[SPOILERS] THE Return of the King Thread

[pezagent]

Word is, there's 55 hours of good film. We've seen what, nie or ten? Word also is, there's a 55 hour version some time in the future.

Just a rumor, but wouldn't that be cool?

Honestly? No... I believe in editing. What ends up on the cutting room floor often belongs on the cutting room floor (yes, I know there's no floor anymore, it's just an expression).

It's like Steven King novels--once upon a time he had an editor. Now he doesn't. A novel that could be 300 pages is now 3000. (I don't read SK anymore, just an example...)

/johnny

 

[Berandor]

Well, the 55 hours most likely include several different angles of the same scene, which you really wouldn't want to see five of, one after the other.

 

[Alcareru]

Finally, finally saw the film after taxing my willpower all week. I loved it too, probably my favorite installment of the 3.

Like the other films I have small nitpicks over things not included from the books. I would have loved at least a small cameo from Saruman considering hes been one of the driving antagonist thru 2 films.

But my rambling thoughts....

While I liked the Smeagol scene, Andy Serkins kinda played him like the village idiot with that sily grin on his face. But the whole sequence, like the other beginning scenes of the other 2 films was great.

And I missed the voice of Sauron too.

But the movie really did tie everything together and the characters by now have really grown and developed. I choked up in so many places more than I have in a movie in recent times, in places mentioned by others in this thread.

It was wonderful the Sam (the true hero of the trilogy after all) did become one of the centerpieces of the movie.

And I absolutely loved Galadriels impish grin at the end. Galadriel, the rebel, the exile going home at last.

 

[Bass Puppet]

Took my girlfriend and 4 of my closests friends to see it at the Imax theatre.

I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. So many mixed emotions.

I'm going to see it again next week so I can give a full review.

 

[shilsen]

Just saw the movie today. I have to go see it another couple of times, of course. Loved it. Even though there were a few changes/portrayals I could have done without, it's a monumental cinematic achievement and incredibly well-done. Waiting for December won't be the same again.

 

[Vocenoctum]

I wonder how many hours of film it would have taken to make a complete remake of LOTR. Many more, I guess. Even with everything they covered, they left out a lot.

I'd love for them to edit togethor all three movies into one long movie. It'd work great.

I'm very happy with ROTK. Especially the part covering the Rohirrim.

We didn't see as much of the Gondorians, mostly just Pippin and Faramir and Denethor and loyal soldiers obeying. Awesome architecture. Some mention of Denthor's use of the palantir as one of the causes of his insanity would have been appropriate.

They mention the Eye of <Wherever> when he rebukes Gandalf's aid. A simple quote from Gandalf saying "they have a palantir here, if he's been using it overmuch..." or something of the sort.

But, oh well. He was made to be unlikable, and succeded. Burning alive was fitting!

 

[Dispater]

Saw it yesterday. All I can say for the moment is that I am extremely impressed, and that I'll let my final judgement wait until I have at least seen it one more time in the cinemas.

 

[Fast Learner]

While the Sauron Searchlight effect was kinda cheesy, I don't know how else they could have effectively accomplished what they needed to do. There are all kinds of lines in the book like "the eye of Sauron was upon them," and it would have been just as difficult to show Sauron being distracted.

A bit goofy, sure, but I don't know how it could have been better and still achieved what it did.

 

[Umbran]

As for Serkis' portrayal of pre-ring Smeagol.... Well, if you look at the scene in the books, he's pretty spot-on. Smeagol comes from a long-ago time, before hobbits were as civilized and cultured and sophisticated as they are today.

As for the Scouring of the Shire... I missed it. It is the single strongest portrayal of how the hobbits have grown and changed over the course of their adventures. Looking lordly as they ride into town and being glowered at by an old-timer just doesn't do the trick, IMHO.

Luckily, the farewell scene was well-done, so the thing didn't end on a flat note, for me.

 

[Bob Aberton]

With regards to Denethor's madness, I will try to look at it as though I never read the books (although I have read them) and thus don't know that he had a Palantir.

I would say that to the non-JRRT-reading moviegoer, Denethor's madness was a combination of the death of his favorite son, the coming necessity of giving up rulership of most powerful kingdom in Middle-Earth, followed by the apparent death of his other son, and the apparently imminent destruction of Gondor (for which he will go down in history as the ruler that lost Gondor to the Enemy). To Denethor, all of this basically amounts to the end of world (or at least the end of that part of the world that matters to him). So he goes crazy.

That's a pretty difficult series of losses and defeats to go through in just a few months (or weeks, I can't remember which...). Is it any wonder he committed suicide?

Of course, if you know about the Palantir, that's just one more cause to add to those listed above.

And anyway, did anyone notice the irony in having the same shot showing Denethor falling to his death also reveal the cavalry of Rohan preparing to break the siege? If he'd just stuck around a few minutes longer...but as it is, he kills himself right at the moment of what could have been his glorious victory for Gondor.