Plot: What’s it about?
The battle against the evil sorcerer Sauron continues, as Frodo Baggins lead the charge toward the ultimate showdown. But this battle will not be an easy one and in order to succeed, a war on two fronts is needed. On one side, Frodo and his friend Samwise must venture through the barren lands of Modor, toward the mysterious Mount Doom. This is in an effort to destroy the Ring of Doom, which Frodo now has on his very hand. But as time passes and the ring begins to possess Frodo, can he continue to forge ahead, to demolish the ring within the fires which created it? Of course, Frodo is a brave and noble hobbit, but even he will have trouble against this menace, without a doubt. On the other front, Gandalf and most of the others involved have to confront the forces of Sauron directly, in dangerous battles of all kinds. These courageous warriors are giving the fights all they have, but Sauron manages to keep an upper hand, at least for now. What will become of Frodo, Samwise, Gandalf, and the others, in this final, desperate attempt to defeat Sauron and reclaim the lands they believe to be their rightful home?
After Ralph Bakshi’s stumble with The Lord of the Rings, the rights to adapt J.R.R. Tolkien’s work went back to Rankin/Bass, who had done The Hobbit. I suppose it makes sense and all, but I would have liked to have seen someone new take a shot, as Rankin/Bass offer little to like here, especially if you’re a fan of Tolkien’s books. I have to admit though, this installment has improved over The Hobbit, at least in some ways. The animation looks smoother in this volume, but I still don’t like how basic and bland it at times, given the visual potential of the material involved. I wouldn’t say this animation is that bad or anything, but Tolkien’s writing is so rich with images, I think this rather average effort fails at every turn. In addition, this was made for television broadcast and aimed toward kids, so a lot is altered to keep the material safe for the intended audience. As far as the previous animated entries, this one has no real connections and drops & adds characters from The Lord of the Rings, so don’t expect a smooth transition between the films. If you ask me, those interested should stick with the books until a competent adaptation arrives, which should be quite soon.
Video: How does it look?
The Return of the King is presented in a full frame transfer, as intended. This looks better than The Hobbit, but still shows some grain at times, though not too much. The print here looks cleaner also, which allows the other elements to retain more impact. The colors are bright and bold, but never overly so, while contrast is deep and rich, with no obscuration of detail in the least. The rather bland animation style never offers much in terms of memorable visuals, but this transfer is about as good as it gets, I think.
Audio: How does it sound?
Not much to discuss here, as the included mono track is more than solid, but it won’t dazzle your ears, by any means. The track seems clean and well presented, with no obvious hiss or distortion, which is good news. The music and even the awful songs are in fine form here, although I never want to hear them again, that’s for sure. The dialogue is on the mark also, with no signs of errors in the least, a solid presentation in terms of mono. This disc also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some talent files, as well as facts & trivia on Tolkien.
