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Thoughts on TTT or I Just Got Back and I'm Not Tired So I'm Going to Post

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Thoughts on TTT or I Just Got Back and I'm Not Tired So I'm Going to Post

Old 12-18-02, 02:46 AM
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Thoughts on TTT or I Just Got Back and I'm Not Tired So I'm Going to Post

I was annoyed at the beginning, but I don't know why. The pacing was off, it seemed like a clip show, some of the CGI was bad... Eventually I got over it.

Goodness gracious was this breathtaking. More humor, more action, more Gimli, more CGI (and 90% of it very good), more fighting, more darkness, more political plotting... This seemed like such a grand scope.

on a short review... I'm seeing it in 18.5 hours again so I better rest.
Old 12-18-02, 05:48 AM
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Just got back as well. Not the "movie to ruin all other movies for you" as some have claimed, but great nonetheless. I'd go see it just to see Eowyn over and over and over again.

I love Eowyn.

More thoughts tomorrow if I'm coherent enough.
Old 12-18-02, 07:55 AM
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Originally posted by Kal Jedi
I'd go see it just to see Eowyn over and over and over again.

I love Eowyn.
Must put pic up for Kal Jedi

Old 12-18-02, 08:38 AM
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Gah. Maybe I'll go see it tonight, I dunno.. I just want to see Legalos kick some ass.
Old 12-18-02, 08:57 AM
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Originally posted by pixyboi
Gah. Maybe I'll go see it tonight, I dunno.. I just want to see Legalos kick some ass.
No one kicks ass like Legolas, especially in this installment:
Spoiler:

He does a crazy spin move onto a horse, uses a shield to surf down a set of stairs and goes nuits in general
Old 12-18-02, 09:15 AM
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Originally posted by The Bus
No one kicks ass like Legolas, especially in this installment:
Spoiler:

He does a crazy spin move onto a horse, uses a shield to surf down a set of stairs and goes nuts in general
People in my theater were clapping and cheering at these parts.
Old 12-18-02, 10:16 AM
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Legolas is the best character. I was disappointed he wasn't better utilized outside the fight scenes...
Old 12-18-02, 10:43 AM
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Spoiler:
The crazy spin move onto the horse
was on the WB Return to Middle Earth sneak preview footage.

And it did kick total ass!
Old 12-18-02, 10:56 AM
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Okay.. I'ma be advoiding those spoiler until later tonight (hopefully)..
Old 12-18-02, 12:42 PM
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Saw the movie at midnight and it was a very good film. The only problem was the Gollum character. What'd you think of him?
Old 12-18-02, 01:01 PM
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Originally posted by Skull
Saw the movie at midnight and it was a very good film. The only problem was the Gollum character. What'd you think of him?
Honestly, I couldn't get the house elf Dobby from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets out of my head. They were just a bit too similar in the beginning. As the movie moved along I got used to Gollum/Sméagol and then the little freak really grew on me. I don't know about an Oscar award for Andy Serkis but some sort of recognition needs to be given. Best interactive CGI creature to date and I can't wait to see what they do in the next few years with stuff like this.

I think the fact that the character can make you FEEL for him is really quite an achievement, especially since most of that is done through the "acting" of the CGI.
Old 12-18-02, 01:42 PM
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Gollum was extremely well done. His torment felt palpable to me, and overall he was well integrated into the surroundings. While not yet perfect, I do believe he is the best CGI character to date.

stoolie
Old 12-18-02, 02:17 PM
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Were people laughing at Gollum's dualing personalities at your showings? I didn't think the scene was that funny (more pitiful), but some of the people around me were chuckling ... this could just have been becaus they were middle schoolers out way past their bedtime .....
Old 12-18-02, 02:52 PM
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Originally posted by silentbob007
Were people laughing at Gollum's dualing personalities at your showings? I didn't think the scene was that funny (more pitiful), but some of the people around me were chuckling ... this could just have been becaus they were middle schoolers out way past their bedtime .....
That scene was a "laff riot" in my theatre... Sure, it was rather glum and terrible, but again this is a fictional CGI creature being harassed by his inner demons. If you can't chuckle at that, what can you chuckle at?
Old 12-18-02, 03:11 PM
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There were plenty of laughs at the beginning of the scene, but by the end, as Gollum/Smeagol's dual existence was truly revealed, the theater became quieter. As for me, my heart was aching during that scene. But I'm one of the geeks everyone talks about here.

stoolie
Old 12-18-02, 03:27 PM
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Re: Thoughts on TTT or I Just Got Back and I'm Not Tired So I'm Going to Post

Originally posted by The Bus
I was annoyed at the beginning, but I don't know why. The pacing was off, it seemed like a clip show, some of the CGI was bad... Eventually I got over it.


on a short review... I'm seeing it in 18.5 hours again so I better rest.

I felt exactly the same way. The first hour was just very slow to me & the movie overall went a little over board with the blue screen but by then end of it & excused it b.c the scale & scope of what was going on is just SO BIG you really couldn't get it to look any better then what Jackson did. What impressed & surprised me the most in this movie was GOLUM. By far the best use of CGI ever done in a movie & the character was just awesome.

To me the only thing that hurt this movie was all the new characters. The actors ESPECIALLY Eowyn were just bland. I HATED the actress that played Eowyn. She is from that school like the chick from Red Dragon that thinks bulging her eyeballs out is good acting.

That said the movie was still beyond amazing & I will be seeing it again in a few hours.
Old 12-18-02, 03:31 PM
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Yeah his first "encounter" with Gollum (obviously it was a second personality created to deal with the stress of his life to protect gollum as in many battered individuals).. Well his first encounter I think the WAY they did it with the switching shots making it look like 2 people WAS funny. And there was laughing at first. I thought it was MEANT to be funny.

But you can't complain about that. After all once it got a little more serious (Smeagol showed real emmotion) there WAS no laughing. Only sobs. It was a great scene. And by the end the entire theater knew what was going on. Gollum trying to rule Smeagol. There was no laughing at later "moments".

I still have my free ticket coupon so I'll use that when I go back to the theatre who knows how many times. . .
Old 12-18-02, 04:11 PM
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Originally posted by Stoolie
There were plenty of laughs at the beginning of the scene, but by the end, as Gollum/Smeagol's dual existence was truly revealed, the theater became quieter. As for me, my heart was aching during that scene. But I'm one of the geeks everyone talks about here.

stoolie
I agree, it too bad though the screenwriters couldn't have included a line that alluded to the fact that Gollum/Smeagol killed his own brother (Deagol) for the ring, for extra pathos and punch.
Old 12-18-02, 04:18 PM
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Originally posted by Giles
I agree, it too bad though the screenwriters couldn't have included a line that alluded to the fact that Gollum/Smeagol killed his own brother (Deagol) for the ring, for extra pathos and punch.
I completely agree. In fact, I was expecting to see a "normal" Smeagol flashback to that very scene. I think it would have made Gollum's character that much more tragic. He was taken in by the ring immediately, and it would have lended weight to his inability to escape its grasp. Perhaps the next movie will explain how Gollum obtained the ring, moreso than the brief exposition in FOTR gave us.

stoolie
Old 12-18-02, 04:30 PM
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Here's a more "coherent" personal insight:

The pacing kinda threw me off sometimes. Just when you're getting into one storyline, bam. Jump to the next one. I sorely missed Merry and Pippin. Is it me or did they spend more than half their screentime on Treebeard's limbs? The Gimli humor was ok by me. It didn't feel forced or anything. And towards the end, the Helm's Deep/Ent climax felt uneven. While you're on the edge of your seat in one, once they jump to the other, it's all quiet and what-not.

Gollum was, I have to say, well done. But he's no Yoda--in terms of animation, not characterization. Then again, he had more "dramatic" scenes so I guess they even out in the end.

As for the sf/x, save for Gollum, FOTR edges this by a very slim margin. IMO of course.

Man, how cool is Legolas.
Spoiler:
That back-flip mount to the horse and the shield-as-a-skateboard-do
wn-the-stairs thing
was awesome.

As for the changes to the book, I was mostly bothered by the Faramir storyline. Why couldn't they have just followed the book there? I don't get why they had to have him take the 3 stooges to Gondor? And I think they kinda missed where Smeagol said "Shelob" in the end of the film. I mean, I knew it was there because I've read the book but to those who haven't I think it didn't register as clearly as they intended. I also could have done without Sam's monologue at the end. Sounded like something out of Rudy.

So basically this is the the shortest film in the trilogy story-wise right? Why do I say that? 1. Its "beginning"(Boromir's death) got ported over to the first film and 2.
Spoiler:
it's "ending"(Saruman's demise, the Palantir, etc.) is not included in THIS film.


I thought for sure there was going to be a flashback of Smeagol when he was still Smeagol. I guess that's one scene they saved for the EE DVD next year.

And I still love Eowyn.
Old 12-18-02, 05:54 PM
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I, too, found it wierd that the first movie ran over (book wise) and then this one didn't run as long ....
Old 12-18-02, 06:16 PM
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Well, the third book is much shorter than the other two, especially when you take out all the appendixes in the back. And, since they are also leaving out the scouring of the shire , it becomes shorter still.

So, there should be plenty of room to carry over parts of the second book into the third movie.
Old 12-18-02, 08:13 PM
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Originally posted by einTier
Well, the third book is much shorter than the other two, especially when you take out all the appendixes in the back. And, since they are also leaving out the scouring of the shire , it becomes shorter still.

So, there should be plenty of room to carry over parts of the second book into the third movie.
Good point, though it is a shame we missed the natural cliff-hanger from the novel.
Old 12-19-02, 11:05 AM
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During one of the Smeagol/Gollum scenes, Gollum reminds Smeagol he's committed murder in the past. And there are indications that we'll be shown more about his past in ROTK.

People were laughing at the first Smeagol/Gollum "conversation," but I think it was nervous "what is this freak doing?" laughter. Remember, there are lots of people out there who haven't read the books, and learning about Smeagol's little personality disorder must have come as quite the surprise to them.

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