Why does every sword & sorcery movie other than LOTR suck?

[Rac]

I've been wondering the same. People just don't get the fantasy stuff. Like it can be something other than kids stuff too. Some R rated S&S movie could be cool. *cough*new Conan movie*cough*

I looked up IMDb's sword-and-sorcery keyword and this is the Top 20 (minus tv-shows, games and animations) sorted by rating:

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
3. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
4. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
5. Stardust (2007)
6. The Princess Blade (1987)
7. A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella (1994)
8. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
9. A Chinese Odyssey Part One: Pandora's Box (1994)
10. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
11. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
12. Willow (1988)
13. Merlin (1998)
14. Dragonslayer (1981)
15. The Iron Crown (1941)
16. Ladyhawke (1985)
17. Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain (1983)
18. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
19. Conan the Barbarian (1982)
20. The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974)

Not that many surprises. Expect the Asian ones and couple of oddities.

 

[MaskedManJRK]

The Golden Compass trailer looked lame to me.


I'm still waiting on the 'next' LOTR, not in terms of story, but scale, quality, and epicness.

Yeah, the trailer wasn't that great, since the studio seems to want to make it look as much like "the next LOTR" as possible. Still confident that the movie itself will be awesome, though.

I've been wondering the same. People just don't get the fantasy stuff. Like it can be something other than kids stuff too. Some R rated S&S movie could be cool. *cough*new Conan movie*cough*

I looked up IMDb's sword-and-sorcery keyword and this is the Top 20 (minus tv-shows, games and animations) sorted by rating:

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
3. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
4. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
5. Stardust (2007)
6. The Princess Blade (1987)
7. A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella (1994)
8. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
9. A Chinese Odyssey Part One: Pandora's Box (1994)
10. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
11. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
12. Willow (1988)
13. Merlin (1998)
14. Dragonslayer (1981)
15. The Iron Crown (1941)
16. Ladyhawke (1985)
17. Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain (1983)
18. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
19. Conan the Barbarian (1982)
20. The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974)

Not that many surprises. Expect the Asian ones and couple of oddities.

You're goddamn right, there's oddities. I mean, Monty Python and the Holy Grail? It's awesome, don't get me wrong, but I don't consider it a "sword and sorcery" movie, really.

 

[Warhammer]

in lotr i guess they shot all the movies back to back over the course of a year . very rare

And it was a HUGE gamble, too.
Had the first one not done very well at the box office, say career suicide to Peter Jackson, as well as New Line losing so much coin, and many other bad things.

 

[J. J. Jameson]

And it was a HUGE gamble, too.
Had the first one not done very well at the box office, say career suicide to Peter Jackson, as well as New Line losing so much coin, and many other bad things.

Darn right

LOTR is sheer brilliance. #2 on my favorite movies of all time. In my mind there will never be "another LOTR".

Unless they make The Hobbit.

 

[Jochimus]

You're goddamn right, there's oddities. I mean, Monty Python and the Holy Grail? It's awesome, don't get me wrong, but I don't consider it a "sword and sorcery" movie, really.

Well, it's got lots of swordplay, and repeated references and instances of magic and witchcraft (especially at the end) and other inexplicable things that happen . Incidentally, EW just named it as the best King Arthur movie ever made. I'm inclined to agree. t:

 

[turtlefocker]

The Princess Blade (1987) and:

The Question should be "Why does every sword & sorcery movie other than CONAN suck?"

Are far better than LOTR In my opinion.

 

[Mr. Socko]

And it was a HUGE gamble, too.
Had the first one not done very well at the box office, say career suicide to Peter Jackson, as well as New Line losing so much coin, and many other bad things.

I don't think so. New Line loves the "it was a HUGE gamble" line to make it seem like they were very worried and scared. They wouldn't have greenlit 3 films back to back with a near $300 Million budget if they even thought it would be a gamble. Why don't people realize that LOTR is known as one of the biggest fantasy tales of all time and always was long before Peter Jackson created the films. It's like saying Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone film was a gamble(near $200M budget). New Line knew for a fact this would hit hard. The most acclaimed fantasy novels of all time. It's pre-established material with an already huge following.

If George Lucas had made all 3 original Star Wars films back to back in the 70s, that is something that could be called a HUGE gamble.

 

[MaskedManJRK]

Well, it's got lots of swordplay, and repeated references and instances of magic and witchcraft (especially at the end) and other inexplicable things that happen . Incidentally, EW just named it as the best King Arthur movie ever made. I'm inclined to agree. t:

True, but I just always put it in the realm of comedy.

But I agree with Turtlefocker: Conan and The Princess Bride is FAR better then LOTR.

 

[Trevor Goodchild]

Can anyone please remind me the title of that old ‘Conan-like’ movie with those two twin wrestlers...I think they were wrestlers. They also played nannies in some other comedy...

And yeah, Dragonheart was alright.

 

[turtlefocker]

Seeing as they don't have there own "appreciation" thread I think its time we took a break from *expletive deleted* jackson *expletive deleted* and looked at some real quality stuff:

Conan "You killed my mother! You killed my father, you killed my people! You took my father's sword... "

Count Rugen "You've got an overdeveloped sense of vengeance. It's going to get you into trouble someday"

 

[primemover]

Other good to great 'Swords and Sorcery' movies nobody has mentioned yet:

Excalibur
Highlander
Legend
Time Bandits
Clash of the Titans
Ladyhawke

 

[3dman27]

don't forget KRULL

 

[nocomics]

Other good to great 'Swords and Sorcery' movies nobody has mentioned yet:

Excalibur
Highlander
Legend
Time Bandits
Clash of the Titans
Ladyhawke

Ya,these are the movies I think I listed as well,plus Krull,and conan(well not time bandits).

I think they are remaking Clash of the Titans,but havent heard much lately not sure it got off the ground or not..

As good as LotR was there are other great sword/sorcery movies out there,and some are listed on this thread. Just as right now LoTr is cream of the crop. Though I think its lost its luster or appeal as time goes on imo..Im just not as excited with them right now,maybe that will change when the do the 'Hobbit'.

 

[Spidey Lover 10]

ur 4getting THE 2004 KING ARTHUR MOVIE!!!

 

[AhabTheArab]

stardust sucked. dont sacrifice excellent source material so you can ****e it out to hollywood. and it didnt even make that much money, idiots in charge i tell ya.

 

[TheBat812]

LOTR was the only one with a director who knew exactly what he wanted and how to get it. He was concerned with script first, which seems to be the problem with the others. Eragon sucked, which is disappointing because the book is fantastic. Chronicles sucked, which is disappointing because the book is fantastic. LOTR was great.

 

[Downhere]

Chronicles sucked, which is disappointing because the book is fantastic.

I don't see how CON sucked considering it didn't stray from the source material.

 

[SolidSnakeMGS]

Actually, LOTR sucked for me. Conan however does NOT suck.

 

[chaseter]

I don't see how CON sucked considering it didn't stray from the source material.

CON was a great film

 

[nocomics]

ur 4getting THE 2004 KING ARTHUR MOVIE!!!

The Clive Owen version was so so at best. I watch it from time to time,but /shrug it gets worse each time I watch it. I only watch for clive/ray(new punisher)..

 

[Mr. Socko]

I've yet to see the 04 version of King Arthur but I heard it was bad.

 

[Downhere]

CON was a great film

Agreed...

 

[Trevor Goodchild]

Eragon sucked, which is disappointing because the book is fantastic. Chronicles sucked, which is disappointing because the book is fantastic. LOTR was great.

...because the book sucked.

Actually, LOTR sucked for me. Conan however does NOT suck.

So says Solid Snake!

I've yet to see the 04 version of King Arthur but I heard it was bad.

Meh, it's alright for one viewing. It's like Pirates meats Gladiator, which, as already said above, is a so-so mix.
And I wouldn’t even consider it a swords and sorcery film. More historical…

Funny PotC haven’t been mentioned here yet.

 

[LastSunrise1981]

I feel the problem is Lord of the Rings is the trilogy that managed to get everything right. It was emotional, epic, dark, and at the time it connected with the audience because the films were and are fantastic.

Will there ever be another Lord of the Rings type film? No. Not for a while. Even if they do the Hobbit it won't really be the same in terms of the quality and darker aspects that is the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Unless you have another sword and sorcery type film that gets a director who is similar to Peter Jackson, who in turn, creates a brilliant epic film out of it that captures the hearts and minds of an audience, it's definitely going to be a while before that comes to fruition.

I'd love for them to do a Death Dealer film. It is a sword and sorcery book about a barbarian who is possessed by a demonic helmet, and each time he puts the helmet on, he becomes this evil entity that is a good guy but it's taking over his soul and mind each time he puts it on. Only the touch of a virgin can free him from the horned helmet.

The books are epic and amazing at the same time. I couldn't put any of the books down when I began reading them.

If done right I think the Death Dealer could be the next Lord of the Rings in terms of storytelling and epic nature. But even that's stretching it when I think about it.

 

[Red Mask]

Yeah, the trailer wasn't that great, since the studio seems to want to make it look as much like "the next LOTR" as possible. Still confident that the movie itself will be awesome, though. o

Golden Compass isn't much of 'sword and sorcery'.