Lord of the Rings

Cool. I finished the books about a week ago. One thing that pisses me off about the book/movie Xfer is that in the movie Boromer (sp?) gets to hold the ring at one point. In the book no one was allowed to touch or wear the ring. It was major aspect of the book. And a human too....what were they thinking?

Yea!! I saw it and it was great!!

Go see it now!

So the question is, did any Sci-Fi trailer catch your eye?


"We live for the one... We die for the one..."

Matrix 2???

Hmmm ... the only sci-fi trailer I recall was <a href="http://bventertainment.go.com/movies/signs/index.html" target="_blank">Signs</a> with Mel Gibson.

Overall I really liked the movie. Very well-done. Excellent acting. Clearly some compromises had to be made with the plot, but overall I thought Jackson made good choices.

Ian McKellen was tremendous.

Its been many years since I read and reread those books. But I seem to remember there being some strange relationship to the ring with Boromir . . . doesn't he flip out or something and covet the ring?

Boromir flips out at the end of the first book and demands the ring from Frodo. Frodo puts on the ring and runs off, and ultimately decides to leave alone (Sam figures out his plan and comes with him). The rest of the fellowship spreads out to look for him and is broken by the assault of Isengard orcs.

Well yea but he never gets his hands on it. The ring is just to powerful for any man. He wants it because his family has been holding the castle waiting for the return of the king for generations. They _never_ take the throne for themselves. Boromir wants to use the ring to win the coming war and claim the throne for his family.

He corners Frodo and puts a scare into him. That's what causes Frodo to concluded that he has to go it alone from that point on but then Sam catches up and goes with him.

Boromir gets killed trying to save Merry and Pippen.

great movie.

I made sure that I didnt read the books. Everytime I read a book and see the movie based on it, I cant get into the movie at all because Im trying to make too many comparisons and analysis.

So, this time I just played ignorant and I have to say it was excellent.

I was feeling misty when Gandalf plunges into the ravine... very powerful character.

cant wait for next december

[quote]Originally posted by ZO:
<strong>great movie.

I made sure that I didnt read the books. Everytime I read a book and see the movie based on it, I cant get into the movie at all because Im trying to make too many comparisons and analysis.

So, this time I just played ignorant and I have to say it was excellent.

I was feeling misty when Gandalf plunges into the ravine... very powerful character.

cant wait for next december </strong><hr></blockquote>


OUCH!
You have to give people a SPOILER warning before you post about an emotional scene. I know I shouldn't be reading this but hell I'll see the movie regardless this weekend! I agree ...I'm going to watch the movie and then read the books as a child I read the Hobbit but never followed the rest of the books. Here's hoping for someone to do a movie based on The lion the witch and the wardrobe. I love this!

I've been reading FotR to my family aloud, part of our effort to reduce TV time. Anyway, we're putting off watching the movie until we're done reading the material, but I have heard rumour that the end of the book and the end of the movie do not exactly match up. Should we read slightly into TT? How much?

-- ShadyG

[quote]Originally posted by ShadyG:
<strong>I've been reading FotR to my family aloud, part of our effort to reduce TV time. Anyway, we're putting off watching the movie until we're done reading the material, but I have heard rumour that the end of the book and the end of the movie do not exactly match up. Should we read slightly into TT? How much?

-- ShadyG</strong><hr></blockquote>

I haven't seen the movie but from what I can tell you should read until (and I don't want to say too much or else I'll get yelled at for spoiling it) the end of the first real battle.

I think it would have been super cool to end where the first volume ends but that would be a major downer. Plus there would be no chance to to have a major war.

saw it last night (Wensday), loved it. BUT the worst bit was not the film but the iPod ad before it.

I want to see it. Never read the books, so I'm hoping I won't be disappointed per usual. And whaddaya mean about the iPod ad...you don't like that Arab looking guy dancing around? That ad cracks me up. I almost want to get up an dance to it sometimes.

PS - at almost 3 hours, I'm kind of psyched. I like getting some serious footage for my money, and the special effects scenery looks amazing (better than the Star Wars stuff even). I just hope I can follow the plot as it goes because I have a feeling stuff happens in the blink of an eye / it's easy to miss important things.

[ 12-20-2001: Message edited by: Moogs ]</p>

[quote]Originally posted by Moogs ?:
<strong>I just hope I can follow the plot as it goes because I have a feeling stuff happens in the blink of an eye / it's easy to miss important things.</strong><hr></blockquote>

In the book nothing happens in the blink of an eye. The story is rather straight forward. You may not understand all the motivation all the time but what fun would it be if you did?

[quote]Originally posted by hmurchison:
<strong> Here's hoping for someone to do a movie based on The lion the witch and the wardrobe. I love this!</strong><hr></blockquote>

It has been done. They play it on Public television every once in a while. here is a link to where you can buy it. <a href="http://www.christiancinema.com/c/catalog/lion.witch.wardrobe.html" target="_blank">http://www.christiancinema.com/c/catalog/lion.witch.wardrobe.html</a>

They have also done Voyage of the Dawn Treader and I beleive at least one other. Fairly well done.

Now back to the subject at hand. I hear that Sauron looks just like what you would expect, a total bada$$ and that the Balrog is just awesome. Is it true they did not do Tom Bombadil? I want to see this movie SOON!!!

I'm going to go see it with my brother and uncle this Sunday.

I've been rereading LotR for English class. Excellent book. I somehow doubt that the movie will live up to it.

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe has been criticized for being "too christen". They even rewrote the book to tone it down a little.

The lion the Witch and the wardrobe movies (if you can call them that) were pretty good. VERY BBC but good.

As for LOTR, well, It was lacking but still good. They REALLY needed some more character development (is the whole point of reading LOTR not to experience the great characters?), and above all some better camera work. It got me, they had stunning sets, AMAZING special effects, but the camera work was reminicent of a collage documentary.
Also, agent Smith as the elven king (Elrond?) just didnt work. He wasnt bad at the role or anything, but he just played Agent Smith in elven cloths.

Other complaints:
Too much in too little time, but what can you expect? They had to. Also Legolas was a virtually non-existant character, he just sat there looking elvish and fighting like some doped up ninja (when he stabs the orc with the arror then cocks it and nails another orc.... woha...).

But my BIGEST PROBLEM with it ALL:
The Lord of the Rings Poem! Why did they NEVER read it? The begining they "tell it" but they dont read the damn poem! I wanted to hear "Nine for mortal men doomed to die" but instead they say "Nine rings were forged for the kings of mankind to rule their lands"

now the good:
-The effect when Frodo puts on the ring... WOHA! That was the best part of the movie.
-The casting was beyond superb. Jackson showed his casting skill with xmen, but in this it was amazing.
-The Balrog, THE FRIKIN BALROG! AMAZING! Also that scene with Gandalf was over the top.
"You can not pass!"
-Computer animation takes the cake for the best Ive seen. It even out does my previous #1, Fightclub.
-AMAZING back drops, AMAZING! The world was perfect.
-Ring wraiths, what can I say...
-Awsome action

It was good, I really enjoyed it, but it could have been better with just a few little touches.

And my final question: What was with time in that movie? It takes gandalf what? 4h to get to that city, read all the scrolls and get back? Why didnt they just make it the 12 years that it was supposed to be?
Oh well, you cant win them all... unless your Gandalf.

I almost saw it this afternoon, but I got a flat tire on the way there and missed the show.

Planning on heading out again to see it tomorrow, though!

LotR made $18M on its opening day. That's respectable for any opening, especially a weekday opening, but not spectacular.

It may have barely enough stamina to break $250M...which is surprising...

nah, word of mouth will make this movie huge.

it opened on a wed., always a sign they expect word of mouth to help a lot, not hurt. it will go waaaay over the 250 mil. mark, IMO.

i think a few people are scared of trying to go see it 'cause they don't want to wait in line for an hour.

i'm going tomorrow afternoon.

[quote]Originally posted by Eugene:
<strong>LotR made $18M on its opening day. That's respectable for any opening, especially a weekday opening, but not spectacular.

It may have barely enough stamina to break $250M...which is surprising...</strong><hr></blockquote>

Actually, it's the third-largest Wednesday opening in history. The I doubt the movie will make it to the top three, but it's still on track for a very large weekend gross. That's impressive considering its long running time.

Looks like I'll be catching a matinee tomorrow!

I still think most Tolkien fans are over-estimating his reach. We're computer geeks here...

Word of mouth may be something that can put it over $250M, but I'm not holding my breath. Daver, an example of a movie that did better on a Wednesday premiere? Jurassic Park 3... $181M is where it's stuck at right now.

Just saw LOTR last night. I figured it was the best night to see it - not opening night, not a weekend night.

There are some really badass mother******s in that movie. When Sauron starts slashing into that army - wow! And that was just the beginning.

It's been about 8 years since I last read all of the Middle Earth books, Hobbit, Silmarillion etc. So I wasn't totally fresh on all the details, and that was okay because as I watched everything came back to me, so they must have stuck fairly close to the storyline. My girlfriend had never read the books and completely enjoyed the movie.

Can't wait till next December. I"ll go watch LOTR FOTR at least one more time.

[ 12-21-2001: Message edited by: seb ]</p>

hmm, i hadn't thought about that, but i suppose a 180 minute movies gets half the showing time as a 90 min movie, so might generate half the revenue if it were in the same number of theatres.

one thing that helps it out though. (not sure where i heard this, but i'm pretty sure it's true. )

i thought that movie theatres send over 90% of the revenue a movie generates the first two weeks to the group that made the movie. after two weeks, that percentage drops lower and lower. so theatres have an incentive to keep movies with some longevity around. in the long run, this could help out LOTR more than some others, since

1. it's worth seeing again
2. i still think people are scared to try and see it the first week or due to overcrowding fears.

just my opinion.

oh yeah, and lets not forget that this movie will also likely be a big hit with adults, who have read the book. they usually aren't the big "opening day" crowd.

[quote]Originally posted by Eugene:
<strong>I still think most Tolkien fans are over-estimating his reach. We're computer geeks here...

</strong><hr></blockquote>


Maybe... I saw it yesterday, i've never read the books but as an overall movie I can say it was pretty damn good. I mean it has a solid story and it is well done through and through, something most movies don't have going for them any more. But remember the money isn't in the box office. This movie is in the hands of AOL-Timewarner, this thing will be marketed down your throat for the next 3 years. I saw talk that to boost numbers for next year AOL-TW might release the next two movies next year 6 months apart.

I would say this trilogy has a chance at becoming a Star Wars type legacy. The only problem with it is the fantasy aspect, everyone got excited about space and could follow the simple fairy tale plot of Star Wars. This is a bit more complicated to follow however.

I am surprised there are folk who havnae read the book. I well remember my days on the lobster boat off the Isles where the Skipper made us read the entire trilogy before setting oot each day at dawn. At the end o' each voyage he wid re-enact the pivotal battle scenes o' the epic by mustering teams o' lobsters on deck.

I mind the last voyage, when - after a heated argument aboot whether or no' the balrog had wings - he flung extra coal intae the boiler, siezed the helm frae Boromir McTavish and ran the boat intae the rocks at full tilt, sort o' like Ar Pharazon the Golden in microcosm.

In fact.. No one but Sauron, Isildur, Gollum, Bilbo and Frodo (all in turn) ever touches the Ring in the movie, as it should be. Boromir holds the Ring at one point by its chain, but he never touches it.

Galadriel, Gandalf, Boromir, Aragorn and the Witch King of Angmar is all very close, but neither gets so close as to actually touching it.
Gimli breaks his ax over it too.. something he didn't do in the book. He wasn't even present at the council of Elrond in Rivendell.

Finally saw it this afternoon. What an amazing movie! Full of amazing sights and neat stuff. I really enjoyed it.

[quote]Originally posted by Henriok:
<strong>In fact.. No one but Sauron, Isildur, Gollum, Bilbo and Frodo</strong><hr></blockquote>

Deleted so as not to spoil the movie or the book.

[ 12-21-2001: Message edited by: Scott H. ]</p>

Sam never touches it in the movie nor in the Fellowship of the Rings book, you must see the movie again I think.

[edited so not to spoil anyone]

[ 12-21-2001: Message edited by: Henriok ]</p>

[quote]Originally posted by Henriok:
<strong>Sam never touches it in _this_ movie, do he?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Yes. Edit so as not to spoil it for the book or movie.

[ 12-21-2001: Message edited by: Scott H. ]</p>

I read it when I was in HS. I want to see the movie soon, but when I watch a movie based on a book I have read I am invariably disappointed; I hope this will be the exception!

Well.. I've done my part. Now.. edit your reply so you don't cite my unedited reply

*This is kinda fun*

Impressive movie. I really got absorbed into the story. Didn't feel like 3 hours at all. Next one comes out next Christmas, or two years from now? I wonder if this movie's DVD will come out next Christmas season. That would be great.

One thing that pisses me off is the theatre always overdoes the bass response to the point where the plastic lighting fixtures in the ceiling rattle everytime there's a deep bass sound playing. Distracting as hell. <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />

Do you have to be a huge fan or have read the book(s) to enjoy or "get" this movie?

It looks really interesting and fun, but I know NOTHING about the story or anything (and, to be honest, am not particularly interested in doing so at this particular point).

Could I simply enjoy it as a standalone movie, not knowing the whole backstory/mythology/history of it all?

Movies like this (and the Trek stuff) always give me pause because I feel like I'm missing out or won't get it or be left out or whatever.

Can I dig it just as a cool, visually-enticing, adventuresome movie?

this movie is the second book in a trilogy, but the first book is entirely self-contained. it probives some background for the second and third books, but that is easily covered.

i've read the books, my fiancee hasn't. we both saw the movie this afternoon and loved it. i don't think you need to read the books to enjoy the film.

[quote]i don't think you need to read the books to enjoy the film.<hr></blockquote>

Yes, but you should know beforehand that the ending can be a bit frustrating if you don't know what's going to happen afterwards. I still think it's more like one huge story than several self-contained stories (especially seems like this in the movie), and so it can feel like you don't get the closure you want at the end.

I decline from commenting further, since it'll require spoilers.