Your favorite LOTR film (and reasons why)
- Thread starter Kai Lord
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Desdichado
Hero
It's not a really fair question. Ask it again when the EE King is out -- I might well go for that one.
The Mirrorball Man
Aventurier
The Two Towers is my favourite LOTR movie. It's pacing is flawless, with extremely astute narrative decisions, and a couple of scenes which would have made Akira Kurosawa proud. If you add solid (and sometimes breathtaking) performances by Bernard Hill, Miranda Otto, Viggo Mortensen, and Brad Dourif, just to name a few, and the best epic score of the last decade, you end up with my favourite movie of the series. Which is odd, because I'm not too fond of The Two Towers as a book.
Piratecat said:
If only Richard Boone were still around to do the voice of Smaug for the movie version...if there ends up being a movie version. He was just perfect for that!
For me, FotR is my favorite, though I need a couple more viewings of RotK to be sure. Moria, Boromir, the Nazgul...everything about that movie was fantastic!
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Bass Puppet
First Post
As of right now, I would have to go with FotR (EE). I just get a weird great feeling watching this first edition of the trilogy.
MarauderX
Explorer
RotK for me... although the epic battle in TT was much more played out with anticipation and dire battle scenes than RotK. FotR was good, but the bleak ending makes me feel as though they should give up... kinda like Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back feeling. I gotta go see RotK again just to make sure... but it's sold out until January 12th around DC.
theburningman
First Post
I don't really like the question because I think of them as one film.
But. . .if I have to pick one, I'm going to go with The Fellowship of the Ring.
Partly because of what Hypersmurf said. I just love Ian McKellen's performance as Gandalf the Gray, and the anticipation of his possible playing the role again in The Hobbit is the only real reason I would like to see that movie made (that, and Smaug).
(Especially the confrontation with the Balrog. It was so cool when I went to see it the first time because there was some woman in the audience who obviously had never read the books. When Gandalf fell into the abyss, everyone in the audience was dead silent except this one woman, and she said "no!" really quietly, like it was a plea. Man, that was cool.)
Also partly because of the feeling of confidence that this movie was going to kick a hundred different kinds of ass after watching just the first ten minutes. All "Episode I"-like fears were banished.
But. . .if I have to pick one, I'm going to go with The Fellowship of the Ring.
Partly because of what Hypersmurf said. I just love Ian McKellen's performance as Gandalf the Gray, and the anticipation of his possible playing the role again in The Hobbit is the only real reason I would like to see that movie made (that, and Smaug).
(Especially the confrontation with the Balrog. It was so cool when I went to see it the first time because there was some woman in the audience who obviously had never read the books. When Gandalf fell into the abyss, everyone in the audience was dead silent except this one woman, and she said "no!" really quietly, like it was a plea. Man, that was cool.)
Also partly because of the feeling of confidence that this movie was going to kick a hundred different kinds of ass after watching just the first ten minutes. All "Episode I"-like fears were banished.
<P>I've only seen RotK once so far, so for now, I'm going to have to go with The Two Towers as my favorite. For me, the movie is all about Theoden King. His character resonates for me on so many levels in this movie, in so many ways that he never did in the books. Watching him restored, and his slow journey back towards the man and king that he once was is simply amazing. (And he has a sword named Herugrim, how can you not love a guy with a sword like that?) 
His scene on the walls of Helm's Deep rallying the troops, and calling Aragorn to the carpet for lowering their morale... watching him choke back his rage at his sense of abandonment by Gondor... I nearly leapt out of my seat and shouted along with him - 'Forth Eorlingas!' - as he lead that last, desparate charge out of Helm's Deep. wow.</P>
<P>As much as Theoden does for me in this movie, however, I'll love it for all time just for the segment PJ shot leading up to the battle, during Theoden's "where is the horse and the rider" monologue. The shots of the old man looking back forlornly as he's pulled away to fight...the boys who can't be a day older than 11 or 12 being readied to fight and die. The fear in the eyes of the boy being handed an axe, the look on the face of the next boy as they place a helmet on his head, the boy picking up a shield, resigned to his fate - it breaks my heart every single time I watch it. If PJ gave us nothing else with these movies, he gave us this one sequence, which speaks volumes about the sacrifice and loss inherent in every war, no matter how noble or ignoble the cause may be. It provides a moving and necessary counterpoint for the massive battle that follows. My hope is that as people watch the battle unfold with unbridled glee (and I'm right there with them!), that the sequence that came before it sticks somewhere in the back of their mind, subtly reminding them that war isn't just a videogame.</P>
Dang, now I need to go home and watch it again
His scene on the walls of Helm's Deep rallying the troops, and calling Aragorn to the carpet for lowering their morale... watching him choke back his rage at his sense of abandonment by Gondor... I nearly leapt out of my seat and shouted along with him - 'Forth Eorlingas!' - as he lead that last, desparate charge out of Helm's Deep. wow.</P><P>As much as Theoden does for me in this movie, however, I'll love it for all time just for the segment PJ shot leading up to the battle, during Theoden's "where is the horse and the rider" monologue. The shots of the old man looking back forlornly as he's pulled away to fight...the boys who can't be a day older than 11 or 12 being readied to fight and die. The fear in the eyes of the boy being handed an axe, the look on the face of the next boy as they place a helmet on his head, the boy picking up a shield, resigned to his fate - it breaks my heart every single time I watch it. If PJ gave us nothing else with these movies, he gave us this one sequence, which speaks volumes about the sacrifice and loss inherent in every war, no matter how noble or ignoble the cause may be. It provides a moving and necessary counterpoint for the massive battle that follows. My hope is that as people watch the battle unfold with unbridled glee (and I'm right there with them!), that the sequence that came before it sticks somewhere in the back of their mind, subtly reminding them that war isn't just a videogame.</P>
Dang, now I need to go home and watch it again
Kai Lord
Hero
Fantastic post, Anti-Sean. Theoden's "Horse and the Rider" monologue is also one of my favorite scenes from the trilogy, along with the intercutting of the Rohan men and boys preparing for war as the Uruk-hai march forth.
I like the entire sequence from the moment Aragorn looks at the sun pouring through the window to when Gandalf charges down the mountainside even more.
But the TTT scene that always stirs up the deepest emotions in me is Sam's "the stories that really matter" speech at the end. Just a touching, beautiful moment that brings it all together.
As for my initial question, I chose Return of the King. So many reasons, but the scene that cinches it for me is that single moment Frodo is collapsed on the side of Mount Doom, when all sound is subdued, and then that solitary flute begins playing that heartbreaking tune as he rolls over and achingly resumes the climb on his belly.
The perseverance amid such crippling despair displayed in that scene touched my heart in a manner that was simply profound. Good grief, I have tears in my eyes as I type this!
And then there's Sean Astin's performance as Sam, the make or break role of the film, and he nailed it perfectly. From his heart crushing delivery of "but he's poisoned you against me" when Frodo sends him away to "I cannot carry your burden, but I can carry you!" and "what are you waiting for...just let it go..." contrasting beautifully with his ass kicking forays as "Sambo."
And I haven't even begone to ramble about Gollum. His characterization was disturbingly spot on. *feigning surprise as he points at Sam* "He took the bread..." then a shift into pure evil as he points again "HE TOOK IT!" *shudder*
Concluding with his oblivious "Carrie"-like jubilation when he finally gets the ring before falling to his doom.
Then there's Sheloub, the Oliphants crushing the horsemen, black riders dive bombing the catapults, all in all too much to praise in a single post. Awesome. A cinematic experience without equal.
I like the entire sequence from the moment Aragorn looks at the sun pouring through the window to when Gandalf charges down the mountainside even more.
But the TTT scene that always stirs up the deepest emotions in me is Sam's "the stories that really matter" speech at the end. Just a touching, beautiful moment that brings it all together.
As for my initial question, I chose Return of the King. So many reasons, but the scene that cinches it for me is that single moment Frodo is collapsed on the side of Mount Doom, when all sound is subdued, and then that solitary flute begins playing that heartbreaking tune as he rolls over and achingly resumes the climb on his belly.
The perseverance amid such crippling despair displayed in that scene touched my heart in a manner that was simply profound. Good grief, I have tears in my eyes as I type this!
And then there's Sean Astin's performance as Sam, the make or break role of the film, and he nailed it perfectly. From his heart crushing delivery of "but he's poisoned you against me" when Frodo sends him away to "I cannot carry your burden, but I can carry you!" and "what are you waiting for...just let it go..." contrasting beautifully with his ass kicking forays as "Sambo."
And I haven't even begone to ramble about Gollum. His characterization was disturbingly spot on. *feigning surprise as he points at Sam* "He took the bread..." then a shift into pure evil as he points again "HE TOOK IT!" *shudder*
Concluding with his oblivious "Carrie"-like jubilation when he finally gets the ring before falling to his doom.
Then there's Sheloub, the Oliphants crushing the horsemen, black riders dive bombing the catapults, all in all too much to praise in a single post. Awesome. A cinematic experience without equal.
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Truth Seeker
Adventurer
This is not a fair poll...you all know that this was, is one continious piece from beginning to end...so I will add a line..
The Entire Series was DAMN GOOD....and well done.
Just my view.
The Entire Series was DAMN GOOD....and well done.
Just my view.
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