Return of the King

[Q Classic]

nice, sikander. i like how you led us on with that.

[Lonestar]

Originally posted by Q Cubed

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]

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]

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

[Arrian]

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]

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]

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.

[GhengisFarbâ„¢]

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]

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]

I know everything. Ask me.

[Q Classic]

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]

not quite, Q^3

[boann]

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]

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]

Well he's killed before they reach the shire.