I must concede that I found the second film very moving; my ass was out of the theater faster than you can whistle Dixie.
I think the movies, all three of them, are worth watching. I first read the Lord of the Rings about 5 or 6 years ago, and have read them many times since, as well as numerous other Tolkein books, so you could say Im a fan… not a fan girl.
So taking all that in, then yes, the books are definately worth reading, and the movies, all three of them, are worth watching. The effects are good for the most part, the visual aspects are stunning, and the cast, overall, do a decent enough job. Based on those merits, the movies are worth a watch. Havent we all seen far worse?
However, some people believe the movies to be completely ridiculous, to use the quote used, there are several wtf moments. Well to be honest, what else would one expect from a series of movies that follows the trail of Frodo Baggins, a hobbit who makes a jounrey who on the way encounters Elves, Dwarves, Wizards, Ghosts etc. in a world whos fate is dominated by a ring? I mean, when the movie is based on that, who really expects the movie, and fight scenes, and characters to be anything like what weve seen before?
The movies are good, personally I think they should be watched. After the work, effort and determination that went in to them, they deserved to be watched. Whether you decide to praise them or not is up to you…
If you want to experience the Lord of the Rings in its entirety, read the books, if you want to appreciate some fine film making (even with its flaws) watch the movies.
I’ve already posted so I shouldn’t do this but -
In response to ftg’s post/question: There are lots of good reasons to see the second two movies. And not just the battle scenes. You may still come away not liking them. I loved all 3. We each have our own opinion.
But they are indeed worth your time if for no other reasons than the music, the costumes, the sets, etc, that I alluded to before. I think you are just cheating yourself if you don’t at least give them a shot. There is something to be said for cinema that can take you away completely for a while, transport you to another world. The cinematography is luscious.
Well anyway, there’s my 2 cents again.
I know what you’re saying, and while I admired the cinematography, I did not *enjoy * it. I would be very interested to see if anyone who did not care for the movies story wise, shares your opinion that " [the movies] are indeed worth your time". I’m just curious as to whether enjoyment of the visuals, art direction, etc, go hand-in-hand with the viewer’s involvement in the story.
my sister, who I complained about on these boards before because of the stupid questions she asked while watching some of LOTR has since made time to watch all three movies again. And enjoyed them. As has my mother, who tried to read the books but couldnt due to the fact that its not what she likes to read.
Many friends of mine, who have not read the books, have thought the movies “worth there time”. I imagine many more people around the world think the same way.
But, of course, there are people that dont too, and thats what makes us what we are, as someone said earlier, as with any movie, it should be watched, and then opinions should be made
December, actually. The first two extended versions were released about mid-November of their respective years but ROTK is being delayed. I would imagine it’s early December so’s not to miss the Christmas rush.
DD
If you enjoy them, each movie had a cool-elf-battle moment and the moments got just a little bigger each movie. The architecture got bigger each movie, too.
If this sounds a little lame, it’s mostly because I can’t get my mind around someone not likeing the first movie. (Although I have to admit that after the first movie, I was watching for the elf-moments.)
I got my wife to watch the first one. I had hope that she would like it, but she didn’t.
I didn’t even try on the second and third.
to the OP: I loved the 2nd and 3rd, but you shouldn’t waste your time.
Some thought 2 and 3 were better than 1, but that was people who liked 1, and were into the story.
If you didn’t like 1, then I think you’ll find 2 and 3 “more of the same”. It’s still elves, orcs, trolls, dwarves, humans, and wizards and a quest to destroy a ring.
I hate it when I rent something for “movie night” and I don’t like it, and I knew I wouldn’t like it when I rented it. Use your movie watching time on something you’ll have a better chance of enjoying.
Yeah, I’d say it’s worth renting. It’s hard to predict how much you’ll like it, though. I’d read the books many years before, and I absolutely loved Jackson’s interpretation of the FOTR.
I liked the Two Towers for the most part–Smeagol is amazing both on a technical and on a character level, the Rohan city of Edoras is breathtakingly beautiful, and I still get choked up when I hear the line “No parent should have to bury their child.” However, I have to admit that I didn’t like the Two Towers as much as FOTR when I saw it in the theatre–several of the changes bugged me, especially Frodo and Sam in Osgiliath, Aragorn’s river trip with the boring (IMO) Arwen sequence/reverie, and the elves at Helms Deep (whatever happened to the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, which we saw in the prologue to the FOTR? Should it now be called the “Next-to-Last” Alliance?).
After repeated viewings of the TT on DVD, I decided that I did like it quite a bit, although still not as much as FOTR (which actually corresponds to my impressions of the books–I always have preferred the FOTR story). I usually skip through the Arwen sequence, but I can deal with the Osgiliath scene a little better (plus, the extended DVD really fleshes out Faramir’s character) and I can almost accept the presence of elves at Helms Deep–at least, they don’t detract from the battle scene (which is really something else).
I think you’d probably enjoy watching the TT once. It may not stand up on repeated viewings for you (as it has for me), but you might as well see it once so you can decide for yourself if it was worth the hype.
The same would probably go for the ROTK, although I’m waiting for the extended DVD versions before I render my final verdict on that installment.
I thought Fellowship was the best of the three as well. Found the battles boring - particularly Helm’s Deep.
I think the books are better on tape. Tolkein recites better than he reads - and you don’t need to worry about the Elvish and someone reads the poetry to you (which, I’ve discovered, I’m not the only person who skips).
Worth…well, what do you mean? Schindlers List was a painful movie to watch, but it was very worthwhile. The Matrix doesn’t do it for me, but I’m glad I saw it - it was such a defining film - the summer blockbuster of its year. I know I won’t like Pulp Fiction and have been putting off seeing it, but eventually I will - and I feel like it will be “worth” the time. I really enjoyed Star Wars when it was released - and think everyone should see it, even if it isn’t their type of movie. On that level I think the LotR movies are worthwhile. You may not enjoy them, but I anticipate they will become a cultural touchpoint - movies before LotRs and movies after will be different. It will be assumed you’ve seen it the same way its assumed you’ve seen Star Wars. Moreover, where Tolkein has always been a cultural literacy requirement of a certain kind of geek, I think the movies made Tolkein a cultural literacy requirement for the masses. And Tolkein gives a foundation (if you don’t have one) in a lot of other cultural literacy electives - heroic epics, fantasy, Northern European mythology, elementary linguistics - an introduction to that sort of archtype. But if you aren’t the type who values this kind of worth, its going to be a waste of time.