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Author
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Comment
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Charles Vess
Unregistered User
(1/16/03 11:32:19 am)
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Extended scenes...
I was given the extended DVD for Christmas. With 35 more minutes of totaly integrated (NOT added at the end) footage FELLOWSHIP, at last felt like a whole piece. Long scenes of the Shire before Frodo shows up. Frodo and Sam seeing the Elves leaving the Shire. Moments of quiet introspection with several characters. Aragorn singing the lay of (Lordy I forget their names) the mortal and the elf that fall in love, thus echoing his own predicament and most importantly Galadriel presenting her gifts to all of the members of the fellowship. All the characterizations were fuller, richer. It was splendid to watch just before going to see the TWO TOWERS.
Then there are hours and hours and hours of interviews and behind the scenes work that I'll probably never have the time to watch.
Borrow it from a friend, sit back and be royally entertained for 3 1/2 hours that goes by in moments.
Best,
Charles
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craig
Unregistered User
(1/17/03 6:29:41 pm)
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tt and j r tkn
I just had too join in cos I was bought a book earlier this year and picked it up, a few months later (as im not a fast reader I seem to back track a lot, so I must have read it twice , astounded and inspired it left me) Unfinished it.
lotr ending was an anticlimax
the hope they had
the despair the three partys went through
the agonising journey to mordor for sam and frodo they were without hope..just going thru the motions for the most part as they had only that left in their sorry existence. the pain of bearing the ring ,
and finally after this epic slog of a journey hiding under bushes and nibbling on levas, dodging big spiders,orcs , nazgul and climbing mountains they just throw it in the crk o' doom with good old smegs and its over except 5 or 6 chapters on how they get back to the shire and kick out the ruffians then frodo goes on a boat to the grey havens with gandalf and co.
I was deeply dissapointed in the books ending but... deeply moved by the struggle of the chars. leading up to it.
my rating8/10 (not a bad read!)
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americk
Unregistered User
(1/17/03 8:20:41 pm)
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LOTR
Please, I don't want to know how movie 3 will end, so could you please note ahead of time if there will be spoilers in your post.
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Jess
Unregistered User
(1/19/03 11:01:45 am)
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Finally saw it
Last night. Before commenting I should admit that it has been a good quarter of a century since I read the books. Something I ought to right.
The movie was breathtaking, if stressful, to watch. The battle scenes were suffienciently dark and foreboding as well as violent. War is not pretty, and neither were these scenes. I am in the process of reading Winston Churchill's books on WWII. While I understand that Tolkien was not intending on describing what was happening in Europe, I cannot help but think that his dipiction of evil who stops at nothing for power, uses everyone and everything, was influenced by Hitler. The parallels are just too strong. So too, is the emphasis on the need to fight evil before it is overwhelmingly powerful.
About Aragorn and Eowyn: I saw the "relationship" as rather one-sided. About the Ents: the slow aspect was necessary to offset the pace of the other storylines. I needed a breather.
My favorite part of the movie was seeing more of Legolas. For whatever reason, he was always my favorite character in the book and remains so in the movie. I would like to see even more development of the elves and dwarves - perhaps the "missing 35 minutes" would help that. My husband, who has never read the books (sigh), liked Gimley the best.
Jess
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Dharmabum
Registered User
(1/19/03 8:38:16 pm)
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Re: LOTR
I have to echo Charles and say that the extended version is definately worth the price. It will be interesting to see what was cut from the second movie.
The Two Towers, while not as impressive as The Fellowship, does keep pace with the first movie. I enjoyed seeing each character come into his own. Frodo gets caught up in the ring's power more and more; Merry and Pippin begin to lose their innocence (I loved watching their faces throughout the Ent council and the following battle). Gimli was used too much as comic relief, imo (one friend complained bitterly about how he wasn't even acting like a dwarf.)
I think Viggo Mortenson seemed more comfortable as Aragorn in this movie -- he's really grown into that character. In the interviews on the first movie (extended version), Peter Jackson says that he cast Viggo only after discovering that the first actor cast was too young. Does anyone know who this was?
I also think the flashbacks to Arwen and Aragorn slowed down the pacing and felt awkward and out-of-place. Just my opinion.
All in all, another excellent movie.
Dhar
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Chris K
Unregistered User
(1/22/03 9:48:54 am)
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Extended Version
Thanks for the info. on the extended version, Charles and Dhar. I think I will have to consult the board before making and hastsy (as Ents would say) purchases!
Chris Klingbiel
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tlchang37
Registered User
(1/22/03 6:40:15 pm)
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Viggo as replacement
The original actor cast was Stuart Townsend (lately seen in "Queen of the Damned" as Lestat. Didn't really work for me there either). Too young, and 'pretty' IMO. I don't think he has nearly enough screen presence to carry that part off - so hurray for last minute recasting!
Tara
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MarkS
Unregistered User
(1/23/03 7:41:58 pm)
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My 2 cents worth
Well, I LOVE battle scenes and without them fantasy as well as historical
films are boring. Just had to say that to even the odds around here.
I thought the portrayal of Helm's Deep in the movie was terrific,
except for Legolas snowboarding down the stairs and, yet again,
another silly dwarf tossing joke. The only part of the battle I
thought was a stretch were Orcs bringing pikes to a seige (talk
about useless) and then Gandalf's cavalry charge right into those
same pikes - if anyone watched Braveheart we all know how that should
have ended up when the charge slammed home. Of course filmmakers
have no sense of tactics, and want things in a movie because they
"look neat," so I figured I could overlook it and just
enjoy it for what it was.
Also, I LOVE the Ents and was thrilled they had as much screentime in the film as they did, as they were really the only exceptional thing about Two Towers (the book) and were followed by a really looooooooooong period of trudging to Mordor. And if the younger audiences couldn't sit still for Treebeard, they would have gone nuts over the amount of time it really took Frodo, Sam, and Gollum to reach Faramir, much less Mordor. I had some fundamental problems with the way they dealt with Faramir, but I'm thinking it may tie into the third film and how his character is handled. Guess we'll find out...
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Dharmabum
Registered User
(1/23/03 8:25:55 pm)
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Re: Viggo as replacement
I haven't seen Queen of the Damned, so I did a search to check out Stuart Townsend. Ugh...not Aragorn material at all. In fact, if you look at the big pic of him on this site www.stuarttownsend.org he looks kind of like an older, darker Elijah Wood.
I think casting Viggo Mortenson was definately the right choice. He's got those rugged good looks and his face has the ability to really project the struggles Aragorn is facing.
Dhar
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Meurglys
Registered User
(1/24/03 3:59:04 am)
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Re: Dwarf tossing
Another silly joke.
Well, yes, but now the joke in the first movie is revealed as foreshadowing
for the actual dwarf tossing in the second movie! Best to get the
laughing/groaning out the way early on before the big action sequence
so it doesn't spoil the mood.
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