Return of the King

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Originally posted by JeremyD:
I was very impressed by _The Two Towers_, which added to my disappointment in ROTK. IRVV sums it up pretty well.

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That will teach me to post without reading the whole thread. I must point out that I was referring to:

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Tolkien was no Tolstoy but there's still some pretty decent dialogue in the book. It even does clever things like revealing character, driving the plot and enhancing the significance of the action so that I actually care what happens when I read the book.

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- and the implication that this is what is missing from ROTK. I certainly don't agree with IRVV's previous comments about Peter Jackson, and I appreciate the effort that those involved in making the film put into it. It's just that, for me, something went wrong somewhere...

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Originally posted by JeremyD:
...I don't think I've seen anything that shocking in a 15-rated film - with the exception of the shooting in _Speed_.

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While I'm quoting myself I might as well mention that I was forgetting the scene that was cut from the DVD version of The Matrix (the one showing precisely how the bug enters enters Neo's body) - yuck!

Oh that note, Merry Xmas and Happy New Year everyone!

Took the family to see "The Return of the King" last night, and we all loved it! Of course you can't compare it to the book - it's a movie for g-d's sake! There's so much more that goes on when you're reading good literature that can never be captured in a movie - but the're different art forms. Viewed as a grand-scale epic, like the Hollywood epics of old, ROTK is a triumph. Just the set design is reason enough to go see the movie! It's pretty safe to say that there will never be another version of the Tolkien Lord of the Rings trilogy commited to film. I enjoyed all three installments and recommend them highly. IMO, ROTK deserves the Best Film of the Year Oscar, especially to honor the total three-film effort. There have been some other great films this year: "Mystic River", "Cold Mountain" (which I haven't seen yet), "The Last Samurai", "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World", "Dirty Pretty Things", "Lost in Translation", and the seriously underrated "Elephant". But none on quite this scale. Go see ROTK on the big screen while you have the chance!

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Originally posted by Peter Litwack:
...Of course you can't compare it to the book - it's a movie for g-d's sake! There's so much more that goes on when you're reading good literature that can never be captured in a movie - but the're different art forms. Viewed as a grand-scale epic, like the Hollywood epics of old, _ROTK_ is a triumph. Just the set design is reason enough to go see the movie!

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The sets, scenery and FX were certainly first class, and a lot of the film was exceptionally well done. But if I watch a film of a book I find it quite reasonable to compare them. What is the point of making a film of a book if it is not intended to be true to the spirit of the book? Clearly, IMO, ROTK was intended to be true to the spirit of the book but for me it didn't work anywhere near as well as TTT, either as an interpretation of the book or as a film in its own right. I thought TTT was one of the best films I had ever seen, and was expecting more of the same with ROTK.

I'm glad you liked it so much but for me there were too many flaws, indicative of a loss of self discipline and perspective.

i know the books as well as almost anyone, and yes they are far better than the films! even Peter Jackson agrees,but that does not make the films bad,far from it. i honestly think they are among the finest films ever made,they capture the spirit of Tolkien better than i ever thaught possible

I'm out for a swift half with my chief engineer and our muckers, catch yer's next Jahr, innit, Ladies make sure they do thier stuff !


Fritz Von Commander Layla:

Ps: "Everyone I know goes away in the end"

Is Rooney the new Beckham ?

Graham Ricketts

Rick,

As an aficionado can you tell me :

a) Is the bit at the end where Bilbo and Frodo get sent on a wee elfin cruise is in the book ?

and if so,

b) What's all that about then ?

I saw part three last night and, fantastic though it was, I thought it suffered ever so slightly in parts from hollywooditis. I was surprised that they didn't get Meg Ryan in for the closing scenes.

Tom,

Thanks for answering my question but this just raises another one. I would have thought that Frodo (and Bilbo for that matter) bein' Hobbitsis and all, would have felt that the bestest reward for saving middle earth would be to be back in Hobbiton with all their old muckers. What's so great about the land in the west ?

Speaking as a Nerd who has read the boom seven times and has two copies of the Rob Inglis verbatim reading of the entire book ( which I have heard five times ) I rate the film as a fantastic rendition of a gargantuan work.

The battle senes where fantastically well done; particularly the Cavalry charges of the Rohirrim et al. Also worthy of note was when Eowyn said to the Morgul Lord "I am no man..." before she kills him - mercifully free of Hollywood cheese and true to the book.

The sets where designed by Alan Lee, who many view as the best at rendering visual Tolkiens world; for example www.douglas.eckhart.btinternet.co.uk/ pagea22.html. (Do a Google search for more images.) In fact, some of the paintings seen on various walls in ROTK are clearly by his own hand.

I saw Ian McKellern on a chat show recently; he said that the extended DVD would be about 5 1/2 hours long. I said to The Nagger about two years ago taht when the extended DVD box set was released, we would be buying a DVD player. She has yet to veto that one....

Regards

Mike

On the Yellow Brick Road and happy

mike, are the Rob Englis readings any good?

Rick

They are a delight.

The man is a shakespearean actor who loves Tolkien. He injects character voices which, for me, work very well.

He also has a very soothing voice which is very easy on the ear.

Regards

Mike

On the Yellow Brick Road and happy

thanks Mike, i will buy them today!

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Originally posted by 1st Pentacostal Church of Vuksanovic:
...And the interpretation of Elrond was, erm, interesting!

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I rather liked Elrond, and to his credit he didn't actually say, "Live long and prosper."

Loved the film. It must have the most endings of any film I've ever seen.

Howard