Morgoth Posted December 18, 2003 Share Posted December 18, 2003 Hehe, was surprised when there wasn't already a thread on yesterday's afternoon, but was too tired (34 hours without sleep) to write something, so here I go... As we know it from the previous two movies, LotR is (a) great film(s); in the terms of the usual standards for a movie it is breathtaking and impressive, not to say perfect.However, as an adaption of the book, it deserves a good deal of criticism, and I'll try to simply chronologically advance through the movie.As we have all already got to know through Christopher Lee's absence, Saruman does not appear in RotK. A real pity for all those who haven't read the book, I can cope with it by thinking about the EE; and perhaps they'll decide to film the Scouring of the Shire (I still dearly hope). It is a bit disappointing that Pippin simply finds the Palantir lying in the water, but they needed to get it somehow involved.Continuing, one of the biggest mistakes of all three movies becomes obvious as perhaps never before, namely the strive to simplify the storyline - the average cinema visitor is too stupid for the normal storyline, you know :P Thus, the whole company goes to Edoras without any interruptions. Only in Edoras Pippin looks into the Palantir, and Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas still stay with Théoden and go to Dunharrow, Gandalf *keeps * the Palantir.This is such a primitive form of condensing the story, it simply outrages me. Aragorn is the rightful owner of the Palantir, by keeping the Palantir it appears as though Gandalf wouldn't even care about the danger of something similar happening again. In Dunharrow, we are again shown that the producers think us to be too stupid to understand a few more characters in teh story. And after all, Elrond is a good subtitute for the people who actually come. Who needs Halbarad, Elrohir or Elladan?And that stupid nonsense about Arwen being close to death is such a piece of crap I haven't ever heard about before. Instead of doing what they are supposed to, they shrink the actual storyline to less than a shadow of what it actually is, and extend the lovestory (apparently necessary to reach a larger audience) between Arwen and Aragorn, dramatizing it with the nonsensical idle thoughts of I don't know who's responsible for it.Arriving in Minas Tirith we learn that time gathered by oversimplifiying the sotry can be used to create new problems that don't exist in the narrative and make it an adventure of its own to light the signal fires of Gondor.In the meantime, Gollum gets rid of the lembas Frodo and Sam are carrying with them and gets Frodo to send Sam away, Gollum even causes some hostility towards Sam. I won't say much about it, but if you can explain why that is necessary, I might accept it. In general, Frodo proceeds to develop a tendency for sudden choleric behaviour which I cannot spot in the book. I will not go into detail about smaller things like the Witchking departing from Minas Morgul already on a winged creature and not on a horse and other things like that and we come to the second half - a relief, I can say. What they did with the second part of the third volume is much more appealing than the first half. It is a bit unlogical why Théoden speaks of the great deeds he has done when it isn't shown that he slays the commander of the Haradrim, and Legolas killing an oliphaunt including all the people on it is as unbelievable as his jump onto the horse in the second movie, but these are smaller things.Since they have unfortunately left out the supporting forces from South Gondor arriving in Minas Tirith I can see the reason why they just let the undead wipe the Pelennor; I had rather pictured the undead as actual rotten corpses/skeletons and not as that huge mass of ectoplasma, but I suppose that's rather a question of individual interpretation of the book (don't know the wording of their description by heart).The events on the Tower of Cirith Ungol and the journey through Mordor is cut a bit short I think, theere is potential for extending that.What did not appeal very much to me is the displaying of the Eye's view in sucha physical way as they did in the movie - a question of personal taste, though I guess.The coronation of Aragorn really got me, IMHO that's one of the best scenes in the movie. I still hope for the Scouring being in the EE, but at least - as a last sign of taking the book at least a bit seriously - the Grey Havens are in - Thanks for that :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancalagon Posted December 18, 2003 Share Posted December 18, 2003 I saw the movie and enjoyed it immensly. But I felt that the end was a bit rushed: the Coronation felt chopped in half, not to mention the long painful trek by Frodo and Sam to Mount Doom. I mean, the part where the Eye actually sees Frodo pissed me off. If Sauron saw Frodo in the book like he did in the movie, sh**. "GAME OVER MAN, GAME OVER!" But Morgoth covered all else, I too was surprised at the disapperance of the Rangers, Prince Imrahil, and the Sons of Elrond as well... but you can't have evrything now can you? Thank the Valar for the Extended Edition, really..<_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddGuy Posted December 18, 2003 Share Posted December 18, 2003 LOVED it! WOOOOOOOOOT!!! I LOVED that movie! Best part's when the dead cursed ghost dudes overrun all the Orcs at Minas Tirith. And Gollum fighting the invisible Frodo. And what Eowyn did... I won't give that away for those who haven't seen it.... and... and... god, I LOVED that movie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malchik Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 I enjoyed it. I had no problem with the long valedictory scene at the end. After all 20 mins or so after 11 hours is not so great. I did take a while to get into it. Only when they began lighting the beacons was I as gripped as I had been by the earlier films. I suppose we have to wait nearly a year to get the extended version. (BTW I have it on reliable authority that the Scourging of the Shire was never filmed.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojlnir Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 Malchik, you are correct on that account. The Scourging of the Shire was not a part of the book that Peter Jackson particularly enjoyed and was there never filmed. I am quite interested in seeing how the end Saruman if that part was never finished. Anyway, like most everyone else, I was disappointed at the lack of the Rangers, I was really hoping for some seriously bad-ass dudes on horses. Oh well, I can't wait to get my hands on the extended version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDeadTree Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 My favorite of the series. By far the best movie to be released in the last few years. For me, the single most memorable part of the movies, and the book is Frodo and Sam toiling up Mount Doom. Because of the weight of the ring, Frodo is stooped low to the ground, dragging it along, untill he looks up and beholds Orodruin in it's firey might, before collapsing exhausted. Tolkien's line "Sam's will was set, and only death would break it" is perfectly captured in his agony of carrying his master up the slopes. Sitting there in the audience, you almost wonder if this is the end, if they won't achieve their goal and toss that accursed thing into the fire. But as we all know, bravery knows no bounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xionith Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 To me, It did not live up to what it could have been. Morgoth basically said most of the larger problems (I dont even want to go into the smaller ones) and I do agree with him on the Grey Havens part, except the only people who whent were Gandalf, Elrond, Galadriel, Frodo, and if I remember correctly Celeborn. IIRC in the book, their was a whole ton more people.... There are just some things I cant believe they did to the series... ... Hey, one thing they did do was lay off a little on Gimli's "comic relief"... :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jormundgand Posted December 21, 2003 Share Posted December 21, 2003 After seeing it twice i have to say the movie is great. First time i saw it i was a bit dissapointed and hung up in small details, but the second time - great movie! :) There are some things im not happy with, but i hope most of them are fixed in the extended edition. My mayor issue with the movie was that the time went by so fast. The movie trilogy can't compete with the books, but that was not expected. Overall, i'll say PJ has done a great job, and i don't think anyone could have done it any better. :nazgul: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daerk Posted December 21, 2003 Share Posted December 21, 2003 The movie trilogy can't compete with the books, but that was not expected. Overall, i'll say PJ has done a great job, and i don't think anyone could have done it any better. :nazgul: I could. Well... with the proper team. Someone get EntWentMoot for me and tell him we're gonna film our own movies. ;D ... j/k. :D -- D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evp Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 i thing im looking forward 2 is the extended version on dvd, you miss a lot of great/important scenes.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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