The Return of the King

The Return of the King (1980)

  • 71% of critics liked it
    (14 reviews)

  • 44% of users liked it
    (8,011 ratings)

The second of Rankin/Bass' animated TV specials based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, Return of the King plots the quest to defeat the evil wizard Sauron. Frodo, nephew of The Hobbit protagonist Bilbo Baggins, vows to destroy the Ring, even if it costs him his own life. He carries the Ring to the… More

In Theaters
Jan 1, 1980 Wide
On DVD
Sep 11, 2001

Critic Reviews

  • Charles Cassady, Common Sense Media

    Cartoon tale is darker, more complex than others in series.

  • Clint Morris, Moviehole

    McDowall is terrific

  • Gregory Weinkauf, ÜberCiné

    I love this. All of it. Although I adore what Peter & Co. did, I think this movie, for sheer atmosphere, slightly nudges out his Oscar-winner. Really.

  • Eric Lurio, Greenwich Village Gazette

    The cartoon version isn't that bad, espcecially when they couldn't use the first two books in the trilogy.

  • Steven D. Greydanus, Decent Films Guide

    Works even less well than The Hobbit, which really is a children's story… overbearing folk-ballad soundtrack doesn't even gesture lyrically to Tolkien's poetry.

Read all 6 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Conner R


    Just a flat out weird interpretation of Lord Of The Rings, but this doesn't have the awesome roto-casting animation that the first one had. This definitely had the most singing in any non-musical ever, which makes the movie completely pointless and boring at times. I just… More

  • Luke B


    The original animated movie covered the first 2 books. It wasn't perfect, but it was very interesting to watch in this post-Jackson era. The Hobbit also had some wonderful designs and interesting moments. Return of the King, is a poorly rushed and choppy completion for the… More

  • Lafe F


    I really enjoyed "The Hobbit" by Rankin/Bass, but thought this movie was a bit of an embarrassment. The animation used the odd Rankin/Bass style as the Hobbit, so I couldn't fault it too much. I found most of the songs painful to sit through. I did get a good chuckle… More

  • Michael G


    So incredibly bad. At least the animated Lord of the Rings wasn't a musical. We can't say that here. Although "Frodo of the Nine Fingers" is a catchy tune.

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