FReeper Reviews of Return of the King (Spoiler FILLED)

Dec 17,2003

[HairOfTheDog]

Lord of the Rings:
Return of the King!
FReeper reports and reviews thread

Beyond this point there be spoilers!

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[HairOfTheDog]

Well, I will look for it at the Havens next time around!

[BibChr]

Oh yeah, he's an idiot. No debate. But EVEN HE is grudgingly forced to like it.

But I just thought that was a wonderful line.

Dan
(c8

[ican'tbelieveit]

That was definitely Gandalf's ring. Just as he pulls his staff up before going on the boat, they show it.

[JenB]

Yeah, it's great to see even people who don't want to like it praising it. Kinda like Dems grudgingly admitting that yes, we got Saddam, and it's good news.

[sweetliberty]

"in dispensing with the “Scouring” scenes --even in a future DVD -- Peter Jackson has done Tolkien the first real disservice of the Trilogy."

Are you saying that it won't be included in the extended version, or that a disservice is being done even if it is included in the extended version?

[sweetliberty]

"Then the door is broken through and the meanest, ugliest, most terrifying trolls in full battle armor break through the gate. The look in Gandalf's eyes is classic - almost like he was saying, "Whoops".

I loved that. The facial expressions of all the actors were unsurpassed, but Gandalf, perhaps due to his age and experience with live theater, probably expressed the widest range of emotion and the greatest subtleties of expression.

"The speech that Aragorn gives to the remaining forces of Gondor and Rohan at the Black Gate as they are being surrounded by the Orcs coming out of Mordor was awesome."

That was one of those scenes that gave me chills! It was so valiant and courageous and inspiring. And when he summoned the men in the mountain, standing fearlessly in the face of death...that was when he became king, in my opinion. Beautiful performance.

[sweetliberty]

"The beacons were really neat."

I loved that part too. Very powerful.

[sweetliberty]

The joy of the reunion stood out to me the second time. I wondered when Frodo woke up in the first real bed he'd been in since Rivendale, if his first thought might have been that he was dead. And the joy that overflowed that whole scene as one by one he was reunited with the fellowship was just delightful, given that he hadn't known what had become of any of them, but especially Gandalf whom he believed to be dead.

[sweetliberty]

"ex-Governor of Illinois, George Ryan is a dead ringer for Gollum."

I thought the leader of the orc army bore a striking resemblence to Teddy Kennedy.

[sweetliberty]

"They go without explanation from wearing full orc ensemble to wearing the dirty remains of their old clothes."

That was one of my few minor quibbles as well.

[Snake65]

Are you saying that it won't be included in the extended version, or that a disservice is being done even if it is included in the extended version?

It is my understanding that there was never a "Scouring" scene filmed, and it will never appear, not even in an extended version. I do believe the Scouring was an important moment for the hobbits, and not incidentally the last blood shed in the War of the Ring.

[sweetliberty]

"The Shelob scene was completely horrifying, especially to this arachnaphobic hobbit."

Being one who goes into panic mode upon having a spider intrude into my space, I found that entire scene horrifying! I was on the edge of my seat, arms tightly folded; I jumped and gasped, shivered and semi-shrieked during that sequence.

[sweetliberty]

"they could have reduced the lingering gaze between Sam and Frodo a couple times, just a bit."

That didn't bother me, but i did think that when Frodo kissed Sam on the head as he was leaving that it lasted a bit longer than necessary. In fact, I'm not sure that the kiss was really needed at all.

[Bogey78O]

Yes, he then proceeds to hop about and admire the ring before a rightiously angry Frodo takes action.

[Bogey78O]

Having never read the book I have nothing to quibble about.

I guess I'm lucky like that ;)

[Bogey78O]

We got the Potter but I don't recall a Hidalgo. We got Spiderman 2 and Punisher though.

[sweetliberty]

"Gandalf's frowning, and then just suddenly sort of shakes his head and grumps, "Hobbits!"

That was a delightful scene. It was when Gandalf, Aragorn and company rode up on Merry and Pippin at Isengard when they were smoking and grubbing out on the food they'd come by. At that moment, it was like there was nothing more important in the world than the food and the pipeweed. That was when Gandalf shook his head and said, "hobbots."

[Bogey78O]

I remember during the TTT when the thetre I was in broke out in laughter during Gollum's serious soliloquy (teehee...he's talking to himself!!!)

During the FOTR though about 10 minutes into it I heard a cell phone near me go off. I start looking around before I realize it's my cell phone. Turns out the new cellphone I had been given had the silent mode reprogrammed to actually play a horrid techno tune at maximum volume.

I was embarassed.

[sweetliberty]

"I wish they hadn't cut Faramir and Eowyn's love scenes. Their stories feel incomplete."

I found that part to be too conspicuously absent as well. I am trusting that it will be fleshed out some more in the extended edition.

[SuziQ]

Yeah, we got Spidey 2, and a new one with Vin Diesel, though they didn't show him except in shadow and silhouette. Don't know what was up with that.