LOTR movie then

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dagsverre

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Just back from the theatre....watched you-know-what...

There are spoilers in here. Things you don't want to read unless you have watched the movie. So go watch it and then read. And no, I'm not talking about spoilers as in "spoiling the plot", that would have been a joke... what I will do is discuss how I think the movie fared, and you should be able to watch it without prejudices. It's actually more of a spoiler if you've read it 50 times than if you have never read it...

I actually haven't fully decided whether I like it or not. Perhaps the doubt speaks for itself: It isn't perfect. However I think I will reach the conclusion that I liked it. I mean, for a film it is *really* good!, but as LOTR...well...

The negative things first.

My main problem with it is that it doesn't communicate the feeling of them being on a journey. It is simply rushed. We knew this of course, I mean it couldn't be any other way. I guess I had to experience it to fully believe it though.

Concrete things...well...Galadriel looks completely foolish when Frodo offers her the ring. The film is simply over-effectized on a lot of areas. They could really have spared themselves the massive blast when Sauron was defeated in the second age, it was unnecesarry and little tasteful. The computer-animated Legolas is horrible jumping down from the trolls back...

Personally I would have preferred more weight on the journey...the hiking if you will, and make Aragorn site some poems as in the books...and less weight on the forces of the ring, which is when it comes down to it less central in the book.

The action is of course over-focused as well. The action scenes is incredible, but there are something like six battles in the film, and it does become repetetive (first fight the Nazguls, then a troll, then a balrog, then a uruk-hai...they all get a game-boss feel really, reading the books I at least never dreamed of comparing an uruk-hai and an balrog)

On the other hand, if you ignore the ending (Titanic soundtrack? In LOTR? Aaargh...) then they avoided the Hollywood traps. My worst fear was that it turned out into something like Gladiator. In that respect I guess it kind of overachieved, it's (thankfully) nothing like Gladiator, I mean it's closer to art-films than Hollywood.

This is also a reason that I cannot see the mainstream Britney-digging, American Pie-loving crowd fall in love with this movie. From what I can judge, this film won't bring Tolkien any more mainstream than it was.

Many many people are going to come out disappointed over this movie, simply because it's different from all expectations (the ones I have come across at least). But, all in all, I enjoyed it ("many many people" also loved Gladiator). If I hadn't read the books I'd probably say it was the best movie I'd ever seen. I mean, this feeling was predicable right?

This might not have come all that clear through, after all I'm still making up my opinions here.

To get on topic to *this* board, let me conclude with saying that as they walked into Moria and Gandalf stops to ponder what way to choose, I got a real Final Fantasy dungeon-walking feel. A good thing.
 
I have to agree with parts of that but personaly I thought that this was the best movie I have ever seen and I have read Lord of the Rings 3 or 4 times before. And yeah I would have loved to have heard more poems and stories from Aragorn on their journey's but I guess that it's Peter Jacksons adaptation and he's done a priety damm good job of an almost impossible task!
 
still the movie looks wonderful and it picks near the last half of the movie. and besides didn't you guys read the book. half of it is background infomation so you understand whats going on.
 
As a movie, I liked it. Really well done.

However... I hated those evil camera moves that felt like a rollercoaster. It made me nausius, and now I have a headache.

In the grand scheme of things, I think The FF movie is just a little better, but this is still a great film!

Sephiroth 3D

"I don't understand..." "You don't have to understand." - Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

Sephiroth 3D.com
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the reason FF:Spririts within was better was it ALL CG. so the camera angles were 100% under control. in LorT it wasn't so they might have over done the "scary" angle effects.
 
Sugoi.

I went to see the movie last night.  Even though I was really sleepy yesterday I couldn't keep my eyes off the movie.  I can't wait to see the other parts.

-vvalentine
[edited] 213 2001-12-20 19:51
 
Just watched it today, and here's what I've gotta say.

dag is right about the journey part. When I watched it was as if they didn't even need to travel at all. Think about it, in no time, they were already at the Prancing Pony.
I think people who've read the book would be slightly disappointed, or at least I was. Imagine watching the movie and *knowing* what will happen next and suddenly it doesn't happen cause they didn't include that section.

The enemies were very well done, I personally enjoyed the balrog part ;)
The battles however were not.
Take for example the battle between Saruman & Gandalf, it could have been much better. What's so fun about watching two wizards fighting each other using their staffs and a "spinning Gandalf" spell?

I'm not too sure here, since I've only read the book once but wasn't there supposed to be a section on Tom Bombadil?

Hehe, when the movie was over, I heard a number of people saying, "That's all? I wasted 3 hours to see this ending?"

Honestly, I would have prefered it if they let the viewers piece the history together themselves by having flashbacks then have the whole history layed out right at the start.

Though it looks like I didn't enjoy the story based on my comments above, I actually really enjoyed it. I pretty selective when it comes to watching movies, and I must say this movie was excellent but it could have been better.
 
Yeah the Tom Bombadil is early on in the Fellowship when the Hobbits are still in The Shire.... but seems as though it has got nothing to do with the story what was the point in putting it in.

I didnt like the idea that Elrond was there with Isildur on the cracks of Mount Doom when the ring should have been destoryed.... or was that actualy in the book.... i forget now!
Did anyone when they read the book imagine Isengard to be like it was in the film though? And I have to say that Gollum looks priety cool
 
It wasn't in the book, but it might be in "History of Middle-Earth", which is a complete release of all his unreleased material (perhaps "Sauron Defeated"). I think it's ok to build on that. I haven't read all of the History though so I can't tell you for sure (Elrond was fighting with or close to Isildur in the battle, that much I know).

Gollum looks good, but Lorien didn't...I mean, it looks *good* but it isn't Lorien...
 
what the hell. they took out Tom Bombadil? he was the coolest part of the story, always prancing around and singing, talking to trees, getting hobbits out of them. hehe. oh and a note to others how haven't seen the movie. READ THE BOOK. half of the fun of reading it is the ammout of history put in to it, although i guess thats what happens when you have an expert on world middle age hostroy write a fiction book, and the history in the book will explain more than the movie can. secificly about hobbits and gandalf the white(yes yes i know he's 'the gray' in the first book but he's promoted in the second. :) ) happy viewing
 
seph: yeah the nausia reminded me of the first time i played wolfenstein 3d......
 
Don't even MENTION that game! The mere thought of it makes me nausious. (Damn! I can't spell that!) Because of that, I haven't even considered playing the new one...

Sephiroth 3D

"I don't understand..." "You don't have to understand." - Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

Sephiroth 3D.com
[email protected]
 
hehe i started paying the old one again. i have to stop every half hour or so.
 
the new one's cool but it has a horrible multiplayer. unless you have like 8 people in the game it's just too slow. and if you have 8 or more people in the game the people on 56k can see a thing :( and playing wolfenstine doesn't give me a headache for about 2 hours of straight playing. i hope this isn't a bad sign  :-?
 
i know i wanted to shot someone for making it such a horrible level. BUT WAIT i couldn't cause i couldn't find any one.
 
Just saw LotR today, and ... wow. I'm very impressed. There are plenty of minor issues I could pick up on - most of which Dag's already mentioned; the amount of battle footage vs. travel scenery - but I think, considering the scale of the task, I'm very happy with the end result. There are so, so many ways it could have ended up worse, and it didn't in the end; I like it. Here in England anyway, it seemed to be doing well; it's now coming up to a week after release and the showing we went to was almost totally sold out. And everyone actually liked it; I think it's the first time my whole family's been to see a film and *everyone* actually really, really loved the film. Sugoi.
 
I went to see it again the other day and jeesh... dont parents take any notice to the warning for the under 8's. I was sat next to this kid who was probably only about 6 years old! He practicaly cried all the way through the film and his dad had to take him out the cinema when Gandalf fell in Moria. Anyway I'm still waiting for a real version to come out on Morpheus to download... heh heh... my girlfriend got me the one ring for christmas today! Doesn't work though, think I might take it back and complain :wink:
 
atleast you saw it. my dads not willing to go and wait in line for the tickets his reasoning is :
As soon I can buy it online the theatre won't be as packed and the movie will be a better experience
screw the better experience i just want an experience. hehe. that sounded wrong.
[edited] 275 2001-12-25 21:27
 
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