LOTR "The Movie"

[Darth Tater]

Brace yourself afro-elf, this could get ugly

[Ñólendil]

Moriquendë, Shannon

Sorry about the joke Jo, I couldn't resist. Tom Bombadil really didn't make it into the movie, and Boromir did. All the members of the Fellowship are naturally in there.

Wayfarer and I certainly haven't been here since the board started. I think I first started posting here casually as Lorco Books a year ago, and didn't come back for a while. I don't remember when I registered here as Inoldonil. But Wayfarer hasn't been here for a very long time at all, and as far as I can tell he mostly followed me here to pester the administration, and make inside jokes no one understands, save myself.

[Darth Tater]

You were Lorco Books?

[afro-elf]

I'm bracing but it think that they are now wise to my dwimmerlakery (SP?)

and the flame/fun just ain't goin happen

maybe if i bring up frodo's/sam or gimli/legolas

nah, i'll let sleeping balrogs lie

[Churl]

But afro-elf, do Balrogs sleep lying down? I mean, wouldn't their wings get in the way?

…Now that's how you start a flame war around here!

[Renille]

*sigh* Well, birds and dragons sleep lying down, and THEY have wings.

[afro-elf]

well i'm a proponent of the one winged balrog

i think it is a perfect compromise

"birds sleep lying down"

they always seemed to sleep upright to me

maybe the balrogs have giant perches they swing and sleep on

[Ben]

DT: Short memory? That was your reaction last time we told you he was Lorco Books .

Anyway, I have seen the movie... Legolas and Gimli are indeed in it, but their friendship is not developed at all. They're more like the "expendable crewmen" in a Star Trek episode . I guess we will have to wait until The Two Towers for their relationship to blossom.

[Wayfarer]

So, which one does the Balrog kill to prove that things are now Really Bad<tm>?

[Jo El]

My apologies for the delay in responding, its been a very shall we say interesting week.

Thanks for the response, I am enjoying watching the interchange between you. I think I'll hang around like Bilbo in the House of Elrond and learn more from the Elders before I interject many of my own musings.

Best thing about the movie is that it has me making my annual visit to my Tolkien collection at least 3 months early. No matter how many times I read it I always find something new.

The real question is; "Who should have played the fair Goldberry?"

[Renille]

"birds sleep lying down"
I was thinking about BABY birds. Which brings me to the question...are there any baby balrogs? Are there balrog nests in Moria maybe, full of babies who sleep lying down while their parents swing protectively in a perch above them?

[afro-elf]

i think the problem i had was the term "laying down"

yes birds do sleep in their nest with their legs pulled under them and wings pulled in and head pulled down

but the term laying down brought to image of them laying down on their sides

Which brings me to the question...are there any baby balrogs? Are there balrog nests in Moria maybe, full of babies who sleep lying down while their parents swing protectively in a perch above them?

also when mommy and daddy balrog are out doing fire whip training and minion management do the one winged baby laying down balrogs watch the morgoth version of seamse street?

maybe its called angbad's lane

while the count on our seasame street might say 1, 2, 3, chocolate chip cookies ha ha ha

would melkor say 1,2,3, crushed elven kingdoms ha ha ha

this is getting sillly my precious

[anduin]

My, my the things we do and say to occupy ourselves while we wait out the days and hours.

[Renille]

Maybe our Ernie and his rubber ducky are Gollum and the one ring. "My one ring, you're so fine...and I'm happy that you're mine! My precious, I'm awfully fond of youuu!"
Oh yes. You must remember the night-care, run by more one winged balrogs who have several places for the babies to lie down on. This is where they watch Angbad's Lane, a show brought to you by the Mordor corporation, and made possible in part by nightmares like you.

What else am I supposed to do, Anduin? I can't see the move until the 26th!! I can't be in an insane asylum before then.

[Jo El]

Here is a review of LOTR the movie that a friend sent me. Enjoy.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/sneak/lord/lord.html

[Steerpike]

I was able to attend a midnight showing last night [or early this morning.] I have read the books, but it's been years. I am not a major fantasy fan in that I don't read much fantasy unless it's something that gets mainstream acclaim, like Harry Potter or the His Dark Materials series. The same thing for films...I'm more of a horror fan. Anyway, I loved the film. I came to this board afterward just to see what more diehard Tolkien fans thought of it. I can see how it does deviate from parts of the novel, but I don't see how the film could be made any other way. As long as the film is done with general respect toward Tolkien, I think it's fine. Although I understand where some of you are coming from regarding Arwen and the river ford scene, I think Jackson made the right decision. That scene in the film looks better cinematically than the scene you describe from the book.

Ian McKellan and Christopher Lee are excellent. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast is not that exceptional, and I think that's the biggest weakness. The actors who play Strider and Boromir look too much alike--at times I would find myself looking for Boromir's horn in order to figure out who was whom. Of course, I guess that won't be a problem with the next two films
I did enjoy the actors who portrayed Bilbo and Samwise, and I think Gimli and Legolas will look better as their characters are given more to do, but I just couldn't get into the performances of most of the younger actors. That may be more a case them being outclassed by the older actors.

I will see it again next week sometime, and will check for some of the things people are wondering about on the board, like whether that Balrog has wings!

[anduin]

I think the performances of the younger actors, especially Woods, is what made the movie so enjoyable to me. His expressions when he was happy, sad, frightened, or pained made my heart ache. The first statement I made to my friends after the movie was that I thought that the Hobbit's were perfectly cast.

I wasn't bothered by Arwen's role at the Ford either, nor by Tyler's performance in general. She was who I was most worried about and now I don't have to worry about cringing everytime she is on the screen the next time I see the movie.

Something that I don't generally get excited about too much in films are the fight scenes...if you've seen one, you've seen them all. Not so with this movie. Some of my favorite footage of the film are of the battles and fight scenes. Amazing!

If I had to pick a part that I did not like I would have to say the wizard's duel. To me it just felt like it deviated from the books too much. Whereas the Arwen at the Ford scene felt like it could have easily been written that way. I don't know really, and I think I will need more viewings to put those two scenes in perspective.



*POSSIBLE SPOILERS*




Things I missed and wish were included....

Tom Bombadil (I think we all wish for that)
Sam at The Mirror of Galadriel
More of the Elves of Lothlorien
Gimli being blindfolded
More emphasis put on the rift between Elves and Dwarves
Frodo singing and dancing on the table at The Prancing Pony

I think I will stop there, the more I think about it, the more I realize what was left out and I do not wish to spoil it for myself.