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 Legolas
Commander
Joined: Aug 08, 2002
Member#: 178
Posts: 857
Location: Drunkest state in USA
   
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 Posted:
Sun Jan 04, 2004 3:58 pm Post subject: ROTK Review **Spoilers**!!!! |
 
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Uh oh! Here comes a NERDY Return of the King review. 
As your local neighborhood elf, I have taken it upon myself to throw my 2 cents in about the latest Lord Of The Rings movie… For those of you purists, here is something I found interesting in a different review. "Often we treat Middle-earth as if it were a real place, and as if the events that Tolkien wrote about really happened. That being so, I take the pretence further and say: With any event that happens, public or personal, there will be as many interpretations of the story as there are observers. You see it all the time in journalism (try reading five newspapers from five different countries about the same world event, if you doubt me!)" I think that fits greatly. I mean Tolkien wrote this story as to create a mythology for England. And by people being able to retell it in different ways, it makes his mythology more true. I doubt Tolkien would have been offended by these films. If it were a remake of what he wrote, maybe, but as a telling of his mythology, of the themes he created, he would be very pleased. I loved these films and the extended versions even more… 
STORY~
Hookay. So there I was cleaning my apartment, setting lights and creating seating. Rushing around in my kitchen cooking movie related food such as one-ring cookies, and pizza on elfish bread. Mixing up drinks, from Ent draught to, nicely chilled ale. Sorry no shire pipe weed. (Yes I am a nerd  ) My fellow movie and book, obsessed geeks came over to watch the first to Lord Of The Rings films in their rightfully EXTENDED form. Afterwards we left racing to the movie theatre to catch the final and most anticipated of the three films. We arrived a half hour early, which was not nearly early enough for the Sunday of the opening weekend. We arrived to a line that wrapped around the theatre. I think I even saw a hobbit or two, but maybe they were just circus folk. Okay back to the story, we finally were allowed to enter the double doors, and the plan we created in line was to go into effect. We split up going up both isles in the theatre. Searching for 6 seats next to each other. Amazingly I found them right smack dab in the middle back. The perfect seats to see this film on the ultra screen. Two of our group was given cash and went to buy snacks. And after the awesome Spiderman II preview we finally got to see the new line cinema logo… And then I was magically transported to middle earth one last time. 
REVIEW~
Hookay! So here is the review. Beware of some *spoilers*. Okay so the film opened with Smeagol and Deagol fishing. You can tell by their ears that they are not exactly like hobbits but indeed close. We watch the transformation of Smeagol, and I must say it was a wonderful way to begin the film. Now I am not going to go into every scene, but I will skim over a few that I really liked and some that I thought needed more. Hookay. So I was really sad to not see the death of Saruman. I felt a bit cheated there. But it was okay. I loved watching Pippen take hold of the planiter. And then when Gandalf rides into Minis Tirith, what an awesome city… But when The did the flares to get Rohan's attention, I couldn't help feeling sorry for some of those poor bastards who had to live on top of some of those mountains, some of it looked a bit impossible. But the spectacle of it was very enjoyable. And when Rohan decided to help Gondor, I was stoked. The battle of plennor fields is amazing. The army of the dead, possibly one of my favorite scenes I wished there was more. As for Frodo, Sam, and Gollum. I was pissed when Sam was told to go home. I thought it was unnecessary and very out of character for Sam. I mean hello? The whole movie had his character as a man devoted to Frodo, and becomes more and more devoted to the cause. The fate of the world is in Frodo and his hands. I doubt he would have walked away… Now I am not gripping because I am a purist and expect to see everything from the book in the film. I am saying it because it is out of the films version of the character of Sam. I would have preferred that Sam maybe could lag behind, saying something to himself like "Go ahead stinker. Just try anything I'll be watching." And then he could have spied on Frodo and Gollum like Gollum did to Frodo and Sam. That was my only real problem in this whole movie.  Other than at times I felt it was rushed, and characters were snubbed due to time restraints. But that my friends is why I consider the Extended Editions to be the true films. I can't wait until next November to see this other version.  Oh and I loved the long ending. It tried to show everything. The book ending would have been cool, but this was just as nice.
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graywolf
Commander
Joined: Aug 06, 2003
Member#: 2693
Posts: 527
  
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Posted:
Sun Jan 04, 2004 11:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Other than at times I felt it was rushed |
My god man 3 hours and 21 minutes and you thought it was rushed! There must be some ent blood in you somewhere  |
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Legolas
Commander
Joined: Aug 08, 2002
Member#: 178
Posts: 857
Location: Drunkest state in USA
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Posted:
Sun Jan 04, 2004 11:43 pm Post subject: |
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Well maybe some ent blood. But eh. There was a lot of film, and it was a bit over whelming. I would like it to have been longer but I am a nerd. Thank God for DVD'S! :d |
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Cocles
Commodore
Joined: Mar 06, 2002
Member#: 15
Posts: 2587
Location: Los Angeles, CA
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Posted:
Mon Jan 05, 2004 3:15 am Post subject: |
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Filmrot.com had a list of some things we'll see in the extended cut.
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• This one isn’t going to come as a surprise, but for the record: we’ll be seeing Gandalf and his Power Rangers confronting Saruman after the Helm’s Deep battle, followed by the multi-coloured one falling to his death.
• Merry will pledge his allegiance to Theoden in a scene similar to the Pippin/Denethor bit. Toss points out that shots from this scene have appeared in an early ROTK teaser, as well as a *very* early LOTR teaser from way back in the beginning.
• Following his acceptance of Anduril from Elrond, Aragorn uses the Palantir to reveal himself to Sauron. Sauron shows him a vision of Arwen’s sickness. This stuff was used instead during the dream sequence just before Elrond arrives at Dunharrow in the theatrical cut.
• From the horse’s mouth: ‘Remember the scene in which the Witch King is asked what he’s going to do with Gandalf, and he says I will break him? This pays off big time in a battle between the Witch King and Gandalf as Gandalf and Pippin ride to save Faramir from the pyre. At the end of the battle, the Witch King breaks Gandalf’s staff and then the Rohirrim turn up and the Witch King gets distracted. The beginning of this confrontation is one of the $$$ shots in the ROTK trailer: the Witch King’s fell beast landing on the ramparts in front of Gandalf and Pippin on Shadowfax.’
• ‘We see Gamling die on the Pelennor Fields theres a quick shot of Eomer bawling in the ROTK trailer.’
• ‘In the Houses of Healing, Aragorn heals Faramir, who then meets Eowyn and they fall in love. Aww.’
• ‘A disguised Frodo and Sam join a column of marching orcs on the way to Mt Doom. Their master is a ferocious orc captain with a whip. Remember the line heard over the sweeping shot of the orcs marching down through Mordor right after the Cirith Ungol sequence? That’s him, yelling Come on you slugs!.’
• ‘The Mouth of Sauron scene changes the emphasis of the entire final battle between men and orcs at the Black Gates. In the theatrical cut, Aragorn and Co. ride up to the gates, they open, and orcs come out to fight. In the extended version, they are greeted by the Mouth of Sauron (played by the Matrix’s Train Man, Bruce Spence), who has pointy teeth and a pointy helmet that covers his eyes (he doesn't need them, see? He's just a mouth). He rides out to show the heroes Frodos mithril vest, recently stolen by the orcs at Cirith Ungol, and to let them know that Frodo is dead and the ring is on its way to Sauron. Aragorn believes him, and the heroes despair. Going into battle at the Black Gates, the heroes have no hope at all it’s their last stand for sure, and Aragorn’s line for Frodo refers to his sacrifice, not to buying time.’ |
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Caliburn
Guest
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Posted:
Mon Jan 05, 2004 3:36 am Post subject: |
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| graywolf wrote: |
| My god man 3 hours and 21 minutes and you thought it was rushed! There must be some ent blood in you somewhere |
I can still feel me butt :-) |
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Reijklin
Cadet 3
Joined: Nov 25, 2003
Member#: 3789
Posts: 10
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Posted:
Mon Jan 05, 2004 11:58 am Post subject: |
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Biggest irritants and oversights as far as I'm concerned:
1) Sam would NEVER have abandoned Frodo. As a matter of fact, he beat the crap out of Gollum to get to Frodo. I can understand Jackson's wanting to do it that way - it's more dramatic - but it is totally out of character for Sam.
2) Okay, I'll admit this is a nitpick, but the extended version of Two Towers makes it clear that Merry and Pippin drink some of the Ent draughts and grow as a result. Why is there no mention of this in RoTK? Why are they the same height (compared to Sam) as at the beginning of the story?
3) I understand the reasons for deleting the Scouring of the Shire part of the story. But dammit, I would have liked to have seen it. 
Other than that, I felt it was an excellent and very credible film version of the story. I think it will be a long time, if ever, that anybody attempts telling this story again - and I'm very glad that Jackson and his crew took the time and energy to do it right. There are cuts and there were editorial changes that had to be done to make it interesting on film...but I felt that they enhanced rather than detracted from the story...other than the ones I mentioned above. |
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Cocles
Commodore
Joined: Mar 06, 2002
Member#: 15
Posts: 2587
Location: Los Angeles, CA
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Posted:
Mon Jan 05, 2004 5:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Reijklin wrote: |
Biggest irritants and oversights as far as I'm concerned:
1) Sam would NEVER have abandoned Frodo. As a matter of fact, he beat the crap out of Gollum to get to Frodo. I can understand Jackson's wanting to do it that way - it's more dramatic - but it is totally out of character for Sam. |
Had he NOT gone back, that would have been out of character. But for him to have his moment of doubt was perfectly within the borders. He was having an internal breakdown, and people tend to not think straight and act like themselves when that happens. It worked, and improved the sequence, since now Sam was not only pissed that Gollum hurt Frodo, but also because he made him doubt his own resolve and oath to Gandalf.
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| 2) Okay, I'll admit this is a nitpick, but the extended version of Two Towers makes it clear that Merry and Pippin drink some of the Ent draughts and grow as a result. Why is there no mention of this in RoTK? Why are they the same height (compared to Sam) as at the beginning of the story? |
At the end of the extended version Merry notes that he's now once again the taller of the two and says he's glad everything's a little more back to normal. The Ent draught wore off. |
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Legolas
Commander
Joined: Aug 08, 2002
Member#: 178
Posts: 857
Location: Drunkest state in USA
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Posted:
Mon Jan 05, 2004 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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Possibly you may be right cocles. Jackson may have changed the power of Ent draught. But in the books They come back to the shire as very tall hobbits. And Sam and Frodo notice this first. So hopefully they'll add in a scene to that if this is the case. They only grew a couple of inches, and watching them in regular stances may not show the difference. I Personally thought that at the end of the TT EE Merry was refering to the fact that the bit of Draught he chugged before the tree incident made him taller. I guess we will see.
So side not. How about that ch=ching. I wonder what YVOND thinks about that????? Pushing a quater billion and all... hmmm... I think he is missing out if he isn't watching these films in the closet If only he could accept it as a different story. Rather than compare the two constantly... What a pitty. |
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Yvond
Lieutenant
Joined: Apr 02, 2002
Member#: 39
Posts: 178
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Posted:
Mon Jan 05, 2004 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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The movies are simply too dark, regardless of how Jackson butchered the characterization, story line, plot elements, themes, tone, etc., etc., etc. I will not watch TTT or ROTK, ever. I wish that I had never watched FOTR. A billion dollars in earnings does not not surprise me, and they can make a trillion dollars for all I care.
Leggy, you want to know what I think? They're horrendous. But you already knew that, didn't you?
Satisfied with the response you were trolling for? |
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Legolas
Commander
Joined: Aug 08, 2002
Member#: 178
Posts: 857
Location: Drunkest state in USA
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Posted:
Mon Jan 05, 2004 11:39 pm Post subject: |
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YVOND!
SO glad you are alive!!!! I thought you would never come back... Yvond times can be dark in reality as well, these films are great regaurdless, I had a hunch about your answere. But I guess I had hope that it maybe could change. I see you still see this director as the right hand of satan. It must be dark times for you to not see the bright light that shines on Jackson and his team of the retelling of a great story of hope.
Come out of the dark Yvond. But grab some shades , its soo nice in the light! |
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Cocles
Commodore
Joined: Mar 06, 2002
Member#: 15
Posts: 2587
Location: Los Angeles, CA
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Posted:
Tue Jan 06, 2004 1:20 am Post subject: |
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| Yvond wrote: |
The movies are simply too dark, regardless of how Jackson butchered the characterization, story line, plot elements, themes, tone, etc., etc., etc. I will not watch TTT or ROTK, ever. I wish that I had never watched FOTR. A billion dollars in earnings does not not surprise me, and they can make a trillion dollars for all I care.
Leggy, you want to know what I think? They're horrendous. But you already knew that, didn't you?
Satisfied with the response you were trolling for? |
How the hell would you know the "movies" are too dark if you've only seen one of them? The only troll I see on this thread Yvond is you. Leggy incites you, then you encite everyone else. "WHAT!? Someone saying LOTR sucks even though he's only seen the first one!?!?!?!" Worse than that, you're now also repeating your posts. I lost count of the amount of posts you've made stating how much LOTR sucks.
Wake me up when you have something positive to say for once. Next to you even I look like Captain Kangaroo.
P.S. And Leggy, for god's sake stop feeding the Trolls. |
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Caliburn
Guest
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Posted:
Tue Jan 06, 2004 3:00 am Post subject: |
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| Cocles wrote: |
| P.S. And Leggy, for god's sake stop feeding the Trolls. |
Well in a way Leggy started it himself. He asked from Yvond's response... Well he got one :-) |
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Cocles
Commodore
Joined: Mar 06, 2002
Member#: 15
Posts: 2587
Location: Los Angeles, CA
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Posted:
Tue Jan 06, 2004 3:44 am Post subject: |
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I know. Leggy, knock it off. Yvond, there are decaffeinated coffees out there now that are just as tasty as the originals. |
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Legolas
Commander
Joined: Aug 08, 2002
Member#: 178
Posts: 857
Location: Drunkest state in USA
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Posted:
Tue Jan 06, 2004 11:52 am Post subject: |
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I am deeply sorry. I was fishing a bit, when I asked what Yvond would think.
And yes Cal I did get a response, and thats what surprised me the most.  You see I was fishing to see if Yvond would actually read a thread about the third movie, when he hated the first one so much. But sure enough he was in this thread, reading the reviews, keeping up to date on the movie gossip.
I wasn't trying to create drama, just curious if his status had changed. And I thought maybe it would have if he was to be reading anything from this thread ...But maybe he was just curious if we all hated it... And then when my little fishing line recieved a tug. It was a big dramatic tug. I mean such passion was put into that answere, even though it was the same over the top response that we had last time we discussed these movies. I actually wondered if he just cut and pasted.
I am again sorry. I'll try and not do any troll fishing. |
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Caliburn
Guest
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Posted:
Tue Jan 06, 2004 12:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Cocles wrote: |
| there are decaffeinated coffees out there now that are just as tasty as the originals. |
But they dont give me the boost that I need every morning |
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