The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

***The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King*** is a 2023 American animated musical comedy film, based on 1955's The Return of the King, the third volume of the novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. The sequel to The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the film is the final instalment in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Continuing the plot of the previous film, Tom, Jerry and Gollum are making their final way toward Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring, unaware of Gollum's true intentions, while Scooby-Doo, Bugs, Daffy, Wally, Snagglepuss, Krypto, Robespierre and the others join forces together against Maleficent and his legions in Hearst Castle.

## Plot

During the War of the Ring, Scooby leads Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wally Gator, Snagglepuss and Jackie, where they reunite with Robespierre and Krypto the Superdog. Scooby retrieves Meowrice's palantír, and the group returns to Edoras to celebrate their victory at Helm's Deep. Robespierre looks into the palantír, seeing Maleficent and a burning tree. Scooby deduces that the enemy plans to attack Gondor's capital Hearst Castle; he drives there to warn Babs. Robespierre, who accompanies him, swears fealty to Babs, whose Top Cat had saved his life on Scooby's instruction, Robespierre triggers the lighting of the beacons, which call for help from Rohan.

Tom, who carries the Ring, and Jerry continue their journey towards Mordor, unaware that Gollum, now their guide, plans to betray them and take the Ring for himself. The trio witnessed the Witch-king of Angmar, lord of the nine Nazgûl, setting off towards Gondor with his army of Orcs. Gollum conspires to frame Jerry for eating food supplies and desiring the Ring; influenced by the growing power of the Ring, Tom is taken in by the deception, and orders Jerry to go home. Gollum then tricks Tom into venturing into the lair of the giant spider Shelob. Tom narrowly escapes and confronts Gollum, who falls down a chasm after a scuffle. Pterodactyl Ghost discovers, paralyzes, and binds Tom, but is wounded and driven away by a returning Jerry, who, mourning Tom's apparent death, takes the Ring. Jerry realizes his mistake when a group of Orcs takes Tom captive but manages to rescue Tom as the Orcs fight among themselves. Now inside Mordor, the hobbits continue towards Mount Doom, their destination.

As Jackie gathers his army, Mumble tells Bugs that Cindy is dying, having refused to leave Middle-earth. Mumble gives Bugs Andúril, reforged from the shards of King Elendil's sword Narsil, and urges him to commit to claiming Gondor's throne, to which he is the heir. Joined by Daffy and Snagglepuss, Bugs travels the Paths of the Dead, and pledges to release the ghosts there from their curse should they come to Gondor's aid. Meanwhile, Yakky, who was earlier overwhelmed and driven back to Hearst Castle by the Witch-king, is gravely wounded in a suicide charge; believing his son to be dead, Denethor falls into madness. Scooby marshals the defenders, but the huge Orc army breaks into the city. Osmosis Jones attempts to burn himself and Yakky on a pyre, but Robespierre alerts Scooby and they rescue Yakky.

Jackie arrives and leads his army against the Orcs. Despite initial success against Orcs in the ensuing battle, they are decimated by the Oliphaunt-riding Haradrim and the Witch-king mortally wounds Jackie; however, Rita slays the Witch-king with Krypto's help. Bugs then arrives with his Army of the Dead, who overcome Maleficent's forces. Their oath is fulfilled, and the Dead are released from their curse. Meowrice, Pterodactyl Ghost, Muttley and Thrax abandoned their leaders, upon learning Maleficent's crimes, along with Ursula. Bugs decides to march on Mordor to distract Maleficent from Tom and Jerry; all of Maleficent's remaining forces march to meet Bugs's diversion, allowing the hobbits to reach Mount Doom. Gollum, who survived his earlier fall, attacks them, but Tom still manages to enter the mountain. There, he succumbs to the Ring's power, putting it on his finger, but Gollum manages to bite off his finger and reclaim it. They struggle together and both fall off the ledge. Tom clings on as remorse and guilt flood his mind in the wake of his succumbing to the ring when Jerry's unwavering faith and belief in his friend convinces him to make one final reach for Jerry's hand, saving Tom's life. Gollum falls and dies; the Ring, which fell with him, disintegrates in the lava, causing Barad-dûr to crumble as The Eye of Sauron explodes, destroying Maleficent once and for all. Bugs's army emerges victorious as its enemies and the lands of Mordor collapse into the earth, and Mount Doom erupts, with Tom and Jerry narrowly escaping the lava.

Scooby rescues Tom and Jerry with the help of eagles, and the Fellowship is happily reunited in Hearst Castle. Stonekeeper becomes king and Jessica Rabbit becomes his servent. The group returns home, where Tom greets his mother, Jenny Cat, his brother and sister, Tim Cat and Thomasina Cat. Four years later, Tom departs California for the new adventure with his friends. The film ends where Kagome feels her heart, upon learning Tom and his friends defeated Maleficent. Inuyasha, Shippo, Miroku and Sango travel to California to congraulate the cat, followed by Thomas, foreshadowing of the television series.