take is $1,118,888,979 (about $741 million overseas). The worldwide revenue is slightly enhanced compared to the earlier movies when converted to US Dollars because of the decline in the dollar's exchange rate in 2003. It was the second film in history to earn over $1 billion in box office revenue in its initial release (the first being ''Titanic'' in 1997). This compares favourably to the first two films of the trilogy: in their first 35 weeks of theatrical release in North America, the gross income of the first two movies was $313,364,114 and $339,789,881.

These figures do not include income from DVD sales, TV rights, etc. It has been estimated that the gross income from non-box office sales and merchandise has been ''at least'' equal to the box office for all three films; if this is so, the total gross income for the trilogy would be in the region of $6 billion, a very respectable return for a $300 million investment.

==See Also==
* [[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King screenplay]]
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[[Category:The Lord of the Rings (film series)]]

[[de:Der Herr der Ringe: Die Rückkehr des Königs (Film)]]
[[fi:The Return of the King (2003)]]