Lords of the Rings - What did you think

[ghosty]

Yet another Ghosty poll. Have fun.

[Perrryyy]

Your poll needed an option for "haven't seen it".

I voted for "the book was better".

[Captain Zymmer]

Loved it

The book was different, but for me the movie holds its own

[ghosty]

I agree with Zymmer that the book was different and the movie should not be judged against the qualities of the original book although it kept to the original much more than I thought possible. I liked the little bits that the writers added to make the dialouge less stilted, I particularly liked Gimli's comic lines like "Nobody tosses the dwarf." with its double meaning.

The romantic bits between Aragon and Arwen were of course new, I guess it is to show why they got married in Book III and I suspect they'll rewrite the Battle of Gondor and it is Arwen who will fight the Wraith King and not Elowyn (sp?).

I must also say that the ending was a little unpolished and gave it a slightly unfinished feel although I knew there was a sequel...some people in the audience did not (shock horror) and felt cheated (at least that's what I overheard in the foyer). I think it would have been better if they'd shown the trailer for The Two Towers just before the credits (or do what they used to do in the old Bond films and put something in the credits to tell the audience that the next film is only a year away). I heard that in the US they showed the trailer after the credits, can anyone confirm and if they did show the trailer, how was it?

But overall it was a very worthwhile movie experience and you didn't notice the three hours flash by except the need to visit the loo halfway through. I agree with what was said in the other thread that they should have built in an intermission...probably around the time Gandalf supposedly bought it in Moria.

[Greg Smith]

Hmm, the poll doesn't quite cover all of the options. I voted for 'the book was better', but that didn't quite cover it. It is an excellent film that succesfully translates the book to the big screen. And it was wonderfully cinematic. But there have been better films this year IMHO.

I liked the way Arwen's role was expanded. I liked the way Gandalf's experiences were integrated into the main narative rather than recounted later.

But I felt some of the detail was missing. I would have liked to Sam meet the elves. I would have liked to see Galadriel give Sam the seed for the shire. I would have liked to see more of the Merry, Pippin, Frodo freindship before they departed.

I loved Peter Jackson's visual style. The way he made even the most heavy special-effects shots seem as though they were filmed normally. The shots of Gandalf atop Orthanc were awesome. And the fellowship racing across the raised walkways in Moria gave me vertigo!

[Joe Dizzy]

I saw it twice now... HOTDAMN!! This thing just keeps getting better!
The amount of details... how names of chapters were incorporated into the dialogue... WOW! Aragorn putting on Boromir's bracelets (those wrist thingies, I mean) after making the promise to Boromir.. Aragorn screaming Elendil before jumping into the group of orcs at amon hen... legolas walking on snow at caradhras instead of sinking into it like the rest... the unsuspected 'jumping out of seats effects' (bilbo in rivendell, the black riders casually killing the bounder)
the nails that have been smashed through the black rider's horse's feet...

WAAHH!! I could go on for hours!

I WANT THE DVD RIGHT NOW!

I feel like Beavis on a cappuccino overdose!

[Michael Barratt]

I thought it was pretty good (but not "best of the year" or the like, so I voted "Book was better"). I dunno, I really liked it, but I didn't seem to have the religious experience everyone else is reporting.

Thechnical Quibble:
Don't make a movie with so many panoramic shots that there's the "blurred" effect every time you change camera angles. I had a headache by the time the movie was half over from squinting and trying to see detail in the fuzzy pictures. I was half-wondering if it was just me, until after the movie I heard the same complaint from many.

Thumb's Down:
The ring is important. Got it. Stop wasting everyone's time with many many closeups of the ring in Frodo's hand. Sheesh.

Gollum. ET phone home. Bleh.

Kudos:
Sam. Sean Austin (?) was wonderful. The character of Sam is obedience and loyalty to a fault, and Sean put that on screen without reducing Sam to a stereotype or stupid characterization. Very well done.

Special Effects: kept forgetting they were there, meaning they were done very very well.

Bilbo's degeneration. Yow. That scene made me cringe.

The way the world appears while wearing the Ring. That was absolutely brilliant, with the grey smudging and the eye and the like. Loved that.

So, while I really quite enjoyed it, I'm not going to go see it again. I'll buy it on video likely, or DVD if I have DVD player by then. But I'm not holding my breath, would rather re-read the bok, and hope that the imagery from the movie doesn't totally overtake my imagination when I do re-read the books again.

The Doc

(PS: When the big ol' ex-King statues showed up, with one hand out toward you, palm-out, did anyone else suddenly hear "Stop! In the name of love!" in their heads, or was I the only one covering their mouth and trying to swallow giggles?)

[Phantom]

I think it was only you Michael...Could be wrong of course.

I have to disagree with you on the negative points. I thought everything was tremendously done. After seeing for my second time with some friends one of them mentioned he was going to see it again as well, and do a little nit-picking. I asked why, as the problems that do exist are so insignificant to be almost non-existant. I thought that the panoramic shots were some of the best parts of the movie, they gave it the epic scope that the books convey and they also show that NZ is probably one of the most beautiful places on the planet.

The close-ups of the ring. OK, maybe they did do too many of them, didn't notice until I thought about it just now.

Gollum=ET?

I wholeheartedly agree with you on the positive points.

[LizardQueen]

Originally posted by Michael Barratt
(PS: When the big ol' ex-King statues showed up, with one hand out toward you, palm-out, did anyone else suddenly hear "Stop! In the name of love!" in their heads, or was I the only one covering their mouth and trying to swallow giggles?)

ACK!!! I haven't seen it yet, but I KNOW I will now be hearing "Stop! In the name of love!" during that scene!!!

[Dave Biggins]

Guys, I'm kinda ashamed to say this, but there were tears welling in my eyes in those final scenes with Boromir. He was always my favorite character and they did him justice. They treated him as the classic tragic hero.

He stood by the Fellowship through thick and thin. He even seemed to show genuine affection for Merry and Pippin. He seemed to be fighting the lure of the ring. In scene where he tried to take it, I got the impression that he really was out simply to collect wood and his meeting with Frodo was once very tragic coincidence.

Not the book but one damn fine movie!

[ghosty]

Will the person who voted for straight to video trash please fess up and say why. I promise not to flame mail you....

[Aldaron]

Well, I unashamedly put it down as the finest movie I've ever seen.

Having to wait an extra couple of weeks down here to see it only increased my desire, and after having seen it last night....well...WOW!

When I read <i>Lord of the Rings</i> about 17 years ago, I remember finishing it and thinking: "Well, that's it. What's the point of ever reading another book again - because nothing could come close."

I felt the same about movies after I left the cinema last night: "What's the point of watching another movie again? Nothing will compare."

That, of course, was mixed up in my physical trembling at having to wait another <i>YEAR</i> to see <i>The Two Towers</i> !!!!!

I've never seen a movie which had me literally on the edge of my seat (even though I know the story back-to-front), laughing my socks off at times, crying like a baby at least twice and walking out in simple stunned amazement.

Not to mention actually hearing Sindarin spoken for the first time on-screen, which was beautiful.

You'd be hard pressed to find a bigger <i>Star Wars</i> fan than I, and I said last night to my wife as we left the cinema: "You know...I really don't care about <i>Attack of the Clones</i> anymore. That movie just sh*t all over <i>any</i> Star Wars movie."

WOW!

[Calcoran]

Well, that's the problem with polls, isn't it? You never seem to find the right option . I chose the "book was better" option ... of course it was ... still, this does not mean that the film wasn't great, by far. Actually, if 2nd and 3rd parts keep the same level as part one, this might well be the best trilogy of the century ... think of evenings we could have, watching the whole 9 hours or so trilogy!

Anyhoo, back on topic. Nitpicks? Of course ... worst first:

• Didn't like the Galadriel's mirror part. It seemed all shrunken, and the "if I had the Ring" looked out of place somehow (when Gandalf lost his temper before Bilbo, it felt realistic ... but Galadriel looking terrible made me feel uneasy. Not frightened as I should have, but uneasy, wondering what I was to make of it). And I'd have liked to see a bit more Galadriel - Gimli interaction too.
• Didn't like Bree either. Much too dark, IMBNMSHO.
• Didn't like the fight between Saruman and Gandalf.
• Some of the adaptations weren't completely needed (the apparent time compression between Bilbo's departure from the Shire and Frodo's, Saruman's allegance(sp?), the way Frodo got wounded by the black riders, ...).
• Minor quibble: A lot of the things I expected to see in the moovie didn't make it ... well, of course, there's only so much things you can fit in 3 hours and the film already seems really full.

Maybe the things I liked most in the film then:

• Boromir. I never liked him much in the book, but here, it all made so much more sense. The character felt so much more real ... so much more three dimensional. I just loved him!
• I really liked Arwen's part. Poor Glorfindel got ushered away once again, but Arwen did fit much better in the story . That and the fact that she looked great as an elven princess (much more so than Galadriel, at that). Though I must say, I'd feel awful if she took Eowyn's part in the next episodes .
• The Balrog! The way it appeared is not exacly what I'd have chosen, but it was so awesome that I wouldn't say anything against it! Wow! The fight with Gandalf was great too!
• Gandalf. I liked the way he tried to look reasuring, the way we could feel the doubt in his heart, the fear he must have felt ... again, he felt more real at times than he does in the book.
• NZ's panoramas. Need to say more?
• The Moria. The entrance was a bit small, but the other rooms and walkways were just great!
• I'll just stop here till I remember other things I liked .

[Joe Dizzy]

Calcoran:

About Galadriel: it was very true to the way it was described in the book, so...

About Bree: I think making Bree a happy place, would have worked against the mood of four small Hobbits (eventually) going on a well... suicide mission. The point that a few halflings are going cross-country to stop 'pure' evil and the futility of the whole thing came across quite well.

About the wizards' fight: First time I saw it, I didn't like it. I guess I was just too used to two old men waving their arms around and having CGI do the battle itself. The second time though, I started to appreciate the uniqueness of this fight, and the new direction PJ wanted to take. Still Gandalf spinning on the floor was really pushing it.
Frodo's wound: I'm re-reading the whole thing right now, and I haven't reached Weathertop yet, but I didn't notice any big differences. Anyone care to enlighten me?

I agree with the rest of your post, the only thing I missed was a little more room for Pippin and Merry while they're in the Shire. I'd like to have seen the bond between the four hobbits more closely examined / introdced more openly. Rather than just hinting at it in Rivendell.

I'm pretty sure that Eowyn's part will not be cut, quite the opposite in fact I think PJ said he even expanded a few roles in TTT, inlcuding Eomer, Eowyn and Theoden.

[ghosty]

Originally posted by Joe Dizzy
I'm pretty sure that Eowyn's part will not be cut, quite the opposite in fact I think PJ said he even expanded a few roles in TTT, inlcuding Eomer, Eowyn and Theoden.

I agree that there'll be a bigger role for Eomer and Theoden in The Two Towers, but Eowyn will probably get cut to give Arwen a dramatic role in the final battle against the Nazgul in Return of the King.