Return of the King

[Perndog]

Someone should put SPOILERS in the thread title.




willie - the problem with scouring the shire is that it's after the whole big good-guys-win climax...there are like 100 pages after the quest is actually over, and that sort of thing just doesn't fly in movies. Audiences want it to be done when it's done.

[Daphne]

I want to say, I never read the books, I didn't like the first movie and I only sort of liked the second. THIS movie made me fucking cry. There was just so much about it that I can't even go into, call me a wayward fan or whatever, I don't care, but this was a fantastic movie. It can almost stand alone.

Also, I scared the shit out of a nerd who kept talking through the movie (saying 'That's the dude from the Matrix!' and shit) just by turning around and telling him to SHUT THE FUCK UP! I think I was the first woman to ever speak to him.

Now I want to go and not only watch the first ones, but read all the books as well.

[O71394658]

I had never before read the books, so I have nothing to compare it to (in my opinion, reading books before movies [and vice-versa] kind of ruins it for me because I keep getting pissed about the parts that they cut out or change).

I didn't feel the need to cry in any parts of the movie, but every part was extremely well done. The acting was superb in every aspect. Everything was cued wonderfully. The battle scenes alone were worth going, and they were fantastically choreographed.

The only part I didn't like (again I haven't read the books so it probably flows better with people who have) was the ending. It kept shooting from frame to frame. Whenever I thought the movie was going to end, it kind of just lopped another frame on top. I think it sort of detracted from the entire "winning the battle" sort of adrenaline effect. Instead of finishing in a grand flourish, it kind of slowed down to a halt, and quietly walked out.

Still a great movie. Anyone and everyone should go see it if you haven't already.

[Poxpower]

gotta agree with O71394658 as to the ending. Damn was that ever so endless.

And how come Gandalf is so weak??? He casts one pathetic spell in the whole movie and that's it! For a guy who beat a Ballrog, I'm not impressed.

Anyways, best movie of the year, and best of the Trilogy, it was fantastic, best battle scene ever and most enjoyable if you haven't read the book.

[Brandon]

Incredible. In-fucking-credible. That was one of the best movies I've ever seen. The Pelennor Fields, Gollum's demise in Mount Doom, Eowyn and the Witch King--just beautiful. Oh, and a flaming Denethor plunging from the top of Minas Tirith--a lovely touch.

I'm not that disappointed to see the Scouring of the Shire removed. It would have just been anticlimactic and impractical to leave it in--the damn movie would have run for another half hour. I WAS a little miffed that Saruman and Wormtongue didn't even make an appearance AT ALL, though. They could have at least showed the spat between he and Gandalf at Orthanc.

[Protoclown]

Achimp, I think everyone's been pretty good about labelling their spoilers and/or putting them in dark black text so they are harder to see. I don't consider what I posted spoilers because that stuff wasn't IN the movie.

For those of you who felt the ending of ROTK was too long, well, that's kind of the point. Tolkien really wanted to drive home the fact that these characters' lives would never be the same after the events they've been through, hence the long and extended denoument. In fact, in the book it is MUCH longer and more involved (about 100 pages like someone said) and has one very large and important section that was omitted from the movie for obvious reasons. It would have added at LEAST another half hour to do the scouring of the shire, possibly even more. It may have been nice to see, but I really don't think it would have worked very well in the film. It's kind of like a whole other movie in itself.

[Buffalo Tom]

I saw 'Return of the King' last night. It is safe to say that this is one of the best movies ever. It also goes to show even a so-called Hollywood blockbuster can be artful and moving, as long as the filmmakers are sincere about telling a good story. I hope George Lucas is taking notes.

[the_dudefather]

WARNING THIS THREAD CONTAINS TRACES OF SPOILERS



"that only counts as one!"

ROTK fucking rocked, the ONLY time the audience cheered and claped at the end, something never seen in Omagh cinema. probobly because it was the ned of a titanic 3 year movie experience, and because the movie rocked.

i was disapointed that lenard nimoy and his platoon of hobbit chicks diddnt save the day (ballad of bilbo baggins style).

i cant wait untill the next installment next ye.... oh fuck thats it for the lord of the rings, mid december 2004 is going to be boring.

peter jackson, I SALUTE YOU! (once again)

[whoreable]

I saw this.

[Anonymous]

I am sure there are spoilers in this.

He did a good job with the movie. I think the book is really just impossible to film. So... what he did with it was good.
One thing that really pissed me off was the music. There was a time or two in the two towers where the music annoyed me a little, but this time I really hated it in parts. I mean in the scenes that were supposed to be very dark, like Frodo and Sam on the mountain... and there is this happy fairy piccalo sounding music playing. What the fuck. Anyway, I think I'm probably the only person that got annoyed with that shit...

Overall, the movie wasn't as dark to me as I always pictured the ending. I mean... literally. I undersand that it's hard to film that sort of thing... but on and off it got that kind of dark - and then gets light again.
I also thought the movie seemed rushed from having read the story, but that's to be expected. Also... I think the ending.. though wasn't a standard "happy ending" still didn't have the same amount of sorrow that the book had for me. I am sure a lot of that has to do with taking out the shire stuff, and other things.. I think this might also relate to it having to be rushed.

That might make it sound like I didn't like it but that's not the case. I definitely think the extended version needs to be seen. The towers extended made a big difference to me.

Gollum/sam/frodo were great. A lot of scenes were just perfect.
The one part I got a little teary eyed was the "you bow to no one" line.

that's all I can think of right now

[AChimp]

LOL! LOL! Protoclown fell for my joke!

I can't have the movies ruined by spoilers because I've read the books three times!

[whoreable]

Having never read the books I felt the ending dragged on and on. I probaly wouldnt have noticed it so much if there was a break in the middle. but i was getting pretty tired of sitting in the theater.

That said, I am sure I will enjoy watching the extended edition on dvd much more, since I can take some breaks in there.

[Protoclown]

Chimp, I know plenty of people who have read the books who still get pissed when you talk about film spoilers, since the movies are different.

And Re, that "You bow to no one" part kind of got me too, and I was also kind of misty eyed when Frodo was clinging to the ledge and Sam was like "Don't you DARE let go".

One of the absolutely funniest parts of the movie was when Gimli walked in the doorway at the end with his arms out like he was gonna run up and give everyone a group hug.

[Perndog]

Don't worry, Doopa. If the score is like that, I'll flinch too. :musicnerd

Oh well.

[Protoclown]

On the other hand, I fucking loved the score. It's my favorite of the three.

[Brandon]

In defense of Howard Shore's score...

The "happy piccolo" cue played when Sam is speaking to Frodo on Mt. Doom is the "Shire theme." It was absolutely appropriate considering that the topic of the dialogue at that point was fond memories of the Shire, used as incentive to gather up some strength to finish the task. The scene wasn't that "dark" at all--it was actually rather inspiring.

[Perndog]

I will see the movie next Monday or Tuesday and evaluate the score then. Got my fingers crossed. Not that it's possible for me to disappointed; I know it's going to rock.

[Mockery]

I'm not gonna say much right now because I really want to see the extended edition. It was really nice to finally see Eowyn kick ass in the film though. For now, however, I still like the first LOTR film the best by far.

[Brandon]

One other thing I noticed:

Denethor was never shown to be in posession of a palantir. It seems insignificant, yeah, but it explains WHY he went so bat-shit insane. On that subject, the audience I saw it with really loved it whenever Gandalf would beat the shit out of him.

[Ninjavenom]

SPOILZOIDS IN HERE





I saw it today. It appears that even though i missed the first 20 minutes, i didn't actually miss anything important.

It was as cool as i expected, for sure.

The Witch King looked awesome, and i loved when his wyvern shrieked, it was louder than those THX sound intros, and i'm sure some old people in the audience exploded.

I wondered what happened to Sarumann and the Ents, too, but i guess that was in the beginning?

My favorite part of the movie, though, was when the dudes rode in on the elephants, and these fuckin' awesome assassin-type guys started shooting arrows from the sides of the monsters at everyone. They had on the black hoods and only one eye was visible, and a red sash/outfit. They were wicked.

Legolas climbing the elephant was awesome, and extremely well CGed. In fact, all the CG in the movie looked really fucking good. I could tell sometimes when they would put in a light flare or haze so that we wouldn't get a good, hard look at some of the computer-made stuff, (such as soldiers from far away) but that's not gonna detract from the zillions of plus points it earned for Gollum, the spider, the elephants, the wyverns, the big lizard thingies the orcs rode, the trolls, etc.

Gollum made me want him dead way more than before in the movie this time, but that's a good thing. It means he was very believable. Did he look more muscular this time to anyone else? It seems like they used a stand-in a lot more this time, i guess because there were more action scenes involving him?

The acting was awesome.

My brother pointed out that Gandalf was more of a Beastmaster in this one than a White Wizard. He doesn't use a whole lot of magic, just when he tells the wyverns to piss off. And Aragorn didn't do much ass-kicking this time.

[executioneer]

ARGH

The ending they DID have in there sucked so goddamn much, I really don't see how the Scouring would have been worse The rest of the movie was awesome beyond everything I'm going to see it again, but this time I'm leaving after Aragorn gets crowned :o

-willie

[Rongi]

SPOILE- FUCK IT GO SEE THE MOVIE ALREADY STUPID

A few kids in the movie laughed when Boromeir's dad got caught on fire and ran and fell off the cliff. I wanted to kill them

[executioneer]

yeah in mine too, omg and they laughed anytime gandalf hit him with his staff

-willie

[Protoclown]

I get the feeling we'll be seeing Denethor and the palantir in the extended version. I really felt that there was soooooo much missing from the movie, but I guess that can't be helped. Maybe if I didn't KNOW it was filmed, that it was out there just waiting to be put back in the movie, I wouldn't have had that feeling. But I felt even more like this movie was incomplete than I did with Two Towers. Not that it bothers me so much because the Extended one will no doubt become my definitive version.

[Poxpower]

Damn Proto, why did you even bother watching it, you know the whole story, all the parts they filmed and didn't, and probably have a picture of all the actors in their costumes.
Just... like, play it on your mind and save some dough :p

SPOILER...

I though that when Denethor threw himself off that cliff when he was on fire was helluva corny. I think its the stupidest/most useless addition ( aside from Tom Bombadil of course). I mean, come on. Just get back on that burning pile of wood and save yourself the possible embarassement of killing one of you own soldiers by faling on him. Or something.

And from the perspective of somene who hasn't read the book, I must say that I was also dissapointed in not seing saruman at all. I though that was a cheap shot :p "oh... he's.. he's in the tower... don't worry, we'll watch him and all.. yeah...".

But I loved the Flashback at Gollum's past and when he got the ring. I find that this was a great way to start the movie smoothly.

And the most emotional part is when Frodo tell sam to go home after Gollum made Frodo beleive Sam wanted the ring for himself. That's hands down the most emotional moment in there.
And I loved the focus on Sam and Frode in this one. Their relation was so incredibely deep. Wow I says.
And also, I like the Oliphants part ( obviously) best part ever. EVER. Gotta love how they trample the horses so easily and how they are as big as Brontosaurus.
Speaking of squashing and trampling, I believe that this is the first movie where I saw the actual effectiveness of a horseback attack. That scene where the Riders of Rohan tear through the orcs is fabulous. And I loved the Catapults too, especially when the warriors in the big white city ( whatsitsname) throw big blocks of rock and just squah orcs. Haha they jsut fall and FWOOO you don't hear a scream, or a splat, but you know it just squashed 5 orcs.
Powerfull.

And Sam vs Shellob = yeah right.