The Return of the King (1980)

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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 volcanic innards of Mount Doom. All this he does on behalf of good-guy Aragon, who will never be able to escape the dreaded land of Sauron so long as the Ring retains its evil powers. Orson Bean, who'd been the voice of Bilbo Baggins in the 1977 Hobbit cartoon special, returns to portray Frodo. Return of the King originally aired May 11, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Director(s):: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin, Jr., (more)

Format(s):: DVD, (View All Versions)

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Synopsis of The Return of the King

Theatrical Feature Running Time:: 97 mins

Complete Cast of The Return of the King

Director(s):: Arthur Rankin, Jr., Jules Bass

Categories:: Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Television

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Member Reviews (6)

	Richard G.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

The animation was classic, and the voice actiong in line with the story as it was being told... but the plot omissions and just plain ridiculous plot changes made this hard to watch for any1 who is a fan of the books... it might be acceptable for a young child who might not have read the books or ever know about the weakness of this version of the story. On the other hand children who are used to modern bright colored, fast moving cartoons very likely would find this movie flat and tedious. I said the acting was in line with the story as told.... the actors did well enough, but the characters were scripted to act very far outside the personalities as Tolkien portrayed.

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	Rudy E.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

A dull and choppy cartoon. Too much naration and almost no action. Obviously very cheaply made. My child was bored and didn't like it. I don't recommend this to anyone, unless you want them to not like hobbits.

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	Melanie S.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

The animation and voice acting are really bad - reminds me of after school cartoons when I was a kid (what a waste of time). My kids did enjoy the story, and are interested in reading The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, now.

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