LotR -- 9 years later

[marvelman2006]

Still boring uninteresting movies that have characters that never
ImPressed me. Speaking as someone who never read the books, trying to watch these movies is almost imPossible because you don't understand who is who what is going on. I find it funny though they couldn't just fly a giant eagle over mount doom and dropped the ring in aerial style and save us all 9 hours.

 

[Kent]

For me its the oposite. Not that Fellowship and Towers hasnt aged, but I Return is the one that has improved to me the most of the 3.

I definitely think that ROTK is the most flawed of the films.
But what annoys me is the most is that the Extended Edition could've fixed a lot of it. Instead it overshot. That is, it did fix most of it, but it also added tons of **** that really wasn't needed.

I mean, yes, I really want the part where the disfigured orc leader gets killed, or where Gandalf and the Witch King are about to face off, but I really didn't need the bit where Frodo and Sam get mistaken for orcs and have to pretend-fight eachother to escape, or the part where the ghost army attacks the Corsair ships (thus completely ruining their reveal at Pelennor fields).

I always felt that the extended editions of FOTR and TTT were noticable improvements, while the extended edition of ROTK was an improvement, but not as noticably so.

 

[Sundancer]

I find it funny though they couldn't just fly a giant eagle over mount doom and dropped the ring in aerial style and save us all 9 hours.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167260/faq#.2.1.5

The book is more elaborate on this point than the film, and Peter Jackson also explains the reason during the audio commentary on the dvd. The Eagles did not take sides in the War of the Ring until the end, so they would not have assisted Frodo when he started his quest. This is similar to the Ents, who only participated when they felt they were drawn in by Saruman. The Eagles are also very proud creatures, who will not allow themselves to be used as just a means of transportation. The Eagle that rescued Gandalf (Ian McKellen) from the tower of Saruman (Christopher Lee) did so as a special service to Gandalf, whom he knew personally (Gandalf had previously saved his life). In addition to this, there are allusions that while Sauron was still in power, the Eagles would have struggled getting to Mount Doom, not least because of the wraiths on their fell-beasts and other dark creatures and powers that Sauron had at his disposal. Sending Frodo on the back of an eagle into Mount Doom would have been effectively air-mailing the ring to Sauron. A ground-based approach was decided to be much more effective and appropriate. Finally, the ring corrupts the proud much more easily than the humble. While there is no proof that the ring has the same effect on an Eagle as it does for men, there may have been too much risk in tempting the extremely proud Eagles.

 

[Kent]

^ Plus, you know... the whole point is that to get the ring to Mount Doom they have to use some means of stealth, because Sauron's armies are too large and powerful. Landing a friggin' eagle in or close to Mordor would be suicide.

Then of course there's the fell beasts, which makes it dangerous even if considering dropping Frodo off somewhere close, but not too close. There aren't many hiding places when in the air.

 

[marvelman2006]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167260/faq#.2.1.5

The book is more elaborate on this point than the film, and Peter Jackson also explains the reason during the audio commentary on the dvd. The Eagles did not take sides in the War of the Ring until the end, so they would not have assisted Frodo when he started his quest. This is similar to the Ents, who only participated when they felt they were drawn in by Saruman. The Eagles are also very proud creatures, who will not allow themselves to be used as just a means of transportation. The Eagle that rescued Gandalf (Ian McKellen) from the tower of Saruman (Christopher Lee) did so as a special service to Gandalf, whom he knew personally (Gandalf had previously saved his life). In addition to this, there are allusions that while Sauron was still in power, the Eagles would have struggled getting to Mount Doom, not least because of the wraiths on their fell-beasts and other dark creatures and powers that Sauron had at his disposal. Sending Frodo on the back of an eagle into Mount Doom would have been effectively air-mailing the ring to Sauron. A ground-based approach was decided to be much more effective and appropriate. Finally, the ring corrupts the proud much more easily than the humble. While there is no proof that the ring has the same effect on an Eagle as it does for men, there may have been too much risk in tempting the extremely proud Eagles.

that makes sense, I think if they explained that part a bit better, there wouldnt have been so many people I know who would of made fun of the movie for that. Also on a side note maybe its me but I did see the 3rd on tnt a couple nights ago and from what I saw it has not aged well.

 

[Figs]

Still boring uninteresting movies that have characters that never
ImPressed me. Speaking as someone who never read the books, trying to watch these movies is almost impossible because you don't understand who is who what is going on. I find it funny though they couldn't just fly a giant eagle over mount doom and dropped the ring in aerial style and save us all 9 hours.

I don't have a problem with people not liking these films, but this is laughable.

 

[kane9321]

Lotr will stand the test of time.. Just so badass

 

[luke1234]

still my favs. Got a Lotr Tattoo. Love em.

Still cant believe the Hobbit is actually being made after all this time. Truly Unbelivable.

 

[Raiden]

I refuse to buy the Blu-Rays until the Extended Editions. They're not getting me to buy two copies of each movie. Not again.

Yeah, if they ever release the extended edition on blu-ray DVD, then I'll buy it. I'm not going to buy the theatrical versions again.

 

[lime]

i need to rewatch the first one again. It's my favorite of the series.

+10

 

[superkong 500]

I like the explanation about the eagles, it makes perfect sense. Heck it would be cool to see Gandalf save the eagle during the Hobbit, since it will have two parts maybe we'll see Gandalf's journey a bit. They could throw that scene in or on a Hobbit Extended edition.

As for the trilogy FOTR is the best one for me( its my favorite film followed by the Godfather) when I saw fellowship in the theaters(first day) I was blown away, middle earth became a reality before my very eyes. For 3 Hrs I became a five year old again. I didn't know anything about the books, but after watching the first one I went straight to Borders to buy The big trilogy book and all the movie books and magazines. I was that impressed, I fell in love with LOTR instantly.

TTT and ROTK were awesome specially ROTK( the only third film so far to not only not suck but also to close a trilogy perfectly.

They still hold up as good as the first time I saw them in theaters.
Gollum is still the first cg character with a soul to deliver a great( both creepy and saddening) performance.

 

[marvelman2006]

I don't have a problem with people not liking these films, but this is laughable.

Why? No one outside of the diehards will remember these
Movies for the characters but for the big battles scenes. I can go up to 8 out of 10 people and none of them could remember half the characters or what they did. There's only one return and it ain't of the king it's of the Jedi. How many people do you know that have actually watched these films since there release, I know one out of the population of Maryland.

 

[Immortalfire]

They're still excellent

 

[marvelman2006]

They're still excellent

I don't know man, I still look back and wonder what the big deal was, I also feel the same way about the sw prequels too, all hype and nothing for me. I guess you have to be into this stuff to really like it, I was dragged to the first 2 lotr films

 

[luke1234]

I don't know man, I still look back and wonder what the big deal was, I also feel the same way about the sw prequels too, all hype and nothing for me. I guess you have to be into this stuff to really like it, I was dragged to the first 2 lotr films

Why are you even in this thread?

 

[LOBO3315a]

Why? No one outside of the diehards will remember these
Movies for the characters but for the big battles scenes. I can go up to 8 out of 10 people and none of them could remember half the characters or what they did. There's only one return and it ain't of the king it's of the Jedi. How many people do you know that have actually watched these films since there release, I know one out of the population of Maryland.

Quit quoting Clerks II!

This was the best modern fantasy movie trilogy to come out.
10 years! Amazing. I recently got the extended editions on DVD. They fill out the story so much! Hard to sit and watch all 3 at once though. I hope the Hobbit movies live up to these.

 

[redhawk23]

Why? No one outside of the diehards will remember these
Movies for the characters but for the big battles scenes. I can go up to 8 out of 10 people and none of them could remember half the characters or what they did. There's only one return and it ain't of the king it's of the Jedi. How many people do you know that have actually watched these films since there release, I know one out of the population of Maryland.

apearantly Marlyand blows.

 

[redhawk23]

Over time my opinion of Return of the King has lowered, but Fellowship has become far more likable. Two Towers is still my favorite. About once a year my friends and I gather to do the extended versions straight through, usually on Black Friday. Its a lot of fun, and the films are still entertaining and beautiful for the most part. Of course there have been improvements in modern tech but one must wonder if Weta could pull of half of what they do if they had not done LotR.


First weekend of April I'm going to Powell Symphony Hall I'm seeing the Fellowship of the Ring with the soundtrack played live by the St. Louis Symphony. In October I saw Psycho the same way and it was absolutely amazing. LotR has some of my favorite film scores. I cant wait.

 

[Venomfan]

Still boring uninteresting movies that have characters that never
ImPressed me. Speaking as someone who never read the books, trying to watch these movies is almost imPossible because you don't understand who is who what is going on. I find it funny though they couldn't just fly a giant eagle over mount doom and dropped the ring in aerial style and save us all 9 hours.

every single movie has characters that people forget the names of. everytime i see a movie with friends they don't call a side character by his name, but something like "the guy with the axe."

and the eagle thing, aside from the explanation given by another poster, you can find "problems" like that in every movie

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Why? No one outside of the diehards will remember these
Movies for the characters but for the big battles scenes. I can go up to 8 out of 10 people and none of them could remember half the characters or what they did. There's only one return and it ain't of the king it's of the Jedi. How many people do you know that have actually watched these films since there release, I know one out of the population of Maryland.

You know the entire population of Maryland?

 

[Immortalfire]

The state of Maryland is just a bunch of haters

 

[Sundancer]

Why? No one outside of the diehards will remember these
Movies for the characters but for the big battles scenes.

11 Oscars? People will remember them.


The mouth of Sauron still freaks me out.


The only scene I thought was overshot was when Sam says goodbye to Bill the pony. This should have been taken out since it was the first scene with the pony and it was a goodbye scene.

 

[Kane52630]

marvelman2006, YOU SHALL NOT...POST!

 

[bullets]

I just read a hilarious article on cracked about why LOTR "sucks" , lol. These movies are amazing and I wish there were more fantasy films being made that held up to this. I hope lighting strikes twice with The Hobbit , I'm really looking forward to that.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Uh huh. ROTK was published in the 1950's. Nearly 30 years before a return of a Jedi even happened. So it was the Return of the King first. That joke was never funny.

These are some of my favorite films. Or rather, film. Thank God Jackson got these right. Or there would be more serious fanboy *****ing across the internet we would have to take for the rest of our lives.

I only watch the extended versions now. Although I still love the theatrical cuts. I prefer some of the aspects of the theatrical actually, but the extended makes all three feel more grand and complete. I watch these films all the time and they never get old. Choosing a favorite is like choosing your favorite child for me.