Texas2step's Lord of the Rings Movie Experience

OK, I've had 24 hours to try and get my thoughts together now since first seeing the movie. First, if you haven't seen this movie yet, GO GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!!! This is the most incredible movie experience period. Was it perfect? No. Was it the greatest movie of all time? Maybe, but probably not to most. Was it my favorite movie ever? I'll tell you after I watch it again next week, or maybe when I watch it again the week after that, but possibly, probably yes.

First let me set up "where I was at" - my perspective, my mindset in getting ready to watch the movie. I took my wife who was not familiar with LOTR at all. Not familiar with The Hobbit, Frodo, Gandalf, etc. Not only that, but by her own admission hates "movies where they wear the same clothes the whole movie". :-) She was not excited about seeing the movie, but went primarily to review whether or not we would allow our 10 year old daughter to go.

So, I had a couple of things on my mind as I watched the movie. I was concerned about my wife's reaction, and hoping that she wouldn't hate it, and I watched the movie intently with trying to determine if it would be unappropriate if my 10 year old daughter saw the movie.

I wish I could have seen this movie by myself, without having to be concerned with how someone I was with would react, and without evaluating the movie on the gore/violence/fright scale. But alas, I did not have that opportunity.

Also, I have read every single review, every article on Jackson, Tolkien, LOTR, etc. that I could get my hands on. I practically knew exactly what was going to happen throughout the movie. I knew what changes had been made, I knew when it was going to be scary, I knew when it was going to be sad. I wish now that I had not read so much detail and done more skimming.

So, now you know my distractions and my mindset. Even with this, even with extremely high expectations, I was literally blown away. I was so hyped about watching this movie, I didn't realize that the movie had started until about 30 seconds into Galadriel's prologue intro.

If you have not seen the movie, don't read any further. There will be "spoilers" throughout the rest of this "review".

First and formost, casting and acting. I won't repeat the high praises of others who have mentioned the portrayals of Gandalf, Borimor, Bilbo, Sauraman, and Elrond, they are all excellent, no, perfect.

I've seen mixed reviews on Frodo, Galadriel, and Aragorn. I'm sorry, but whoever did not see these three as doing an awesome job, what on earth were you drinking?

Aragorn is absolutely perfect. The way he walks, the way he looks, the sense of growth from beginning to ending. By the end of the movie you see "the man who would be king".

Frodo, man, Woods did an incredible job. You sense the burden he picks up in Rivendell. You feel the weight of the ring he carries. You see the sense of foreboding in his eyes in the mountains of Caldaras. You see the assumption of responsibility in the way he carries himself when he comes to the decision to travel to Mount Doom alone. Absolutely perfection.

Galadriel is perfect as well. Having read the reviews and spoilers about the mirror scene, I was expecting some kind of hokey video game sequence with special effects. Yes, the special effects in this scene were "over the top", moreso than I remember from when reading the books, but it fit. It was perfect. I really enjoyed this scene more than I thought I would.

I have seen some who have been under impressed with the portrayal of Merry and Pippen. I disagree. Yes, they were the comic effect, but that's the impression I had of them from the book as well. I didn't mind the change in Moria where Pippen knocks the skeleton down the well instead of throwing a rock. I didn't mind the other subtle changes in their characters from the book. I think their portrayal was an enhancement and really added to the Fellowship. I can't wait to see how they hold up in the hands of the orcs in the Two Towers.

Great - when Frodo wears the ring, the size of the hobbits, the cave troll was much, much scarier than I expected, epic battle scenes, the entire Mines of Moria scene was mindblowing, scene with Galadriel, the Ringwraiths at the ford, scene with Bilbo & Frodo in Rivendell, and more.

I didn't see any poor special effects. None. The balrog did not meet my expectations, however. I expected to be frightened.

The cinematography was the best I've ever seen. Period. The settings were the best I've ever seen. Period. The level of detail was the best I've ever seen. Period.

My only disappointments? It's funny, I'm not a huge Tolkien fan. I am a fan of fantasy/sci-fi, less so now than when I was younger, but I've read lots of it. I didn't expect changes to Tolkien's work to be among my disappointments. However, I do feel that the changes were necessary. This movie cannot be perfect without it being 4 hours in length. It's just not possible. There's nothing in it I would take out. But there's a ton I wanted to add back in. It did not feel like a three hour movie. As the Fellowship left the Mines of Moria, I felt like we were probably about 90 minutes into the movie and had 90 left. But I looked at my watch, over 2 hours had gone by.

I was a bit disappointed with the Forest of Loth-Lorien. It was way too short. I wanted to stay and explore this incredible forest. Where was Sam when Frodo and Galadriel were looking into the mirror??? I missed this immensely, and I knew ahead of time that Sam wasn't going to be there in the movie. The whole scene in Loth-Lorien was way too short. Where were the gifts to each of the fellowship? I knew that this was cut from the movie, and I knew that Galadriel's scene with Gimli was cut, but I missed it sorely.

Speaking of Gimli. I thought he was shorted in this movie. My memory of Gimli and Legolas was larger than what I saw. The actors did great. They just weren't given enough screen time. I do hope that they see expansions of their roles to the rightful place for The Two Towers. Their growing friendship is part of my favorite things of LOTR, and we didn't get to see much of that in this movie.

There's more, but I really have to go. It's all trivial, but to me it seemed very rushed. I wanted to bask in the travels of the fellowship. I wanted to enjoy the sights that we got to behold. I understand the the general movie going audience would probably not stand for a four hour movie, but I sure could have.

In summary, my wife like it a lot. If I can get her to go back, I do believe she would enjoy it more. Her ONLY complaint was the lack of an "ending" and lack of closure. I should have warned her, and I thought I had, but she spent the last 20 minutes of the movie going "they better get going, there's a long way to go before it's through", etc.

We did agree, after much discussion, and a night to sleep on it that our daughter can see it. I will take her on a father/daughter date next week. She's excited.

My favorite parts of the movie was the Ringwraith's in pursuit of the Hobbits. Fantastic. The black blood on the horses hooves. It gives me chills. The level of detail throughout. Wow.

I think the Balrog was perfect. The whip!

The effect overall was thrilling, though the Balrog too me was too large and too much like a monster and not enough like the demon of might and power Tolkien seemed to describe.

I think that the "crumbling stairs" scene felt misplaced.

It felt odd to me, too, but, on the second viewing, it was a treat for folks that knew the books too well.

I was SO HAPPY they included the eagle! But the butterfly was weird.

Radagast the Brown wasn't in the movie to tell Gwaihir the Eagle to give news about the Nazgul to Gandalf and Saruman at Isenguard. Gandalf captured the moth and told it to fetch Gwaihir. A pretty deft substitution.

I saw "The Fellowship of the Ring" on Christmas Eve as planned and was very impressed. My only complaint was with the level of the volume -- the theater played it so loudly that I got a very bad migraine. (There were a lot of high-pitched, prolonged screeching scenes!) It's one of those movies you really want to see on the big screen but would love to have the volume control for. I did okay with the more frightful scenes, and reading about them ahead of time was helpful. Thanks for your reviews before I went.

I definitely want to see it again, but next time I think I will do so at home, where I can control the volume.

The part where Sam went out in the water after Frodo, and how Frodo reacted, really got to me. So much good stuff in the movie ... I heard lots of men clearing their throats at that part, and my companion saw lots of people wiping their eyes. Loved Bilbo Baggins' Hobbit Hole. Loved the insights into character. Great, great movie. But you've already pretty much said it all.

Actually Gandalf gets his staff back when Saruman sells it on E-Bay in order to raise money for his evil and insidious plot.

I heard that some Everquest player outbid Gandalf on E-Bay, and that Sauron was subsequently banned from Verant's servers for item selling.

My only complaint was with the level of the volume -- the theater played it so loudly that I got a very bad migraine.

I don't have a problem so much with volume, but there were times when the score was louder than the dialog and I couldn't tell what the characters were saying.

I'm seeing it again today (13 hours!) and can't wait!

I saw it for the second time on the 26th, and enjoyed it much more this time because I wasn't so overwhelmed by the visual effects, and could concentrate more on the story and the nuances. It is a WONDERFUL movie. We sat in the second to the last row in the theater, away from the speakers, which helped tremendously with the volume problem.

I wish I could figure out what Gandalph said as he was about to fall. Will get out the book and see if it was word for word.

You're right about the score overpowering the dialogue in some places.

I finally got to see it this past Friday, and you are spot on. I'm not sure you would have spoiled anything for me had I read past your warning last week. But I was, as you were, annoyed at the some of the little things (where was Sam at the mirror for example). It was beautifully epic. And just for a laugh, my stepbrother had the same reaction as your wife, "I can't believe there wasn't an ending"!

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