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#1 |
Queen of Nargothrond
Administrator Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Akron, Ohio - USA
Posts: 7,121
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My Movie Review
Well guys, went and saw it last night. It was OK. I was a little disappointed with the omission of certian characters as I knew I would be. I thought the acting was superb and I found many parts suspenseful, and some parts downright scary. The part where Boramir dies was very sad. Legolas is a master with the bow, and very handsome too.
Now for the bad stuff. As I said, the lack of Gildor and Glorfindel was a disappointment. All of the Hobbits were good, but my least favorite was Sam. I absolutely despised Elrond, and Galadriel. Not to mention they are dogs. If Finrod Felagund looked anything like his sister in this movie, I would have to dump him. ![]() |
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#2 |
Elven Warrior
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: aisle 12, seat#2
Posts: 449
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I reccomend that you see it at least one more time on the big screen. That way you can really absorb the film which I understand is not the Book. I think you'll find it a bit more appealling the second go around...
"My brother, my captian, my king..."
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"Holy Entmoot, Batman!" "Who knows, Robin? This strange mixing of minds may be the greatest single sevice ever performed for humanity! Let's go, but, inconspicuosly, through the window. We'll use our Batropes. Our job is finished." Oh, btw, Frodo lives. |
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#3 |
Queen of Nargothrond
Administrator Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Akron, Ohio - USA
Posts: 7,121
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I definately agree. I do intend to see it agian. Like the books, it isn't something you can do just once.
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#4 |
Elven Warrior
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: New York State
Posts: 309
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Hiya, Sister--
The only strong disagreement I have with your cast assessment (besides the fact that I LIKE dogs--LOL), is that I really loved John Rhys-Davies' portayal of Gimli, IMHO, he was brilliant. But we're all entitled to our own opinions. That's what makes Middle earth go 'round. ![]() I FORCED myself not to fret over characters who were left out or changed a lot, and it wasn't easy. But, as a result, I enjoyed the movie more.
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FRODO LIVES!! (sung to the tune of "My Boyfriend's Back") Now, Gandalf's back, and you're gonna be in trouble (Hey-la, hey-la---Now, Gandalf's back) Soon, Barad-dur is gonna be a pile of rubble (Hey-la, hey-la---Now, Gandalf's back) |
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#5 |
Hobbit
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: The Shire
Posts: 49
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Sister, with all due respect (well, you know me
![]() I had been following this movie on the Net for about half a year, last two-three months pretty closely. I admit, I went to the cinema with not-so-mild suspision. Three hours later I walked out in great distress. It proved far worse than I feared. I don't mean everything was bad, far from it. The scenery is at times simply breathtaking; the props are exquisite; the casting is generally good (though many actors are misdirected IMHO). I really, really like the music (I've bought the soundtrack CD and listen to it almost every day ![]() “I do earnestly hope that in the assignment of actual speeches to the characters they will be represented as I have presented them: in style and sentiment. I should resent perversion of the characters (and do resent it, so far as it appears in this sketch) even more than the spoiling of the plot and scenery.” (J.R.R.Tolkien, Letters, 2000, Letter 210 p.275) This is exactly what Peter Jackson has done - rewritten the text and changed the characters (almost everyone!) I cannot help feeling that by doing this PJ demonstrated lack of respect to both the author and the book, and it makes me very sad.
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Above all shadows rides the Sun And stars forever dwell; I will not say the day is done, Nor bid the stars farewell. |
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#6 |
Radically Tolkienited
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: If home is where the heart is, and my heart is in heaven...that should answer your question. <+><
Posts: 967
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Actually it should be considered a BLESSING. I was re reading LOTR and I found that I still had the same images of Merry and Pippin as I had BEFORE I went to the Movie. They had the smae accents I gave them and the same faces and EVERYTHING. I did'nt get to Rivendell. My Mom was reading it to us and stopped because it went over the little siblings heads, but I still have my OWN portrayal of Merry and Pippin. The reason why is because they were changed JUST enough in LOTR the movie so that the characters were unique, the movie was uniqe and the book remained the book...unique in it's beauty and words.
I honestly suggest you see it again. My mom didn't like th efirst time she saw it but the second time she saw it she LOVED it. And I'm finding I need to see it again because all I can remeber are the funny scenes and the stupidly over done scenes. I need to see it again to get that image of Rivendell back inot my head. Sam
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Jesus is my all in all <><+<><+<><+<><+<><+<><+ People who are so concerned with escapism do have a name...we call them jailers. ~J.R.R Tolkien Radically Saved, Totally Tolkienited GOD... BLESS... AMERICA... |
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#7 |
Queen of Nargothrond
Administrator Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Akron, Ohio - USA
Posts: 7,121
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Hi Elanor,
Yeah, I knew all this. I can't say that I was thrilled with the entire film ,but I wasn't as disappointed as I thought I would be. |
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#8 |
Hobbit
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: derbyshire, england
Posts: 42
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Oh, I think you are being a bit harsh on the elven portrayal in the movies sister. I thought the elven actors were very good. Cate Blanchett was suitably queenly. Elrond, well nothing is ever going to be what we think it is going to look like, the actor did a very good job in my opinion.
I'm not sure whether the choice to have curved blades for the elves in the film was right. I always imagine them as greco-roman. However his has not got much to do with this thread.
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"fly you fools" - Gandalf |
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#9 | |
Hobbit
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: The Shire
Posts: 49
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Above all shadows rides the Sun And stars forever dwell; I will not say the day is done, Nor bid the stars farewell. |
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#10 | |
Queen of Nargothrond
Administrator Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Akron, Ohio - USA
Posts: 7,121
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#11 |
Hobbit
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 23
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I'm with you Elanor. The movie has it's good points, but too many of the characters were twisted in an effort to "Hollywoodize" the film.
And I agree with you too Sister. Elrond was horrible, IMO. He had that nasty, intense frown in almost every scene. Not even close to the fair, wise elven lord I had hoped to see. And I thought they made him seem like a human-hater. Not really appropriate considering he's part human too. And Galadriel? Someone here said she was queenly, and maybe she was...but what I got the most from her was just plain creepy. In every scene she's giving Frodo a total evil stare. And then there's that way inappropriate "One who has seen the eye!!" thing. yuck.
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#12 |
I am Freddie/UNDERCOVER/ Founder of The Great Continent of Entmoot
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Plainsboro, NJ
Posts: 9,431
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![]() I agree with you guys - especially Elanor Gamgee. I was disappointed with the portrayals of the characters.
Gandalf never came across as wise - he seemed to be bumbling around all the time, he also was very subservient to Elrond when they were discussing what to do with the Ring. Elrond was very condescending to him instead of two wise people discussing a problem that they both knew had one solution. It would have been okay to portray Gandalf as an old man in Hobbiton - but outside of there he should have been portrayed more wise. Pippin and Merry were very different in the movie. Pippin was one of my favorite characters in the book - but was completely destroyed in the movie. I guess Jackson needed a lot of comic relief in order to balance out the numerous extended action scenes. But in the book Pippin and Merry were more innocent and not clownish. They acted like Laurel and Hardy or maybe the 3 Stooges. I thought they both came off as just goofy. Hopefully I'll change my mind after TT comes out and they start going through their transformation. Pippin and Merry also looked older than I pictured them. Hobbits in their twenties (tweens) are similar to humans in their teens - so i was expecting them to act and look like that. Not infantile 30 year olds. I know a lot of people loved Pippin and Merry - but sorry - I thought they were the worst. Frodo was okay - except for Jackson completely screwing up the Flight to the Ford scene. The "death" scenes could have been played down a little. What's going to happen in Shelob's Lair? Everyone is just going to say "Dead again? You've got to be joking." I just thought the death scenes at the Ford and in Moria were way over done. Aragorn's character was completely chopped up. In the movie he's just running from being king and "chose a different road". I guess Jackson needed the romance angle - so of course Aragorn is doing the whole adventure/destroy the ring/become king for Arwen routine. I actually liked Sam - I thought Sean Astin did a pretty good job portraying him. I think he was most like his character from the book. When I first heard he was playing Sam I was wondering how Sean would do in the role - since he was always muscular - but then I had read he had put on 30 pounds for the part. I felt Gimli's and Legolas's characters weren't developed enough to really get to know them. They were acted well though and I think they portrayed their characters well. Boromir in the stealing the ring scene was cool. I think he was pretty good. I never really liked Boromir as a "person" though - even in the book. Jackson came no where near to creating a movie that made me feel for the characters the way I did reading the books. I wasn't expecting a verbatim copy of the books - but I just didn't really care enough about even Frodo. Maybe once all the movies come out - and if there is a Directors Cut with a lot more character development - I'll change my mind. But having seen FOTR 5 times - I think Jackson only made a shadow of what the movie could have been and didn't come close to the books. I don't really think anyone could have come close to the books. One thing's for sure - all the people reading LOTR for the first time because of the movie are in for a surprise. I wonder which they'll like better - the movie (having seen it first) or the book. Hopefully they'll come away thinking the book is better.
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Come back! Come back! To Mordor we will take you! "The only thing better than a great plan is implementing a great plan" - JerseyDevil "If everyone agreed with me all the time, everything would be just fine"- JerseyDevil AboutNewJersey.com New Jersey MessageBoard Another Tolkien Forum Memorial to the Twin Towers New Jersey Map Fellowship of the Messageboard Legend of the Jersey Devil Support New Jersey's Liberty Tower Peacefire.org AboutNewJersey.com - New Jersey Travel and Tourism Guide Last edited by jerseydevil : 01-18-2002 at 03:02 PM. |
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#13 |
Lady of Letters
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Either Oxford or Kent, England
Posts: 2,476
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"The "death" scenes could have been played down a little. What's going to happen in Shelob's Lair? Everyone is just going to say "Dead again? You've got to be joking." I just thought the death scenes at the Ford and in Moria were way over done."
My friend turned to me at that point (in Moria) and said: "how many times can this guy die?" She's not read the book, wonder what she'll think of the next two films... |
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#14 |
Lady of Letters
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Either Oxford or Kent, England
Posts: 2,476
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I was trying to quote there, obviously something went wrong.
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#15 |
Hobbit
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: The Shire
Posts: 49
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Thanks a lot, Billadillo and jerseydevil. Feels better after your posts. Three is a company, you know
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Above all shadows rides the Sun And stars forever dwell; I will not say the day is done, Nor bid the stars farewell. |
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#16 | |
Queen of Nargothrond
Administrator Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Akron, Ohio - USA
Posts: 7,121
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#17 |
Elf Lord
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Slow down and I sail on the river, slow down and I walk to the hill
Posts: 2,389
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I'll be reading LOTR for the first time after seeing the movie. Being a book person, I'll probably like the book better, but I thought the movie was well made.
Elrond didn't exactly look pleasant to me either. When I read The Hobbit I pictured him..well...different. Then again, my personal race of elves (in my 'novel') looks much different than Tolkien's version.
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#18 |
I am Freddie/UNDERCOVER/ Founder of The Great Continent of Entmoot
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Plainsboro, NJ
Posts: 9,431
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![]() Star Polish -
Actually Tolkien changed a lot of the characters between the Hobbit and LOTR. The Hobbit was more cartoonish and The Lord of the Rings was far more dark. Elrond I think is the most drastically changed between the two books. But the elves in general between the two books are almost unrecognizable. The Elves are more serious in LOTR - whereas in the Hobbit they're more fairy like - as when they're hanging from the trees as Bilbo and company make their way into Rivendell. This can also be seen with Legolas - a wood elf from Mirkwood. His race of elves is very different than the Rivendell elves in the Hobbit - but there doesn't seem to be as much of a contrast between the two in LOTR. The other big change between the two books are the goblins. In The Lord of the Rings they've become Orcs and are portrayed as much more ferocious and mean and do not sing songs at all. ![]() Tolkien's writing style also changed. In some ways this almost makes the books even more real - because The Hobbit was written by Bilbo as "There and Back Again". And LOTR was mostly written by Frodo as an extention to Bilbo's book.
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Come back! Come back! To Mordor we will take you! "The only thing better than a great plan is implementing a great plan" - JerseyDevil "If everyone agreed with me all the time, everything would be just fine"- JerseyDevil AboutNewJersey.com New Jersey MessageBoard Another Tolkien Forum Memorial to the Twin Towers New Jersey Map Fellowship of the Messageboard Legend of the Jersey Devil Support New Jersey's Liberty Tower Peacefire.org AboutNewJersey.com - New Jersey Travel and Tourism Guide Last edited by jerseydevil : 01-18-2002 at 09:30 PM. |
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#19 |
Elven Warrior
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Neverneverland
Posts: 215
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![]() I think that Hugo Weaving (Elrond) just has the uncertain kind of face...he looked strange in "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" (even when he wasn't dressed in drag)!!!
I read the books after the movie..so while I was watching it I didn't really know if they had mucked up the characters!!! Boromir I never really liked cause he always seemed so strange and he always wanted to go somewhere different than what was suggested!!! I loved Sam in both the movie and the book!!! But I am going to see the movie again tonight and I will be able to watch the characters with the book in mind!!!! ![]() |
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