FReeper Reviews of Return of the King (Spoiler FILLED)

Dec 17,2003

[JenB]

Just back from our showing. Wow. Wow. Wow.

I think this is the best movie I've ever seen.

I'll say more tomorrow. Like the things I really loved (scene of Frodo clawing up the mountain, Pippin's singing) and hated (Denethor's death, the missing scene on the stair). But... oh. My dreams tonight are going to be special.

[Ayn Rand wannabe]

I feel kinda let down too. My group went to a midnight showing (in a college town) and I ended up sitting next to some state-school ass who cursed every 10 minutes or so. The only issue that I had (well, the only one I can remember) is at the coronation of Aragorn at Minas Tirth. When they all bow down to the Hobbits, it definately looked a bit off to me.

I think I'll probably enjoy it better seeing it again later without the crowd.

[JenB]

Slightly longer reaction, but I'm on my way to work.

Loved the visuals. Esp. Minas Tirith, I felt like I was there. The beacon sequence was gorgeous. My favorite scene is Frodo and Sam struggling up the cliff. Frodo is clearly exhausted but he keeps pulling himself up - there's my defintion of heroism! And Aragorn talking to the troops just before battle. Wow. This was a movie about sacrifice and oh it was beautiful.

There were a couple of sour notes. Denethor. Couldn't they give the guy any dignity? It hurt to watch some of his bits. I loved the scene where he's eating as Faramir's riding out, though. Ouch. But his death scene was so awkward. Just let the guy die the way he's supposed to?

And there was a scene missing. When Frodo and Sam are sleeping on the stair, in the book, Gollum has this moment of almost true repentance, and then Sam wakes up and spoils it. Wish it had been left in. I think it was important.

I gotta see this movie again. Unfortunately, I also have to go to work, so...

[Sloth]

The War of the Ring was a shameful episode in the history of Middle Earth.

I didn't expect Aragorn and Gandalf to John Kerry it up that badly.

[Portnoy]

There were times for me that I forgot I was in a movie theater...

These films have been the most enjoyable movie experience of my life. I've waited 25 years for this movie to be made and I was not dissapointed.

[HairOfTheDog]

3) No Mouth of Sauron, no Easterlings and other human armies meeting the West at the Black Gates. No despair by the Fellowship that Frodo is dead(mithril shirt)

At the black gate, when Aragorn turns back to see Gandalf and the others, his eyes are red with tears before he says... "For Frodo". I think we will see the Mithryl shirt in the extended.

Sauron--What's with the "eye" looking at the tower collapsing around it? I liked the great cry that arose from the tower in the book.

But the moment that was really captured ~just~ like I imagined was the eye suddenly turning it's focus to Mount Doom.... snapping over like "WHAAAT? Dan.... remember us talking about this way back in 2002? PJ got that right. I am glad Sauron remained an eye.... that is all we ever knew of him in our mind's eye from the book, and to turn him into a physical form would have caught more people wrong. I liked the eye kinda nervously looking around as it went down.

[HairOfTheDog]

I was happy with the film.... My minor niggles are only small enough to maybe come up in other comments, but not as a list. I was OK with Denethor.... Was OK to make him plainly -out of it-.... He was fallen and what he did was wicked... (I smile a little to hear conservatives call for moral relativism ;~D)

The things that are missing, I know we will get in the end. We will get the fleshing out and the additional scenes that we look for.

The houses of healing was filmed, we know this. As was the wedding of Eowyn and Faramir. When we watch the extended we will get the whole of the story PJ would tell if time was of no concern.... so I am happy with this preview.

[BibChr]

1. I thought the exact same thing in re. "For Frodo." So it must be right!

2. Not only do I remember our conversation, but I thought of you and your remark in that very connection. "Whaaaat?!!"

Dan

[BibChr]

Dang, I wish this thread wasn't in the ghetto. We'd have fifty times the feedback; we'd have trolls, too, but more conversation would be more fun.

)c8

Dan

[HairOfTheDog]

Dang, I wish this thread wasn't in the ghetto.

Our home is not a ghetto.... it sounds unappreciative to say so. There is no shame in separating some stuff into 'chat' that is not hard politics. It is the place our host has decided he will tolerate endless talk about these stories. I for one appreciate any space provided on a site that is devoted to conservatism, not Tolkien. People will find us if they are looking to comment on the films.

[discostu]

I like that it's in chat, gives me time to actually read the posts. Hot and heavy discussions can be fun but you wind up just talking to one or two people while the rest of the thread goes on around you, slower threads you can actually get into the whole.

[discostu]

I think we get despair by the fellowship that Frodo is dead through the whole third movie. Aragorn seems to be the only one that thinks he's alive. And there's a great emotional play at the end, when the tower starts to crumble everybody realizes Frodo is alive and they're all like "holy crap the little bugger made it", then Mt Doom blows up and eveybody immediately is more depressed than they were when they thought they were going to be hacked to pieces by orcs. Sure they didn't get any dialog in about thinking he was dead but there was plenty of face acting going on.

[HairOfTheDog]

The portrayal of hopelessness to hope to joy to the dismay when the mountain blows and it seems sure that Frodo and Sam are now lost is magnificent. An emotional meatgrinder.

[BibChr]

You found something to lecture me about!

Obviously, I disagree. It's a cultural phenom, it's current news, and I wish for a broader spectrum of discussers.

I do get to wish, you know.

Dan
(c8

[discostu]

And I like the fact that it's done without dialog. Real people would be in too much shock at each stage of that to speak. Too many movies are over reliant on dialog when simply letting your actors ACT will get the job done. There's a number of points throughout the series where you can almost hear PJ saying "wait I hired some of the best actors in the world for a reason, I think I'll let them act". Sam's reaction to being banished by Frodo is another of those points, there's plenty. All throughout ROTK Ian does something great, every time Gandalf doesn't have anything pressing he gets the same look on his face he had when first discussing Frodo's survival with Aragorn, you can really see that it's weighing heavily on Gandalf it shows that whenever Gandalf doesn't have something else to think he's thinking "I killed Frodo", and again that's supported with almost no dialog.

[HairOfTheDog]

Of course! - Seems I must lecture you on ~something~.

[Corin Stormhands]

The portrayal of hopelessness to hope to joy to the dismay when the mountain blows and it seems sure that Frodo and Sam are now lost is magnificent.

I think it's all summed up quite nicely in those moments. From Farmir's acknowledgement that he'd seen Frodo only days before to the riding into the battle for the sole purpose of distracting the eye from Frodo's quest.

Then there is a moment of joy as they realize the ring is gone which fades with the recognition that they believe Frodo made the ultimate sacrifice.

I think it's all there. The EE will only make it better.

[BibChr]

Ugly job... but I guess SOMEONE has to do it.

[HairOfTheDog]

where you can almost hear PJ saying "wait I hired some of the best actors in the world for a reason, I think I'll let them act".

PJ said in the commentaries for FoTR something like "Elijah Wood can tell any story with just his eyes."

Ian McKellan too.... you are right. And I am glad they gave us the credit of being able to tell what they are thinking without them telling us.

[BibChr]

Hey, read my review up top, and please be sure to ping me when you write yours. I want to read it!

Dan