Return of the King - Page 6

boann · December 17, 2003, 23:37

just got back from seeing this
took off work early

AWESOME just awesome

Donegeal · December 17, 2003, 23:44

Excellent. Go see it on the big screen as soon as possible.

PS- Did I mention that it was good?

Ned · December 17, 2003, 23:51

I just got back too from seeing it. This is a truly great film. Truly great!

(Caveat: I have not read the book. My daughter has - and she was disappointed because it did not emphasize the story of the Hobbits as much as in the book. Still, in my view, the relationship between Sam, Frodo and Smegal was the best part of the movie.)

I will see this film again, and perhaps a few more times after that.

I also have the soundtrack on CD. It is also something.

RoTK!

David Floyd · December 18, 2003, 02:16

Wonderful movie!

Ned · December 18, 2003, 02:42

I really enjoyed the performances of Frodo, Sam and, of course, Gandolf. The best of the series. They should be considered for academy awards.

Sprayber · December 18, 2003, 04:55

Awesome movie. Great end to the triliogy. Now I can actually read the books.

One thing I remain clueless on is the Scouring of the Shire in the book. I've heard people talk about it here and there but the only thing in the movie was a case of what might be if the ring isnt destroyed. If the Shire was scoured, Why does it look so great when they return or is this something that happens afterwards. Or maybe the movie version acts like it never took place to begin with..

Drake Tungsten · December 18, 2003, 05:11

Quote:

Or maybe the movie version acts like it never took place to begin with..

Bingo.

Imran Siddiqui · December 18, 2003, 05:15

Quote:

Or maybe the movie version acts like it never took place to begin with..

Bingo

.

Or so I've heard (and read).

Tragic really, because Tolkien, himself, considered it to be one of the most important parts of the book. He had concieved of it when he started writing and the events led up to it. As he says:

... it has been supposed by some that 'The Scouring of the Shire' reflects the situation in England at the time when I was finishing my tale. It does not. It is an essential part of the plot, foreseen from the outset ... The country in which I lived in childhood was being shabbily destroyed before I was ten ...

Imran Siddiqui · December 18, 2003, 05:16

Damn you Drake! I had to add explination

.

Guynemer · December 18, 2003, 06:58

Tolkien may have considered it "essential," but in reality it is a tooth-grinding, show-stopping, endless portion of the epilogue; the films are much better for having left it out.

Carolus Rex · December 18, 2003, 07:40

A question to all who've seen it (I haven't yet, but I soon will...).

I fear the end is too sentimental as I've read advice about bringing handkerchiefs when seeing it. Is it?

Sentimentality is something I absolutely hate... For instance, the scene in Matrix Revolutions when Trinity dies... Patetic! People were laughing out loud in the cinema because it was so corny...

I'd hate it if there's the same drivel at the end of ROTK... Please, tell me it isn't so...

Carolus

Sikander · December 18, 2003, 08:42

Quote:

Originally posted by Dissident
Did I hear 2 names for elf locations? I thought I heard Rivendale and one other.

So Archie and Jughead are Elves? That explains a lot.

Q Classic · December 18, 2003, 08:45

Quote:

Smegal

smeagol. iirc, wasn't he also at one time, before the ring warped him, shirefolk? i can't remember...

Theben · December 18, 2003, 09:11

Quote:

Originally posted by Carolus Rex
A question to all who've seen it (I haven't yet, but I soon will...).

I fear the end is too sentimental as I've read advice about bringing handkerchiefs when seeing it. Is it?

Sentimentality is something I absolutely hate... For instance, the scene in Matrix Revolutions when Trinity dies... Patetic! People were laughing out loud in the cinema because it was so corny...

I'd hate it if there's the same drivel at the end of ROTK... Please, tell me it isn't so...

Carolus

You'd have to not have read the books and be uber-girly to think the ending is a handkerchief moment. As you're from Sweden, you've got about a 50-50 chance.

Sikander · December 18, 2003, 09:24

Well, I just got back from the movie with my girlfriend, and I have to say that I'm more than a little disappointed. Sure it had plenty of star power, and the performances were pretty good overall. But the film seemed like a bunch of trite revisionism to me, simply another vehicle for its overblown star. And what's so great about Julia Roberts anyway? Sure she's cute if you like huge mouths and big t!ts on skinny women, but her acting range is limited to these sorts of predictable Hollywood productions. Bleh! I'd rather see her co-stars in their own films any day of the week. Fortunately I hear the Return of the King is opening soon, so perhaps I'll be able to wash the memory of this film from my mind with more savory fare.

Q Classic · December 18, 2003, 09:26

nice, sikander.

i like how you led us on with that.

Lonestar · December 18, 2003, 10:09

Quote:

Originally posted by Q Cubed

Quote:

Smegal

smeagol. iirc, wasn't he also at one time, before the ring warped him, shirefolk? i can't remember...

He was part of the "Riverfolk", Hobbits or Hobbitlike critters who lived East of the Misty Mountains.

boann · December 18, 2003, 10:09

Quote:

Originally posted by Sikander

Well, I just got back from the movie with my girlfriend, and I have to say that I'm more than a little disappointed. Sure it had plenty of star power, and the performances were pretty good overall. But the film seemed like a bunch of trite revisionism to me, simply another vehicle for its overblown star. And what's so great about Julia Roberts anyway? Sure she's cute if you like huge mouths and big t!ts on skinny women, but her acting range is limited to these sorts of predictable Hollywood productions. Bleh! I'd rather see her co-stars in their own films any day of the week. Fortunately I hear the Return of the King is opening soon, so perhaps I'll be able to wash the memory of this film from my mind with more savory fare.

JULIA ROBERTS...

shes not in this movie....

your girlfriend took you to another movie
and maybe distracted you

Lonestar · December 18, 2003, 10:10

You're a bit slow on the uptake, aren't you bBoann?

Arrian · December 18, 2003, 11:00

Saw it yesterday.

Liked it.

Odd as it may sound, at 3 1/2 hours, it felt... rushed. I definitely want to see the extended edition when it comes out. The main part of the story just seem to blow right by... it only slowed a bit at the end.

I was ok with most, if not all, of the changes. It's actually some of the omissions that bothered me a bit more, I think. There is not much explanation for Denethor's madness in the movie, for instance.

The endings were a bit drawn out, and strange to me, because of the lack of scouring of the Shire. I think the ending could have been better done, but it's not that big a deal to me.

The battle of Pelennor fields was excellent, and the fight with the Witchking of Agmar was really, really well done. I liked that a lot.

More time could have been spent on Frodo & Sam trekking across Gorgoroth (cut down on the jumping up and down on Frodo's sickbed later, and gimme more struggle to get to Mt. Doom).

Anyway, it was good, and I'm going to see it again on Saturday with some friends who haven't seen it.

-Arrian

hexagonian · December 18, 2003, 11:12

Jackson has most of that footage, so I expect it to be in the EE DVD. So we will see the 'real' ROTK then...

The one thing that did bother me about Denethor is that in the book, he had one of the palantir, and it was the fact that he saw the plans that Sauron had for the West that ultimately drove him to madness. IMO, that would of worked more believability into his madness, rather than simply using Jackson's (over)-emphasis on the favored son issue and grief over Boromir that he had.

The funny thing is, it would of taken maybe 45 seconds of footage to pull it off - hardly a backbreaker for a 3 1/2 hour movie.

gunkulator · December 18, 2003, 11:57

Am I the only one who likes The Scouring of the Shire? One of the main themes in the book is that a great victory can only be achieved when accompanied by a great loss. Tolkien didn't want a "They lived happily ever after" type ending. Although the Shire still stands at the end, its innocence is gone forever.

GhengisFarb™ · December 18, 2003, 12:05

Watched it last night and was impressed. I am irritated they took out the battle between Gandalf and Saruman though. The last 45 minutes were useless and contained no story. For those who haven't seen it, when Frodo and Sam are on a rock surrounded by lava and the screen goes black, that's the end of the movie.

There's another 45 minutes after that but nothing story wise happens, its just Academy Award attempts. Kinda like and epilogue in a novel.

hexagonian · December 18, 2003, 12:07

I like it (Scouring...), but it probably would of not worked in the movie - given that the audience is a lot wider than just people who have read Tolkien 10-15 times (or even more) in their lives.

One of the reasons why Bombadil was never even considered for the movie. (and thankfully, I might add) The only purpose he had was as a literary filler on the trip to Bree and to show that the Ring had no power over certain individuals.

Ecthy · December 18, 2003, 12:09

I know everything. Ask me.

Q Classic · December 18, 2003, 12:09

oh, so it's like the book then. which ends with book 5 of 6 (each book-book is divided into 2 books.

). and book 6 is just "oh, let's all say bye now."

Ecthy · December 18, 2003, 12:15

not quite, Q^3

boann · December 18, 2003, 12:16

Quote:

Originally posted by Lonestar
You're a bit slow on the uptake, aren't you bBoann?

you do know im blonde don't you

so splain it to me oh master

gunkulator · December 18, 2003, 12:16

Quote:

Originally posted by GhengisFarb
Watched it last night and was impressed. I am irritated they took out the battle between Gandalf and Saruman though.

What battle is that? In TTT, Gandalf and Saruman exchange words and then Gandalf breaks Saruman's staff but that's about as much of a battle they have. In ROTK, an unrepentent Saruman is met by Gandalf and others on the road where Gandalf offers Saruman a chance to change his ways. Saruman says no and that's that. It is Grima that eventually kills Saruman, or his physical form anyway, after the Hobbits defeat his henchmen.

Ecthy · December 18, 2003, 12:17

Well he's killed before they reach the shire.