Return of the King - Opening night LIVE THREAD

Lord of the Rings - Yahoo Movies ^ | 12/17/03 | self

[ppaul]

OPENING NITE: Just returned from a midnite showing of The Return of the King. Awesome. If you were wondering whether it would stack up to I & II - you won't be disappointed. One part that all red-blooded FReepers will enjoy: The good guys are referred to as "men of the West." And, eagles save the day. I won't say more and spoil it for you. Given Saddam's capture, this movie comes out at a most opportune time. Well worth seeing twice - at least.
**** 4 STARS

[Alas Babylon!]

I'm going to go see it Friday. Was the place you saw it packed? How long was it, time-wise?

[Samwise]

The good guys are referred to as "men of the West." And, eagles save the day.

Yep! As always.

I'm seeing it today. I'll report back later!

[ppaul]

Around three hours. Went by fast. Non-stop action & adventure. Full house.

[DM1]

It is just too bad that Vigo Mortgansen (Aragorn) and Ian McKellan (Gandalf) are so virulently anti American. Vigo was saying that America was like Saurons forces and the Afgans and Iraqis were hobbits etc etc.

[Caipirabob]

and Iraqis were hobbits etc etc.

Well, they do seem to spend a lot of time in holes...

[airedale]

He played a little fast and loose with the books story especially near the end but it works and if your a fan of the book you'll over look these changes. For the non fanatic the changes work.

There are some minor special effects problems near the end of the film. Without giving a spoiler it has to do with Gollum and Mt Doom. There are a couple of other shots near the end when you can tell it’s a stand in for Frodo. Overall you’ll enjoy it if you liked the other two.

I'll see it again a couple times in the theater and buy the extended versions when it comes out.

They gave Andy Serkis some time on the screen as a human rather than the way it was done in the last movies. One of the reasons that he didn’t get an award for his performance in the last movie was that he didn’t appear on the screen at all. Since all you saw was the animation from his amazing performance in the motion capture suit he couldn’t be considered from best supporting actor. This time they have a bit about Smeagol and how he came to get the ring. That will be enough to allow his performance to be considered.

[ppaul]

...and Iraqis were hobbits etc etc. Well, they do seem to spend a lot of time in holes...

Touche'!

[NewRomeTacitus]

Mr. Serkis definitely got gypped last year. He NAILED that role.

Can you believe Mortgansen played a gung-ho SEAL in "GI Jane"? As SNL's Master Thespian used to say, "Acting!"

[Prairie Pubbie]

Tolkien Nirvana! My 2 kids and I arrived at the theatre at 11 a.m. for a LOTR Marathon Special Premiere! FOTR Extended Edition started at 1:00 pm with an hour break following. TT Extended Edition started at 5:30 pm with another hour break following. And then ROTK FINALLY began! The theatre was sold out! We didn't get home until 2:30 a.m. so we were at the theatre for 15 hours!!!!! It was SO worth it! The only down side is that I had to get up at 5:30 a.m. this morning to watch my 4-month-old nephew all day!

When we left the theatre, New Line Cinema provided a LOTR Film Frame Collectible gift for each ticket holder. I can't wait to go see ROTK again, hopefully this weekend. The time went so fast! Go see it!

[SamAdams76]

Well the movie came out at a bad time as we are in the middle of the Christmas season. Which is just as well for me as I can see it after the holidays with less crowds. My wife and I plan to watch the first two movies (extended versions) on DVD between Christmas and New Year's Day and the weekend after New Year's, we'll probably go ahead and see the movie.

Having read the book twice, I know that the movie cannot possibly measure up - but Peter Jackson has done a remarkable job in my opinion. However I do think that Tolkien's work would be served better with six full-length movies instead of the three. For example, a movie for Book One of the Fellowship (which would then be able to include the Tom Bombadil scenes) and then another movie for Book Two.

But perhaps that is asking a bit much.

[taxcontrol]

I saw it last night as well. Excellent material + good acting + good director = Great Movie.

I will likely see it several times in the theater.

[KantianBurke]

Am looking forward to seeing it though not right away. A crowded theater is always bad news for watching a film. Crying babies, someone with TB in the seat behind you and wiseasses screaming at the screen. Think I'll catch the matinee showing...next Wed morning. Should be sparser :>

[Portnoy]

I have tickets for tonights showing at 8pm. I wasn't lucky enought to get tickets to the Trilogy Tuesday Showings. Ah well.

Can't wait. The Lord of the Rings was the first major novel that I read as a youth. It completely changed the way I looked at books from that point on.

I was thinking about Sgt. York the other day and how that movie came out at just the right time (before WWII). I really beleive these movies have the same effect on people as Sgt. York did back then.

[RightFighter]

They gave Andy Serkis some time on the screen as a human rather than the way it was done in the last movies

Ummmmmm, he wasn't a human, he was a HOBBIT!

[ItsOurTimeNow]

A crowded theater is always bad news for watching a film. Crying babies, someone with TB in the seat behind you and wiseasses screaming at the screen. Think I'll catch the matinee showing...next Wed morning

Agree 100%. I'll wait an extra week or two, if it means seeing the movie in peace.

[DManA]

Unfair comparison. A hobbit hole is "Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy [saddamy] smell, nor yet a dry bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat [your canned ham]:"

Saddam's hole was everything a Hobbit hole is not.

[DManA]

Might need a new catagory.

One of the reasons that he didn’t get an award for his performance in the last movie was that he didn’t appear on the screen at all.

[sneakers]

bump

[Godfollow]

An AMC theater in Kansas City held an all day trilogy-athon, saw all three. Fellowship of the rings started at 1:00 PM. We got out of the theater at 1:30 the next morning. And yes number three was every bit as much, if not more, than #1 or #2. Will go back and see #3 again after my butt recovers a bit.