Lord of the Rings spam!
Dec. 20th, 2002 09:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mousmeNot that I can discuss it "publicly" of course, but that's what lj-cut is for. :)
I decided on a whim to treat myself to a night at the movies. Just me and Tolkien. I drove downtown, got to the theatre at 5:20, bought a ticket and was seated in the front row for the 5:30 show. That's the advantage of being by yourself two days after a movie that big opens.
I'm not sure why, but I don't have the same sense of exhilaration as after the first movie. I think it's because this time I knew a bit what to expect. Still, the film was stunningly gorgeous.
Faramir is not as gorgeous as I previously imagined. Eomer, on the other hand, is hot, and Eowyn is a drop-dead gorgeous bit of hottieness. Good stuff.
Because it would take too long to list all the things I liked about the movie, I will first point out the things that, while not wrong per se, bothered me a bit.
1- Gollum. Well played, and generally okay. But the big blue Bambi eyes bugged me. Not to mention that they made it seem like he had multiple personality disorder, when in fact in the book it was much darker and more subtle.
2- The rehashing of the wizard duel, otherwise known as the exorcism of Theoden. It was over the top, and took away all responsibility from Theoden for having let his kingdom go to pot, whereas in the book it was made quite clear that he had allowed himself to be seduced into weakness by Grima.
3- Wormtongue: not developed enough, IMO. He was one of the best villains of the second book, and here he's pretty much just a slavering minion of Saruman who can do nothing but marvel at his master's evildoings.
4- A small quibble about the Ents: I always imagined they were bigger or at least as big as the trees they herded.
5- Poor Gimli: he's been turned into the comic relief now that Merry and Pippin are occupied elsewhere. He was never that undignified in the books!!! I am deeply saddened by what he has been reduced to.
6- Same problem I had with the first movie: they're ridding Frodo of all blame where the Ring is concerned, making it seem like it's power over him is like some kind of enchanting spell. In the book it's so much more insidious, and far less accidental, especially the circumstances under which he first put on the Ring. And now he's portrayed even more as the "victim," which isn't quite right.
7- I don't remember Frodo and Sam going to Gondor?!? Did I miss something?
8- And saving Shelob for the third movie is kinda cheap, IMHO. Shelob and her lair and everyone thinking the Ringbearer dead at the end of Book II is pretty much what made the book for me. I was disappointed.
Otherwise, the Rohirrim were spectacular, the battle scenes were breathtaking, and I was extremely pleased that they kept up Gimli and Legolas' little counting game. That was one of my favourite parts.
They way they wove Arwen into the movie was ingenious and not overdone, so I approve wholeheartedly. I especially liked the arrival of the Elves. Gandalf was v. kewl, not so much Gandalf the White as Gandalf the Fluorescent Light Bulb, but still kewl.
I guess that's all I have to say on the topic. :)
I decided on a whim to treat myself to a night at the movies. Just me and Tolkien. I drove downtown, got to the theatre at 5:20, bought a ticket and was seated in the front row for the 5:30 show. That's the advantage of being by yourself two days after a movie that big opens.
I'm not sure why, but I don't have the same sense of exhilaration as after the first movie. I think it's because this time I knew a bit what to expect. Still, the film was stunningly gorgeous.
Faramir is not as gorgeous as I previously imagined. Eomer, on the other hand, is hot, and Eowyn is a drop-dead gorgeous bit of hottieness. Good stuff.
Because it would take too long to list all the things I liked about the movie, I will first point out the things that, while not wrong per se, bothered me a bit.
1- Gollum. Well played, and generally okay. But the big blue Bambi eyes bugged me. Not to mention that they made it seem like he had multiple personality disorder, when in fact in the book it was much darker and more subtle.
2- The rehashing of the wizard duel, otherwise known as the exorcism of Theoden. It was over the top, and took away all responsibility from Theoden for having let his kingdom go to pot, whereas in the book it was made quite clear that he had allowed himself to be seduced into weakness by Grima.
3- Wormtongue: not developed enough, IMO. He was one of the best villains of the second book, and here he's pretty much just a slavering minion of Saruman who can do nothing but marvel at his master's evildoings.
4- A small quibble about the Ents: I always imagined they were bigger or at least as big as the trees they herded.
5- Poor Gimli: he's been turned into the comic relief now that Merry and Pippin are occupied elsewhere. He was never that undignified in the books!!! I am deeply saddened by what he has been reduced to.
6- Same problem I had with the first movie: they're ridding Frodo of all blame where the Ring is concerned, making it seem like it's power over him is like some kind of enchanting spell. In the book it's so much more insidious, and far less accidental, especially the circumstances under which he first put on the Ring. And now he's portrayed even more as the "victim," which isn't quite right.
7- I don't remember Frodo and Sam going to Gondor?!? Did I miss something?
8- And saving Shelob for the third movie is kinda cheap, IMHO. Shelob and her lair and everyone thinking the Ringbearer dead at the end of Book II is pretty much what made the book for me. I was disappointed.
Otherwise, the Rohirrim were spectacular, the battle scenes were breathtaking, and I was extremely pleased that they kept up Gimli and Legolas' little counting game. That was one of my favourite parts.
They way they wove Arwen into the movie was ingenious and not overdone, so I approve wholeheartedly. I especially liked the arrival of the Elves. Gandalf was v. kewl, not so much Gandalf the White as Gandalf the Fluorescent Light Bulb, but still kewl.
I guess that's all I have to say on the topic. :)
