LORD OF THE RINGS: Still Another Freeper Review

December 28, 2001 | Timmy

[Timmy]

Brilliant beyond words to describe it. My daughter (14) and I just returned. Although there are some quibbles (focus on Lothlorien too brief, Galadriel says "I passed the test" in surprise, which is different than the book, the Balrog a bit weak, etc.), I was simply overwhelmed minute by minute. For any who complain I have to ask, did you ever in your wildest dreams expect LOTR to come to film in a manner such as this?

I was disappointed to see so many 4-10 year old children in the theatre, but that just shows the quality of parenting these days. Also, there is no "to be continued" or anything at the end to indicate the story will go on. I expect many in the audience are stunned and confused at the end of the movie.

All in all, though, I think I just watched what many be 3 hours of the greatest movie making I will ever see.

[Eddeche]

what many be 3 hours of the greatest movie making I will ever see.

...until next december !

[My2Cents]

I've read the trilogy four times, and the one word that came to me as the movie wrapped up was, "Perfect." The movie was perfect (allowing for the usual kind of limitations that the motion picture medium has in contrast to the human imagination). The characters and places were just as I had imagined in most cases; in some cases, they were better than I imagined (although I realized that the long-distance shot of Rivendell looked like a Thomas Kincaid painting). And I must disagree with you about the Balrog....It was tremendous.

Peter Jackson (the director) was quoted as saying that he made the movie for himself, in that he wanted it to be faithful to his own imagination of the story, persons, places, and events. He said that if he made the movie for anyone other than himself, he made it for Professor Tolkien, and trusted that he would have found it a close representation of both the spirit and grandeur of his epic story.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

"the Balrog a bit weak,..."

Wow. Your 'nasty' bar is set really high.
The bugger scared the bejeebers outta me. And I'm the size of Race Bannon!

[docmcb]

I also was mildly disappointed by the balrog -- but the cave troll more than made up for it -- that was the best fight seen ever filmed, I think. I also was disappointed by Galadriel's temptation, as that is one of the most powerful scenes in the book. But I liked it better the second time I watched the movie.

[Liberty Tree Surgeon]

Bump to annoy the anti-LOTRers.

[Timmy]

Don't get me wrong, the Balrog was had plenty of evil whupass goin' for him. I just had a large, flaming gaseous type creature in mind. I thought the movie's Balrog looked like something out of a fifties sci-fi flick with modern special effects. But that's all very minor. The movie is incredible.

[ObfusGate]

I thought the Balrog was incredible. Anyone else think he looked like the creature from Night on Bald Mountain in Fantasia? Smoke, Fire, Batwings, downturned horns.

[Timmy]

Yeah! That's it! That's where I remembered him from.

[Rocko]

Saw it twice so far. I thought the "Departure of Boromir" (taken from Chapter 1 of The Two Towers) was rushed, but I can quibble with only about five minutes of the 2:58. I'm seeing it again this weekend.

[4Freedom]

I'm going to see it for the third time this weekend. What a great Christmas present for us all.

Happy New Year!

[ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton]

Double viewer here. Hope to make it 3 soon.

Anyone know how it is doing in the LOTR vs. Potter $$$ race?

[MaryFromMichigan]

We were thinking about taking our 14 year old son and 9 year old daughter.
I know that the movie is rated PG13.
Is it too intense for the 9 year old crowd?
We would appreciate input from other parents.

[Psycho_Bunny]

That throw-away line still makes me smile: "They have a cave troll"

[Psycho_Bunny]

Um...do NOT take a 9-year old to this movie.

[bimmer]

The movie had no profane language ... Hurrah for Hollywood. But, I would not take a little girl, age 9, too many yucky scenes.

[Number_Cruncher]

I wish the movie had a few minutes devoted to Tom Bombadil, my favorite character in the books. Otherwise, the movie was good.

[maquiladora]

FOTR has clocked about $105 million at the moment in the US alone.

[ObfusGate]

With all due respect to Timmy, my seven and eleven year old boys had no real problem with it. Yes it is intense at times, but the violence is not of the 'blood and gore' type so common in films. And it is not gratuitous. It gave us plenty to talk about with the kids, themes like courage and temptation and the downside of power were not at all beyond their grasp.

Probably best for you to see it without the kids first to determine for yourself whether its appropriate. Then you get to see it a second time (whoopee!) with them if you think they can handle it.

[k2blader]

Hurrah for another LOTR thread! I thought the Balrog quite fearsome, but still wish Gandalf had had the sense to step away from the bridge after pounding his staff! Ah well, suppose Tolkien knew what he was doin'. :-D