[SPOILERS] THE Return of the King Thread

[ControlFreak]

Go see it Flexor, for all our griping, I bet the vast majority of us walked out of the theatre with teary eyes.

I know I did.

Even with the parts missing that we would have loved to have seen, its an incredible film. Just incredible. Well worth seeing on the big screen. You'll be mad if you don't see it in the theatre.

If you didn't tear up at all during RotK you aren't human. I mean .. I still tear up while reading the books and I've done that every year for about 25 years now!

So here are my Lord of the Rings (movies) Top Eight (leaving room for someone to add 2 more ) Tear-Jerking Scenes:
8: FotR - Bilbo after he turns into the gollum like thing for a second in Rivendell, "Don't adventures ever end?"
7: RotK - When the Fellowship members realize that Frodo has succeeded in his quest at the Black Gate.
6: FotR - The Fall of Boromir
5: RotK - Aragorn, "You bow to nobody."
4: tTT - Aragorn calls for the group to continue on after Moria. Frodo turns towards him (and the camera).
3: tTT - Gandalf's words echo, "Look for me at the dawn of the fifth day. Look to the East."
2: FotR: Frodo, "I will take the ring to Mordor, though I do not know the way," and Gandalf's reaction to that statement.
1: RotK: Gandalf, "Frodo, it is time," and the realization by Merry, Pippin, and Sam that Frodo is leaving.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Go see it Flexor, for all our griping, I bet the vast majority of us walked out of the theatre with teary eyes.

I know I did.

Even with the parts missing that we would have loved to have seen, its an incredible film. Just incredible. Well worth seeing on the big screen. You'll be mad if you don't see it in the theatre.

Nah, the only movie I've ever regretted missing at the theater was the Matrix. Hell I'm much more happy sitting on my couch with a cold Budwesier in one hand and a footlong sub sandwich in the other. Plus I can smoke while watching the flick, and pause it to take a leak.

P.S. I will admit I can be anal about movies taken from books I like. I can't help it. Maybe the thing that pissed me off the most about TT was that I had to watch that whole Aragorn off the cliff dreaming of Arwyn stuff instead of stuff that advanced the story JRRT was telling. It wasn't a bad movie, it was just a dissapointment after the first one. The EE is quite enjoyable since I can skip some stuff and the cool story bits I liked from the book are there in some cases. But the fact that Treebeard and Faramir had to be tricked into doing what they knew was right in the books is very annoying.

 

[Kestrel]

I would disagree with the order, but I think you definitely got the teary sections.

The fall of Boromir is still the one that gets me the most, closely followed by Aragorn the King bowing to the hobbits.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Boromir's death was a great moment. Boromir was nailed perfectly by Sean Bean IMO. Best acting job of the series.

 

[Krug]

On the box office front, RotK has the biggest Wednesday opening ever, raking in US$34 mil, beating part I of a certain scifi saga...

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/days/?page=wed&p=.htm

 

[Desdichado]

If you didn't tear up at all during RotK you aren't human. I mean .. I still tear up while reading the books and I've done that every year for about 25 years now!

So here are my Lord of the Rings (movies) Top Eight (leaving room for someone to add 2 more ) Tear-Jerking Scenes:
8: FotR - Bilbo after he turns into the gollum like thing for a second in Rivendell, "Don't adventures ever end?"
7: RotK - When the Fellowship members realize that Frodo has succeeded in his quest at the Black Gate.
6: FotR - The Fall of Boromir
5: RotK - Aragorn, "You bow to nobody."
4: tTT - Aragorn calls for the group to continue on after Moria. Frodo turns towards him (and the camera).
3: tTT - Gandalf's words echo, "Look for me at the dawn of the fifth day. Look to the East."
2: FotR: Frodo, "I will take the ring to Mordor, though I do not know the way," and Gandalf's reaction to that statement.
1: RotK: Gandalf, "Frodo, it is time," and the realization by Merry, Pippin, and Sam that Frodo is leaving.

Hmmm... that's an interesting excercise. I don't have the same moments, I don't think. Let's see, going movie by movie:

• Frodo says "I will take the ring." Gandalf sighs, everyone shuts up and Frodo continues, "Though I do not know the way."
• Gandalf falls into Moria's chasm. This keeps going until after they start running through the trees in Lorien.
• The Fall of Boromir
• Frodo standing on the shore with the Ring in his hand, trying to muster the courage to go on to Mordor alone.
• A few minutes later, Sam joins him and convinces him that he must go with him.
• The Rohirric woman puts her kids on the horse and tells them to run to Edoras. The little girl starts crying.
• Theoden speaks the line "No one should have to bury their child" and breaks.
• In a moment of Ragnarokian fatalism, Theoden agrees with Aragorn to ride out against the Orcs at Helm's Deep with every expectation that he will die and his nation will be destroyed in the wake of his death.
• Gandalf comes up over the ridge and says "Theoden King stands alone," then Eomer comes up behind him and says "Not alone!" This continues throughout the charge down the hill, and for that matter, while Sam speaks his lines about why they must go on.
• Still not remembering well the order of things in the new movie -- wait until after tomorrow night when I've seen it two more times! Still, here's a few moments I remember:
• The Rohirrim chant "Death" and charge into the hopeless battle at Pelennor Fields.
• Pippin sings that despairing song while teary but resolute Faramir rides to his death (or so he believes) and Denethor sits calmly spilling tomatoes and strawberry juice on his chin. Tragic and creepy at the same time.
• Eowyn pulls off her helmet and says "But I am no man!" Granted, I agree with barsoomcore that this moment was surprisingly underplayed, but maybe I made it up too big in my mind as one of the most dramatic moments in print anywhere, so there's no way the film version could ever live up to it...
• Sam picks Frodo up and says "I may not be able to carry it, but I can carry you!" For some reason this scene never struck me as emotionally powerful in the books, but man did it pack a punch in the movie!
• Sam and Frodo sit on the rock as lava flows around them talking about Sam and Rosie and the life they believe they'll never now have; glad at least to be together as friends at the end.
• Frodo and Co. take their leave of Merry, Sam and Pippin at the Grey Havens.

And also, was anyone else really creeped out by Gollum at the very end? As he hugs the ring to himself, completely oblivious to the fact that he's falling in the frikkin' lava?! Or the look on his face as he hits the lava, and tries to hold the ring up out of it; clearly more concerned about it than himself...

 

[ControlFreak]

I would disagree with the order, but I think you definitely got the teary sections.

The fall of Boromir is still the one that gets me the most, closely followed by Aragorn the King bowing to the hobbits.

My 1, 2, and 3 were the top moments for me from each movie. All really for different reasons:

1) Even after seeing the movie a few times, I know that Gandalf will show up with Eomer .. but I get so caught up in the moment that I forget it every time. And then suddenly Aragorn remembers what Gandalf says .. and I remember it .. and I realize then that at that moment of defeat, they are saved.

2) When Frodo said he would take the ring to Mordor, the look in Gandalf's face is by far the thing that chokes me up in FotR. Gandalf is talking with these elves, dwarves, and men, and he's so obviously hoping for a better idea .. and he's dreading that he will have to ask Frodo to do it. Suddenly, Frodo volunteers and the look on Gandalf's face is one of complete sorrow with a tinge of relief. I couldn't have hoped for a better reaction.

3) Straight out of the book .. and it gets me the same way there as well. The sudden realization that they aren't there just to say goodbye to Bilbo and Gandalf, but to Frodo as well. I can barely type about it now thinking back. It's the end of an epic .. book or movie .. and it's amazing.

CF

 

[Krug]

Regarding the ending:

Jackson equates the trilogy to Tolkien's experiences in World War I.

The aftermath of the epic "felt to me very much like what would have happened after the end of the first World War," Jackson said. "Soldiers come back and life around them has gone on. But nobody really knows what they went through."

 

[barsoomcore]

Eowyn pulls off her helmet and says "But I am no man!" Granted, I agree with barsoomcore that this moment was surprisingly underplayed, but maybe I made it up too big in my mind as one of the most dramatic moments in print anywhere, so there's no way the film version could ever live up to it...

I might possibly be guilty of the same sin...

And also, was anyone else really creeped out by Gollum at the very end? As he hugs the ring to himself, completely oblivious to the fact that he's falling in the frikkin' lava?! Or the look on his face as he hits the lava, and tries to hold the ring up out of it; clearly more concerned about it than himself...

I sure was. Eughhhh....

I'm just going to add the moment when Pippin offers his service to Denethor. It's such a heartfelt, generous and noble gesture. You just think, "Oh Pip, I hope you never learn!"

Billy Boyd == God

Wow did he pull one awesome performance after another. He was the great surprise of this film -- what a sudden depth and range he displayed. Wonderful.

 

[KChagga]

Wow, what a great movie! This truly is the best 3 movies I have ever seen.
I do have some complaints though.
The movie was choppy. My girlfriend who has never read the books had a hard time following with some of the jumps.

Speaking of choppy. The projectionist at National Amusements in Ann Arbor, Mi who was running theatre 9 at 10:10 (YES, you Buddy!) couldn't change reels for crap. We actually had visible stops in the film at at least 3 switches

I feel that we needed that scene with Saruman at the very least to show how the palantir got outside. That seemed very odd. Hmph oh look a palantir just sitting around.
I also think we needed to see Denethor with his palantir. My girlfriend couldn't understand why he went nuts.

Excellent movie!
Best Trilogy Ever!