Revisiting Lord Of The Rings by chrisisall

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Revisiting Lord Of The Rings

POSTED BY: CHRISISALL
UPDATED: Monday, February 8, 2010 17:24
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Saturday, February 6, 2010 3:44 PM

Ain't seen it since it first came out on DVD (back in the stone age, eh?), but I just got a used collection on the cheap, and we watched Fellowship tonight, and I found that the CGI was not quite as amazingly awesome as I remembered (although still gorram cool), but the film overall was quite a bit better than I remembered.
In a way, it kinda conjures notions in my head of a big-budget PBS production of the novel.

Anyone else have thoughts to share with the class on this?

The laughing Chrisisall

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Saturday, February 6, 2010 4:00 PM

NAVYSEILS

I watched the trilogy a month or so ago, for the first time probably since seeing them in the cinema. I had a cheap copy of the fellowship on VHS, but I decided to hold off on the dvd, and the sequels till I could get them all at once.

I too thought the CGI wasn't quite as shiny as I remembered it. The movies are still great though, and first is still my favourite. I really like the movies, I do, but man, I find them hard to bring myself to watch. I think they're just so epic you have to get psyched up just to put them on.

I also still love to watch Gollum sit having his arguments with himself. Good times.

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Saturday, February 6, 2010 4:37 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Navyseils:
first is still my favourite.

It really wowed me tonight. My LOTR super-fan friend said that the extended editions were cool for hard-core novel peeps, but that the theatrical versions (which I bought) were the way to go for the rest of us, pacing-wise.

The laughing Chrisisall

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Saturday, February 6, 2010 4:50 PM

NAVYSEILS

You say true. Those movies were long enough already, the extended versions (which I have) are mammoth. I was a massive fan of the book though, I'd have had them be even longer if I could.

I like my numb-bum films.

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Saturday, February 6, 2010 5:04 PM

KATESFRIEND

I read the books over and over many times and was amazed at the ability of Peter Jackson to stay true to the books and still make a film masterpiece within the limits of the industry. Unbelievable quality in its creation and a delight to watch.

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Saturday, February 6, 2010 5:12 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Navyseils:
You say true. Those movies were long enough already, the extended versions (which I have) are mammoth. I was a massive fan of the book though, I'd have had them be even longer if I could.

I read The Hobbit, The Fellowship, but bailed after the first half of Two Towers due to too much description of the geography & its history (it's been said I have ADD

). The films really brought it home for me, though!

Quote:

I like my numb-bum films.

LOL!!!

The laughing Chrisisall

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Saturday, February 6, 2010 5:16 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Katesfriend:
Unbelievable quality in its creation and a delight to watch.

I'm rediscovering that now.

My Son wants to get the cartoon version of The Hobbit on DVD now (he'd seen the VHS version way back- he loves the songs).

The hairy-footed Chrisisall

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Saturday, February 6, 2010 5:59 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Of course!
The songs make that rock - even the horribly "animated" LoTR after that had a couple pretty good ones.

That one just rocked it, gotta admit.

That and the whole scene in Smaugs lair was just awe inspiring cause Smaug was convincing as a dragon, scary, threatening, but also full of himself and tremendously arrogant, which all the great wyrms prettymuch were.

They had BETTER get that one right, in the live-action version.

-F

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Saturday, February 6, 2010 11:42 PM

BIGRICHARD

Quote:
Originally posted by Fremdfirma:

They had BETTER get that one right, in the live-action version.

Peter Jackson is still onboard, it's still all being designed by Weta, and with the new edition of Guillermo del Toro?

I dare say I'm looking forward to this MORE than Lord of the Rings. But then, I'm a huge Del Toro fan.

From Del Toro himself:

"In 'The Hobbit,' the creatures speak: Smaug has beautiful lines of dialogue; the Great Goblin has beautiful lines of dialogue; many creatures do. So we had to design them with a different approach because you are not just designing things that are scary,"

(about Smaug)
"The bulk of the design took about a year, solid. It’s because of the unique features of the dragon," he explained. "Early in production I came up with a very strong idea that would separate Smaug from every other dragon ever made. The problem was implementing that idea. But I think we’ve nailed it."

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Sunday, February 7, 2010 2:47 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...

If I'm flipping through channels and one of these is on I have to look away... because if I watch for more than 2 minutes I'm glued for the rest of the movie!

Amazed at how well Jackson did for ALL 3 books. There are so many places he could have messed up but he kept getting things right imo. That long pull away shot from Orthanc over the field of Orcs, fuuuuuuuu.... so many more.

Speaking of classes, Chris, if you ever get a chance listen to the DVD commentary extra of Peter Jackson with Fran Walsh (Co-Writer/Producer), and Philippa Boyens (Co-Writer). Great insight into writing for film and adapting a book for the screen, especially what to include and what to leave out... poor Tom Bombadil! He probably would have been more of a Sid & Marty Croft moment though.

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

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Sunday, February 7, 2010 4:42 AM

CHRISISALL

The ONLY thing in all three movies that I really didn't like was having orcs climbing down walls. While visually cool, that ability would indicate a strength level that would make them absolutely unbeatable IMO. Plus, that was never in the books.

But, small pet peeve.

The laughing Chrisisall

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Sunday, February 7, 2010 4:49 AM

MAL4PREZ

I had my moment of rediscovery last fall - and it was the music I hadn't realized was so cool. Last October the FotR played at Radio City Music Hall with a full symphony, full choir, and full children's choir performing the score live. Oh man. I thought I'd like it, didn't think I'd LOVE it. All the percussive themes for Isengard just rocked, and the solos were beautiful.

They're doing the second movie next October. I'll be there! I recommend that anyone near NYC shell out the bucks to see this - so worth it.

Oh, they're planning to do the Star Wars movies (the good ones) too. Or maybe that happened in December? I forget. Shoot, hope I didn't miss it. I'd love to see Episode 4 with live music.

-----------------------------------------------
hmm-burble-blah, blah-blah-blah, take a left

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Sunday, February 7, 2010 5:00 AM

MAL4PREZ

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
The ONLY thing in all three movies that I really didn't like was having orcs climbing down walls. While visually cool, that ability would indicate a strength level that would make them absolutely unbeatable IMO. Plus, that was never in the books.

But, small pet peeve.

The laughing Chrisisall

My dislikes came in the third movie.

A little nitpick: Shelob didn't look right. The compact jumpy spider is a bit scary, sure, but she should have been fat and blobby and long-legged like in the book. So much more effective, I think.

Bigger nitpick: I'd have liked less of a war movie and more about Mordor. The battle at Helm's Deep in the Two Towers was so well done. I really didn't need another hour long fight during the siege of Minas Tirith. I wish they'd cut 5-10 minutes of video-game battle graphics and shown me the inside of Mordor instead.

That part of the books was so fascinating. Mordor is a complete opposite of the Shire, and we hear so much about it through the whole journey. I wanted to actually be there in the middle of all the horrible nastiness for a while, to really know the future they were fighting to prevent.

-----------------------------------------------
hmm-burble-blah, blah-blah-blah, take a left

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Sunday, February 7, 2010 5:28 AM

NAVYSEILS

Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:
Oh, they're planning to do the Star Wars movies (the good ones) too. Or maybe that happened in December? I forget. Shoot, hope I didn't miss it. I'd love to see Episode 4 with live music.

I dont know if it's the same group, but I'm sure someone told me the same thing was happening at the SECC later this year. I'd love to get along to that. I like my classical music, and in particular I like my movie/game scores. They just seem so exciting and tell a story. It would be a good night.

Back on topic, I agree with the nitpicking at the last movie where the battles ran on a little too long. Helms deep was a huge part of the second movie, and about enough. They're impressive sure, and in the books the battles were grand, but I think in the films they could have been done with a little breaking up. That may be why the first is still my favourite, it's mostly all story with just enough action to keep you excited.

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Sunday, February 7, 2010 5:39 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Navyseils:
Helms deep was a huge part of the second movie, and about enough.

This kept popping into my head the first time I saw it:

YEAAAAAAAAHHHH BABY!

The laughing Chrisisall

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Sunday, February 7, 2010 10:42 AM

SINGATE

Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:
I wish they'd cut 5-10 minutes of video-game battle graphics and shown me the inside of Mordor instead.

That part of the books was so fascinating. Mordor is a complete opposite of the Shire, and we hear so much about it through the whole journey. I wanted to actually be there in the middle of all the horrible nastiness for a while, to really know the future they were fighting to prevent.

One of the funniest complaints I ever heard was about Legolas being portrayed as a video game character through much of the final battle. Climbing up the Oliphant via arrows and spears then sliding down it's trunk after single handedly dispatching the beast. Yup, that was a bit much.

Your complaint about Mordor is addressed somewhat in the extended version. We get to to see Sam and Frodo spending much more time amongst enemy forces. I think Return of the King benefits the most from the extended treatment even though the movie was already very long. We get the mouth of Sauron, Aragorn using the Palantir, Gandalf's confrontation with the Witch King, and the death of Saruman. I know some hardcore fans take exception to those last two scenes because they differ from the book but they are still very good.

_________________________________________________

We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far.

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Sunday, February 7, 2010 11:18 AM

MAL4PREZ

Quote:
Originally posted by singate:
Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:
I wish they'd cut 5-10 minutes of video-game battle graphics and shown me the inside of Mordor instead.

That part of the books was so fascinating. Mordor is a complete opposite of the Shire, and we hear so much about it through the whole journey. I wanted to actually be there in the middle of all the horrible nastiness for a while, to really know the future they were fighting to prevent.

One of the funniest complaints I ever heard was about Legolas being portrayed as a video game character through much of the final battle. Climbing up the Oliphant via arrows and spears then sliding down it's trunk after single handedly dispatching the beast. Yup, that was a bit much.

Your complaint about Mordor is addressed somewhat in the extended version. We get to to see Sam and Frodo spending much more time amongst enemy forces. I think Return of the King benefits the most from the extended treatment even though the movie was already very long. We get the mouth of Sauron, Aragorn using the Palantir, Gandalf's confrontation with the Witch King, and the death of Saruman. I know some hardcore fans take exception to those last two scenes because they differ from the book but they are still very good.

_________________________________________________

We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far.

Yep, I do like the extended versions of all three movies much better. Don't even mind them being longer, seeing that I can hit the pause button whenever I need to. I absolutely love the mouth of Sauron. So bummed he didn't make the theater cut, because that guy is creepy! Fabulous and creepy, somehow.

I still feel the whole structure of the movies minimized the time in Mordor though. They made so much of the Minas Tirith battle that everything after that was anti-climatic. The writers knew it too, they just rushed like hell to get the war won. Sticking to the book would have helped: this battle wasn't so very victorious a win. There was still a big army sitting on the road from Rohan.

Yeah - Legolas and his Oliphant is exactly what I mean. It's a shame that Legolas became a video game character/heartthrob and Gimli became comic relief. Both deserved better than that.

But there's me getting critical again. All in all, I absolutely love the movies, and I'm stunned by the amount of work that went into them.

Navyseils: what's SECC?

-----------------------------------------------
hmm-burble-blah, blah-blah-blah, take a left

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Sunday, February 7, 2010 1:25 PM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...

Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:
I had my moment of rediscovery last fall - and it was the music I hadn't realized was so cool. Last October the FotR played at Radio City Music Hall with a full symphony, full choir, and full children's choir performing the score live. Oh man. I thought I'd like it, didn't think I'd LOVE it. All the percussive themes for Isengard just rocked, and the solos were beautiful.

My wife and I saw what I believe was the same performance when it came through our city. What fun! I wasn't expecting it to be so good, more of an *interesting* evening, but it was a lot more than that.

Everyone's got nitpicks (me too)... but on the plus side, could anyone be a better Gandalf than Ian McKellen?? Or Elijah Wood as Frodo??

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

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Sunday, February 7, 2010 1:48 PM

NAVYSEILS

Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:

Navyseils: what's SECC?

Sorry, that was probably some useless info I could have left out. It's simply the location that whatever group holding the event will be playing at. It stands for the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Center. I think.

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Sunday, February 7, 2010 1:52 PM

THESOMNAMBULIST

These films are brilliantly made and executed and the whole thing is an astounding achievement by all involved, but there's something about Peter Jackson's stuff.... I just find them soulless. Similar thing with Heavenly Creatures and King Kong. I feel I'm watching a technical exercise...

But I'm in a minority clearly, because like a gazillion people went and saw these and loved them! So what do I know?

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Sunday, February 7, 2010 3:45 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:

But I'm in a minority clearly, because like a gazillion people went and saw these and loved them! So what do I know?

No, I know what you mean. There WAS a certain... sterility to the films. One which I believe the excellent actors for the most part overcame. But I see what you're saying.

The laughing Chrisisall

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Monday, February 8, 2010 4:49 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

I've read the trilogy and the Hobbit many times over, and have owned the extended directors box set since they came out. The attention to detail PJ brought to the film is nothing short of breathtaking. I still wish he could have told the story 'straight', with out the added director's embellishments ( though working in The Two Towers ending w/ enough to start the Return of the King was a tricky deal ) ....

Still, a modern day masterpiece.

The T.Rex they call JANE!

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Monday, February 8, 2010 5:24 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by AURaptor:

Still, a modern day masterpiece.

I agree.
No "Serenity" though, but what is?

The laughing Chrisisall

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