Film Review

‘LOTR: The Return of the King’: We’ve All Become Gollum

The ultimate question posed by LOTR is whether we choose to remain cell-phone enslaved Gollums or become Frodo and cast the One Ring addictions into the fire.
‘LOTR: The Return of the King’: We’ve All Become Gollum
Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) departs the Shire forever, in "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." New Line Cinema
Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson
Film Critic
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PG-13 | 4h 23m (extended version time) | Fantasy, Adventure, Action | 2026 re-release

It’s the LOTR series’s 25th anniversary. “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” is the final installment of the three epic, high-fantasy adventure films directed by Peter Jackson. It’s based on the third volume of “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. The first movie, “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring“ was released in 2001.
Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson
Film Critic
Mark Jackson is the senior film critic for The Epoch Times and a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. Mark earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Williams College, followed by classical theater conservatory training, and has 20 years' experience as a New York professional actor. He narrated The Epoch Times audiobook "How the Specter of Communism Is Ruling Our World," available on iTunes, Audible, and YouTube. Mark is featured in the book "How to Be a Film Critic in Five Easy Lessons" by Christopher K. Brooks. In addition to films, he enjoys Harley-Davidsons, rock-climbing, qigong, martial arts, and human rights activism.
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