Movie Review—The Lord of the Rings

CatholicExchange.com ^ | 12/19/01 | Steven D. Greydanus

[Mudboy Slim]

"Hope you got to see it."

Not 'til this weekend...thanks fer the ping, though. It's not like anybody's gonna ruin the ending fer me...LOL!!

FReegards...MUD

[Samwise]

No offence taken. We each make the decisions we think are best for our kids. As for home schooling, all I can say is "You're a braver man than I." :) My hobbit needs so much more than her Dad and I can give. We are pretty happy with our school. Our community is very school-centered. Most of the parents ae actively involved. We are encouraged to volunteer, help in the decision making, and are welcome at any time. My comments about the drills wre a criticism of our times and not of the school. The teachers do their best to protect the kids' psyches and their physical safety. The drills are done to prepare for the worst. We don't have an "It can't happen here attitude." My daughter's teacher is wonderful, and she makes a good balance to me and her dad. We can talk to her any time. I freelance from home, so I can walk her to and from school and be here when she needs me. This is the solution that works for us. I'm glad yours works for you.

[Mudboy Slim]

"If someone dislikes it," poet and literary critic W. H. Auden once declared of Tolkien’s epic saga,
"I shall never trust their literary judgment about anything again."

Yep...MUD

[Samwise]

Time Enough for Love. Lazarus Long is one of my all-time favorite characters. He caused me to think about a lot of things during my mush-for-brains youth!

A generation which ignores history has no past...and no future.

[KneelBeforeZod]

nitpicking:

Orcs are the best part of the movie.

Orcs makeup stolen from the bog witch in Legend.

Replacing hobbits with jar jar binks would not change movie noticibly.

Replacing hobbits with cute widdle pwuppies would not change movie noticbly.

All elves look like the guys in Nelson.

Hobbits unable to refrain from touching each other.

Cate Blanchett: Why?

Liv Tyler: hubba hubba

Hugo Weaving: cool to see him expand (a bit) from The Matrix

final judgement: See it! go to a BIG theater, sit WAY back.

[Deb]

This is a lovely and thoughtful review. He makes one error, though. The elven poetry was included, it was set to music and sung in the soundtrack over various sequences.

[Deb]

Denise Richards didn't have her boobs in "Starship Troopers". She got 'em for "The World is Not Enough" Bond movie.

[Sonny M]

This movie is of the devil, the devil I yell ya, the devil.

I am just joking, please do not flame me.

[Deb]

If you crave an expanded Hugo Weaving try renting "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert". He's real expanded.

[Arkinsaw]

I think its a movie that captures the flavor of the novels for those who have experienced it. I'm not surprised that many of those who have not read the novels just don't get it. But I don't care that they don't get iy so its a wash.

I thought they did a good job with the the things they cut and the things they changed for the most part. The changes for Arwen helped the movie IMO, the loss of Tom Bombadil was just cutting a side story and had to be done. The only change I didn't care for was Aragorn "letting Frodo go". Didn't see the point in that change.

Casting was very good. I expected a little more Sam Gamgeeness out of the guy who played him though. The rest were exceptional. Would have liked to have seen more of the interplay between Legolas and Gimli (maybe in movie two).

The Balrog scene was fantastic. I appreciated that when Gandalf faced off with the Balrog he crossed his sword and staff as if warding him off with a cross. Perhaps a nod to Tolkien's Christian foundation for the books.

As for the "gay" thing. Well, its a sad state of affairs when deep friendship between males is so scary. Tolkien also used the words "queer" and "gay" in his books from time to time. When you filter things through your own paradigm things can get twisted can't they. Nuff said.

Overall, if you like the books this is a fine adaptation and you should be thankful that some money-grubbing butcher didn't get hold of it. If you've never read the books its a pretty good flick but perhaps too long for you.

My 7 and 10 year olds enjoyed it very much. The younger has read The Hobbit and the older one has read all of them. They are very aware that the cave troll did not exist, that the orcs don't exist, that the fights were not real, that they were watching actors, and that the Balrog was some super duper computer graphics.

[KneelBeforeZod]

actually speaking of priscilla (which most freepers probably don't want to do) I saw a preview of a new movie with Guy Pearce that looks pretty cool... "the Time Machine." At least the first 2/3 of the trailer looked cool, then I started to wonder what the heck is this all about???

[Arkinsaw]

Oh, and I liked Starship Troopers. It was a cute little bug flick with good special effects. I especially liked the black guy playing Dixie on the electric green fiddle. A rather positive view of the future. I liked the book too although it was a classic and the movie wasn't.

[Pelham]

Tolkein fans should be better at identifying trolls than this

Lol! Just hit'm with some sunlight and be done with him.

[Pelham]

Hobbits unable to refrain from touching each other.

Behavior like this is certainly in the books, although "unable to refrain from touching" implies something other than the non-erotic affection that Tolkien described. Keep in mind that Tolkien was a child of late Victorian England, and customs change. You rarely even see young girls holding hands today, but this was once quite common in America.

[Harp]

Denise Richards didn't have her boobs in "Starship Troopers". She got 'em for "The World is Not Enough" Bond movie.

Pfft. Riiiight. And Ricky Martin bats left-handed!

[Proud2BAmerican]

I never would have or could have read The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Rings to my son if I had to compete with TV.

----

But what about football and Laker games?

[Gordian Blade]

"The Tale of the Adopted Daughter" in Time Enough for Love is one of my favorite stories. It alone would make a great movie, and it could be done on a very reasonable budget. But I'm not sure if the whole thing could be successful. Perhaps a trilogy of Lazarus Long movies, but don't you think at least some of them would have to be NC-17? (And certain readers are going, "Hear, hear!")

Other works I'd like to see get a serious treatment: Zelazny's Amber series, Asimov's Foundation Trilogy, and Edgar Rice Burroughs' Martian tales. I understand a serious treatment of Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia is in the works.

[KneelBeforeZod]

I just wish he new there are more adjectives than "suddenly."

[lonevoice]

Thanks for the ping! Finally, the day arrived. Saw it tonight, and I'm still floating. Near perfection. Now how will we wait until next year??!!?

[Samwise]

Now how will we wait until next year??!!?

LOL. 364 days and counting...