Ebert's Review of The Two Towers

Sun Times ^ | Ebert

[freebilly]

He told a tale in which modest little hobbits were the heroes.

Amazing how he can get this part so damned wrong....

[GretchenEE]

and yet I am in awe of the true students of the [story].

That's one of the nicer things he wrote.

He writes as if he were sitting on a tack through the viewing, and hasn't gotten over the nuisance pain yet.

[GretchenEE]

Ebert's ignorance of "The Ring" is exceeded only by a) his lack of perception; and b) his waistline.

It would have helped ol' Rog if he'd known, say, by reading the whole book, that Aragorn inherits a kingdom by the end of it, and that the progress of the four hobbits, or the scope of the tale, in The Lord of the Rings simply cannot be compared to Bilbo Baggins' journey through The Hobbit.

[GretchenEE]

From Ebert's comments, I wonder if he has even read the "Lord of the Rings." If he hasn't, he has no right to judge whether Peter Jackson has strayed from Tolkein's intent or not.

He hasn't read it. And you make so much sense that if he read what you wrote, I'm sure his head would explode because he wouldn't have room to process the simple, galling truth of it.

Who pays Ebert? There's a better (MUCH better) FReeper review from the Dec. 18, 12:01 AM showing, posted on FR now -- and there have been a lot of other FReeper reviews that reveal a mature depth of understanding, analysis, and insight regarding Tolkien's masterpiece being translated onto the silver screen.

[GretchenEE]

myself wishing like anything that Jackson would do a theatrical version of the Hobbit now to complete the set.

I saw an interview with PJ sometime in the latter half of '02 and I thought I heard him say he was considering this.

[LdSentinal]

The Contender was the worst pack of ham-handed, obvious, crude, clunky propaganda I ever did see. Absolutely see-through.

Agreed. And the worst thing about it was that ot was released in October, 2000, just several weeks before the presidential election.

[GretchenEE]

I bought tickets through http://www.fandango.com (they add a $1 processing fee per ticket), and will pick them up today for a Sunday viewing, so I don't have to stand in line the day of the show and am guaranteed a seat (with my friends).

[GretchenEE]

I love your post #39.

Sauron as Rush Limbaugh. Mercy.

[GretchenEE]

Thank you for so faithfully pinging me to these threads.

[GretchenEE]

I just hope Mr Jackson includes the "Cleansing of the Shire" at the end of ROTK - four armor-clad, battle-hardened Hobbits return home to find the Shire a socialist-style dictatorship

Unfortunately, he doesn't. He said that, early on, the Scouring of the Shire was out; that he felt it never made sense as a part of the movie presentation -- one reason being it would have made the movies too long. I think he, or one of the main movers in the filming project, even said he didn't like it in the book. Sad.

[GretchenEE]

back then I got the impression that Ebert was confusing memories of The Hobbit with LOTR.

Yup. And he hasn't given up his fixation on the one book (The Hobbit) he appears to have read.

[John Farson]

The Scouring is probably out -- but I'm hoping PJ might surprise us. I think he said something earlier this year about the ent attack on Isengard would not be shown in the TTT.

[GretchenEE]

Thanks for alerting the thread readers to the importance of reading the keywords. I laughed out loud several times. ... SHOWMETHEBUFFET DOESNTKNOWTOLKIEN DIDNTREADTHEBOOKS SISKELWASBETTER to name a few

[anka]

not sugarcoated.
i think most of the laughs came from some of the 'uninitiated' who don't understand the significance of gollum/smeagol. for me (hope i'm not being facetious), there were a couple of un-comfortable laughs and genuine pity felt for the character.
when gollum and smeagol are arguing and gollum calls smeagol a murderer... heartbreaking

[Havoc]

I saw an interview with PJ sometime in the latter half of '02 and I thought I heard him say he was considering this.

Oh to imagine :)

Am getting feedback from co-workers this morning that went to see it at another theater last night. All bowled over.

[jaime1959]

Perfect is the enemy of good.

[cornelis]

I think it was Salvador Dali who said perfection is unattainable, that's why we aim for it.

[the lost emperor]

If I recall correctly, there is a moment in the Helm's Deep battle in the book when the orcs start slinging the severed heads of the defenders they have killed back over the walls into the keep as a tactic intended to create despair. "Gentle medievalist" indeed!

[Exigence]

"Gentle medievalist" indeed!

Tolkien understood, in a way that Ebert never will, just how serious the battle against evil really is.

Ebert was shaped by the mold of morally relative postmodernist thought. Unless he can overcome that -- which is doubtful -- he will never "get it" when it comes to Tolkien.