History Westernanimation / TheReturnOfTheKing

The [[RankinBass Rankin-Bass]] adaptation of the third ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' book is a follow up both to [[WesternAnimation/TheHobbit their adaptation of]] ''Literature/TheHobbit'' and the RalphBakshi adaptation of [[WesternAnimation/TheLordOfTheRings the first three Books (or one-and-a-half volumes)]]. Generally regarded as the poorest out of the three animated LOTR films, due to the disjointed nature of the in-film story, and the truly ''massive'' amount of story that was excised from the original book. For example, Aragorn, the eponymous king, only appears for a grand total of ten minutes, while Gimli and Legolas are nearly completely absent.

That being said, the film is not without its strong points, the songwriting and voice work are still nearly as strong as the earlier ''WesternAnimation/TheHobbit'', and the animation is just as pretty to look at.

The [[RankinBass Rankin-Bass]] adaptation of the third ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' book, this is a follow up both to [[WesternAnimation/TheHobbit their adaptation of]] ''Literature/TheHobbit'' and the RalphBakshi adaptation of [[WesternAnimation/TheLordOfTheRings the first three Books (or one-and-a-half volumes)]]. Generally regarded as the poorest out of the three animated LOTR films, due to the disjointed nature of the in-film story, and the truly ''massive'' amount of story that was excised from the original book. For example, Aragorn, the eponymous king, only appears for a grand total of ten minutes, while Gimli and Legolas are nearly completely absent.

-->''Its so easy [[{{Dismotivation}} not to try]]''\\
''Let the world [[TimePassesMontage go drifting by]]''\\
''If you [[CanNotSpitItOut never say hello]]''\\
''You won't [[NeverSayGoodbye have to say goodbye]]''\\
''Its so easy not to try''\\
''Never stay [[AngstWhatAngst around to cry]]''\\
''Move along [[IgnorantOfTheCall when troubles come]]''\\
''Like a [[SchrodingersButterfly mindless butterfly]]''\\
''For what good is it [[LoveHurts to love]]''\\
''When the [[LetsJustBeFriends loving always ends]]''\\
''Travel on the road [[OneDimensionalThinking that's straight]]''\\
''Not the one [[ScenicRoute with hills and bends]]''\\
''Its so easy not to try''\\
''Let the world [[TheDrifter go drifting by]]''\\

''You won't have to [[{{Goodbye}} say goodbye]]''

The [[RankinBass Rankin-Bass]] adaptation of the third ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' book, this is a follow up both to [[WesternAnimation/TheHobbit their adaptation of]] ''Literature/TheHobbit'' and the RalphBakshi adaptation of [[WesternAnimation/TheLordOfTheRings the first three Books (or one-and-a-half volumes)]]. Generally regarded as the poorest out of the three animated LOTR films, due to the disjointed nature of the in-film story, and the truly ''massive'' amount of story that was excised from the original book. For example, Aragorn, the eponymous king, only appears for a grand total of ten minutes, while Gimli and Legolas are completely absent.

The [[RankinBass Rankin-Bass]] adaptation of the third ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' book, this is a follow up both to [[WesternAnimation/TheHobbit their adaptation of]] ''Literature/TheHobbit'' and the RalphBakshi adaptation of [[WesternAnimation/TheLordOfTheRings the first three Books (or one-and-a-half volumes)]].

NeedsABetterDescription. (You'd be pressed to find one.)

* MadeForTVMovie

* PaperThinDisguise: Sam and Frodo are half the size of orcs, have radically different skin tones, hair tones, and facial structures, lack horns, fangs, and cat-like eyes, and have their hairy hobbit feet plainly visible, but I guess if they're wearing orc armor it's convincing enough for the slavedriver.
** Given how varied the real orcs are in this version, he probably just thinks they're scrawny.

* CanonForeigner: The "Minstrel of Gondor".
** While I don't know about the animated figure so it might be different, but the original does have a minstrel singing about Frodo's journey at the Field of Cormallen.

AdaptationDistillation: Made for TV after the failure of Ralph Bashki's ''[[WesternAnimation/TheLordOfTheRings The Lord of the Rings (Animated)]]'' by a completely different studio. It attempts to adapt the work, with no reference to the previous two titles, which results in a very disjointed effort. But individual scenes like Eowyn's confrontation with the Witch King are adapted almost word for word from the book.

* AlwaysChaoticEvil: Averted. The cartoon goes where even the books didn't and actually humanizes the orcs to a degree. The song, "Where There's A Whip, There's A Way" basically says that they fight because they're ''being made'' to, not because they ''want'' to. This suggests that only ''the higher-ranking orc officers'' are truly malicious and evil.

* CoversAlwaysLie: [[http://tolkiengateway.net/w/images/c/c9/RankinBass%27_The_Return_of_the_King.png The DVD cover]] only seems to vaguely represent the film's contents, if it indeed represents them at all. It features two generic chubby hobbits, ''neither'' of which look quite like Samwise or Merry, let alone Frodo or Pippin. They are riding on a horse, despite the fact that there is no scene featuring hobbits riding horses (only significantly smaller ponies). Also prominently featured are two dwarves who do not appear in the film ''at all'', and do not clearly resemble any of the dwarves who appeared in ''WesternAnimation/TheHobbit'' either (although one looks vaguely like Thorin and another like Oin in the wrong outfit). In the background are two vaguely-portrayed palace-like structures -- one light and one dark -- that do not clearly resemble Minas Tirith, Cirith Ungol, Barad Dûr ''or'' the Black Gate which appear in the film. All in all, the cover looks like it was drawn by someone [[DidNotDoTheResearch who really hasn't seen the film or read the books]] ''at all'' but merely slapped something random together with short people, dwarves, knights, castles and a dragon, which makes you wonder if the powers that be who signed off on this DVD release [[TheyJustDidntCare simply didn't care]].

''If you never [[{{Hello}} say hello]]''\\

* CoversAlwaysLie: [[http://tolkiengateway.net/w/images/c/c9/RankinBass%27_The_Return_of_the_King.png The DVD cover]] only seems to vaguely represent the film's contents, if it indeed represents them at all. It features two generic chubby hobbits, ''neither'' of which look quite like Samwise or Merry, let alone Frodo or Pippin. They are riding on a horse, despite the fact that there is no scene featuring hobbits riding horses (only significantly smaller ponies). Also prominently featured are two dwarves who do not appear in the film ''at all'', and do not clearly resemble any of the dwarves who appeared in ''WesternAnimation/TheHobbit'' either (although one looks vaguely like Thorin). In the background are two vaguely-portrayed palace-like structures -- one light and one dark -- that do not clearly resemble Minas Tirith, Cirith Ungol, Barad Dûr ''or'' the Black Gate which appear in the film. All in all, the cover looks like it was drawn by someone [[DidNotDoTheResearch who really hasn't seen the film or read the books]] ''at all'' but merely slapped something random together with short people, dwarves, knights, castles and a dragon, which makes you wonder if the powers that be who signed off on this DVD release [[TheyJustDidntCare simply didn't care]].

* AlwaysChaoticEvil: Averted. The cartoon goes where even the books didn't and actually humanizes the orcs to a degree. The song, "Where There's A Whip, There's A Way" basically says that they fight because they ''have'' to, not because they ''want'' to. This suggests that only ''the higher-ranking orc officers'' are truly malicious and evil.

* DemotedToExtra: Legolas and Gimli do appear very briefly in a few scenes one being in Aragon's flashback, a few shots during the battle scenes, and can be seen during the parade, neither of them have any lines. For that matter, Aragorn doesn't have any spoken lines either, and '''he's the title character'''.

* DemotedToExtra: Legolas and Gimli do appear very briefly in a few scenes one being in Aragon's flashback, a few shots during the battle scenes, and can be seen during the parade, neither of them have any lines.

* CultClassic: Almost in spite of itself.

The [[RankinBass Rankin-Bass]] adaptation of the third ''Main/TheLordOfTheRings'' book, this is a follow up both to [[Animated/TheHobbit their adaptation of]] ''[[Animated/TheHobbit The Hobbit]]'' and the RalphBakshi adaptation of [[Animated/TheLordOfTheRings the first three Books (or one-and-a-half volumes)]].

* CoversAlwaysLie: [[http://tolkiengateway.net/w/images/c/c9/RankinBass%27_The_Return_of_the_King.png The DVD cover]] only seems to vaguely represent the film's contents, if it indeed represents them at all. It features two generic chubby hobbits, ''neither'' of which look quite like Samwise or Merry, let alone Frodo or Pippin. They are riding on a horse, despite the fact that there is no scene featuring hobbits riding horses (only significantly smaller ponies). Also prominently featured are two dwarves who do not appear in the film ''at all'', and do not clearly resemble any of the dwarves who appeared in ''[[Animated/TheHobbit The Hobbit]]'' either (although one looks vaguely like Thorin). In the background are two vaguely-portrayed palace-like structures -- one light and one dark -- that do not clearly resemble Minas Tirith, Cirith Ungol, Barad Dûr ''or'' the Black Gate which appear in the film. All in all, the cover looks like it was drawn by someone [[DidNotDoTheResearch who really hasn't seen the film or read the books]] ''at all'' but merely slapped something random together with short people, dwarves, knights, castles and a dragon, which makes you wonder if the powers that be who signed off on this DVD release [[TheyJustDidntCare simply didn't care]].

** A bittersweet LyricalDissonance ballad, "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt6Nj2vgFiE It's So Easy Not to Try]]", whose music is actually a rearranged version of "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdQ1E3t3Qq0 Roads]]" from ''[[Animated/TheHobbit The Hobbit]]'' animation that came before. ''The Return Of The King'' animation gives it some additional new lyrics, ups its TearJerker effect, and makes the song the film's main and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOhmd9RKwgU closing]] theme. It's the only song that features in both animated films, but becomes more notable in the latter.

* ForDoomTheBellsToll: The Cracks of Doom

** A bittersweet LyricalDissonance ballad, "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt6Nj2vgFiE It's So Easy Not to Try]]", whose music is actually a rearranged version of "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdQ1E3t3Qq0 Roads]]" from ''[[Animated/TheHobbit The Hobbit]]'' animation that came before. ''The Return Of The King'' animation gives it some additional new lyrics, ups its TearJerker effect, and makes the song the film's main theme. It's the only song that features in both animated films, but becomes more notable in the latter.