Eowyn and the Witch King - I loved this sequence in the book and I loved the way it was done here.
Faramir realising he has to ride back…to his death - sniff
Some of the quiet no-dialogue moments like the hobbits looking at each other in the tavern. The way Sam smiled at Frodo near the end, and Galadriel looking at Frodo.
The sweeping camera angles over Minas Tirith.
The way the whole battle scene was lit - I know nothing about cinematography, but there was something good about the way these scenes were shot. There seemed to be more contrast, and very little saturated color. The White City looked luminous.
One part I found unintentionally funny was when Aragorn stood with his army in front of the Black Gate and called out Sauron. Reminded me of the bit in Monty Python and the Holy Grail - “We will take this castle by force!” “No chance! You silly English kingniggit!”
Selkie, you’re not alone. It was good, but definately not a great classic. Me and my firends were laughing our asses off throughout the movie.
First, every five minutes the hobbits look at eachother like they want to make out.
The King’s death under the horse is an example of what I now call “Trinity Syndrome” (from the ridiculously unintentionally funny death scene of Trinity in the Matrix). Too long, drawn out, overdramatic.
The ending could’ve been cut down instead of dragging on for a Goddam half hour.
The elf’s elephant ride has already been attacked.
Overall it was fun and entertaining, but not a life changing experience.
When Golum went over into the lava with the ring, was I the only one who thought of Butters being thrown down the video store chute cluchingthe “Back Door Sluts 9” tape?
A couple places in this film the CGI was more notable than in the first two. I only recall once in Fellowship, running through the mines of Moria, where the CG was “obvious.”
And I too thought Legolas was gonna cut a hole in the Mumak’s belly and stuff in a grenade.
But aside from all that’s been mentioned, good and bad, just two little things I haven’t seen mentioned yet.
PJ’s cameo as one of the Corsairs, done up with face paint, and weilding a whip, IIRC.
And Sam calling his infant son Frodo, by name, when he returns home. It’s not audible at that point, but you can read his lips as he does so. Very nice minor aside, I thought.
Wow. I just got back, and I want to run right out and see it again.
The only things that kind of took me out of it, aside from the already-mentioned obvious CGI, was that the scale doubles for the hobbits were also a lot more obvious this time, and the thought that Merry and Pippin jumping on to Frodo’s bed when he woke up was going to spawn far too much bad fanfic. Oh, and not the movie’s fault, but the guy sitting in front of me kept on shifting his position moments before any character started speaking Elvish such that I couldn’t see the subtitles.
Otherwise, I loved it. It was great seeing Merry and Pippin really coming into their own, and I don’t really have anything more to add about how great Sam and Eowyn were. I think I just need to give it all time to sink in, then go see it again, and again, until I’ve had my fill, and then start a countdown for the EE.
And not only the single best moment of the movie, but a scene straight out of the book, whose absence would have caused the screams of millions?? :smack:
I forgot to mention a few things in my last, incoherant post:
Gandalf’s fighting style was so neat.
I loved the little scene where Aragorn was asking Eowyn why she was coming with them to Dunharrow, and she tried to brush him off by saying it was customary for the women of her land to go to the muster to see the men off. Then he moved that blanket (revealing her sword); the looks they give each other are priceless.
Aragorn’s hair remained clean for most of this movie!
One of my first thoughts as the first rocks stared hitting Minas Tirith: “Oh no! Not the Romanesque architecture!”
Did Legolas talk at all in this movie? (Except the counting?) And I don’t understand why everyone’s got to be ragging on him for his oliphaunt asskickery.
-Everything Gandalf and Pippin said to each other was great.
The lighting of the beacons looked cool, even if I didn’t think there were that many high mountains between MT and Edoras.
Gollum getting Frodo to drive Sam off wasn’t in the book, so I was surpised by it. A good thing. I thought that whole sequence was very well done (Poor little hobbitses sleeping on cliff edges!)
I saw someone mention that they didn’t care for the opening scene with Smeagol killing his brother and stealing the ring…was I the only one who thought that they worked up this scene so that Andy Serkis could appear in the movie as himself and thereby enable him to get a Best Supporting Actor nomination? I know that there was some flack after TTT where he was denied the nomination because even though he physically acted the part in the CGI suit, and provided the voice, his final appearance in the film was all CGI. In any case, I liked the scene, and I hope it gives Andy Serkis a chance to win…he’s been downright amazing.
I wasn’t planning on watching the third Matrix movie, but now I think I need to.
Re: Sam’s Rosie Cotton speech - IIRC, the only scenes from the book where Sam and Rosie flirt with each other occur during the Scouring of the Shire. I think they needed to find a different way of establishing that relationship before just dropping the wedding on us, hence the speech.
It can seem a little like that. I think it was necessary to tie the ending with the rest of the movie. Since there’s little sense of the passage of time without the voice-overs, the audience might otherwise be left thinking, “the hobbits go back home, Sam gets married immediately, the Frodo and Bilbo leave,” when it’s actually about four years that’s cut out. Essentially, it’s so the movie can end with the last line of the book and there can be a little sense of continuity.
Was the line, “what does your heart tell you,” intended to be a nod to Phantom Menace, or just a coincidence? Does it matter?
I don’t have too many comments of my own that haven’t been said already. I was so totally blown away, it was hard to come up with any criticism, besides that there were a few parts that dragged a little and there were too many “false endings.” The scene with the Armies of the Dead swarming up one of the oliphaunts was cool, as was them sweeping through Minas Tirith.
One thing I couldn’t help thinking was, “just how many men are there fighting?” It’s mentioned there are about 6,000 Rohirrim, and the population of Minas Tirith is unclear. With each successive battle, it looks like the men are absolutely butchered, but the next scene, they’re able to re-group and look massive again.
Theo – I think that Evil Death is referring to the way that: (1) in the book – Gandalf and Co. burst in and they save Faramir from the pyre, but Denethor throws himself completely on it… and (2) in the movie – Denethor tries to stop Gandalf and Pippin from rescuing Faramir, and then Gandalf strikes Denethor a blow that makes him fall upon the pyre and become totally immersed in flames.
The book implies that it was still a complete suicide. The movie kind of implies that Denethor is killed because of fighting with Gandalf. Then of course he runs and throws himself from the tower (in the book he stays on the pyre and burns, of his own volition – and there we also find out definitively about his use of the palantir).
There’s one thing I did miss – better development of Denethor’s character, which I suspect will be more present in the EE edition. In this one, he seemed like a total nut-job incompetent ruler.
Wonderful job, though – there were some noticable changes from the books (like Frodo telling Sam “Go home”), but they didn’t really bother me too much. I was wishing for certain scenes that didn’t show up – but I suspect that several of those will be in the EE.
The ending fit with the book (“The Grey Havens”) – but I can see how they would seem to drag on a bit for somebody not familiar with the book.
I also loved the confrontation between the Witch King vs. Eowyn and Merry. Wonderful. My one wish, though – would have been to see the Witch King breaking the gates to the city and confronting Gandalf. That was one I was looking forward to – the fiery battering ram was cool, but I was under the impression that the Witch King was more personally involved in breaking the gates.
Some things that I had hoped for, but expect will probably show up in the Extended DVD and were cut just for time issues:
The Mouth of Sauron
further development of Denethor
Eowyn and Faramir (would give a little better ending to the “she loves Aragorn but it’s futile” bit)
Gandalf’s confrontation with Saruman when they arrive at the ruined Isengard. (And I was a tiny bit disappointed that the palantir was just lying there on the ground, rather than Wormtongue throwing it down at them).
Great fun – the first hour was a little slower, but the next two hours just flew by. Will have to see it again, sometime soon.
Regarding a possible Gandalf/Witch King confrontation in the EE, I seem to recall in the trailer a scene where the Witch King (I refuse to refer to him as Wiki…eww) lands on a stretch of rampart just as Gandalf is riding up. Anyone else remember this from the trailer?
[nitpick]Minas Tirith was using trebuchets, not catapults.
[/nitpick] Very cool, in any case.
One other thought I had: The beacon-lighting scene was really cool film-making, but how much would it suck to be one of those beacon-watchers? Your job is to live in a hut at the top of a 8,000-foot mountain next to a giant pile of wood, and to light it on fire, should you see a similar fire on another mountain 20 miles away. I got the impression (have to look in the books again) that these beacons hadn’t been used in years. Who wants that job?
Were the beacons in the book? My SO and I saw the movie yesterday, and I really can’t remember. He reminded me that a red arrow was sent with a messenger to Rohan as the signal for help from Gondor, and it sounded very very familiar to me.
I’m seeing the movie again tonight and tomorrow night. Hopefully everything will be able to sink in after 3 viewings 3 days in a row.
I too love that scene and was hoping for more of the dialogue.
I especially missed:
“Do what you will; but I will hinder it, if I may.”
Or maybe I just like the word dwimmerlaik.
dwimmerlaikdwimmerlaikdwimmerlaik
Anyway, I was pretty overwhelmed. I did really love what was there with only a few exceptions, but it was what was missing that bothered me. (No, not the scouring, I’m fine with that) So I don’t yet have the sense of closure that I suspect will come with the EE.
From the trailers and what I’ve read online, we know these were filmed:
Confrontation with Saruman
Gandalf v. Witch King
Merry pledging to Theoden
Houses of Healing
Eomer mourning Theoden (or maybe Eowyn?)
I would guess that the Mouth of Sauron and Denethor’s palantir will show up too.
I’m fairly certain that Ghan-buri-Ghan won’t show up, though. And I miss him.
But anyway… Minas Tirith is beautiful. Stunning. Now we appreciate Boromir’s description of it back in FOTR.
Occaisionally the big crowds looked a bit CGish, but usually the battles were amazing.
I really expected to see Captain Barbarosa and his monkey with the Dead.
Weepy moments:
“Please don’t go where I can’t follow.”
“…but I can carry you.”
“I saw him!”
Like the first two, I need to see it again without wondering what made the cut to really appreciate it.
