Those scenes are essencial to the story. I know they seem ‘a bit much’, sort of a post-climactic letdown, but I’m glad they’re there. I almost cried at the final scene on the dock.
Nice catch, Noonan. The movies drag whenever Jackson and company intrude with their own words/plotlines, but soar when they stick to Tolkien’s.
I personally thought ROTK was sluggish in the first half and rushed in the second half. If the screenwriters hadn’t spent so much time indulging their own fancies during these three movies, they’d have had plenty of time to get more of Tolkien’s story on the screen. Pity.
I found dying Theoden quoting dying Darth Vader to be particularly egregious in that regard.
And I found the Legolas Super Elf scene to be very silly too. I guess they were just providing fan service for NAMELA. (Not that I’m intolerant.)
Visually stunning, but Denethor was reduced to a caricature, and Faramir and Aragorn, of all people, were given short shrift. The only thing I saw that vaguely showed Aragorn in an especially kingly mein was his receiving Anduril. I mean, if I went around claiming I was king because some pointy eared tree fairy lobbed a scimitar at me…
But I think they got the hobbits right and I think they ended it properly. I still couldn’t help to chanting to myself when Sam picked up Frodo and started running up Mount Doom though, (rudy, Rudy, RUDY, RUDY!!)
Was Denethor so utterly loathsome in the book, or was he depicted with a bit more nuance? His character in the movie was so loathsome as to actually ruin the parts of the movie he was in.
John,
Denethor suffered at the hands of yon Kiwis. He wasn’t exactly Mr. Wonderful in Tolkien, but the writers sent him downhill in the movie.
*Spoilerish*
One thing I did like in the film that wasn’t in the book. Theodan King riding down the line and sword-slapping all the spears before the charge at Pelannor field. And I dug watching the fear grow in the faces of the orcs. Or were those Raiderfans?
I went to a 12AM showing. I have never read the final book. When Frodo and Sam are on the rock and lava is all around them and the screen fades, count to 5, and THEN comes back, it was all I could do not to shout “Jackson, you pissant!” But I wished to live.
But I like the longer ending. In a trilogy like this, I think it’s important that the audience get to properly say goodbye to the characters and see what happens to them. Granted, I could/should read the book, but I also appreciated the gentle bringdown after the Battle of Wet-your-Pants (stolen from Ain’t It Cool News). And I appreciated it more the second time.
I think he means it was shown on an IMAX-sized screen, not that it was actually on IMAX film stock; it’s on at an IMAX-type theater in Memphis, for example (Muvico 22 at Peabody Place).
I rather liked the scene between Eowyn and her father. It was touching. It wasn’t totally made up, either, they borrowed bits of dialogue between Theoden and Merry and elsewhere to make that exchange. The line that drives me nuts is the “Get away from him you FILFTH!” to shelob from Sam. What is this, a Jerry Bruckheimer film? Sam is supposed to be a reluctant hero, not a defiant warrior.
As for the ending, I loved it. Slow reflective scenes are exactly what was missing from the rest of the movie. It gave you something other than NONSTOP-STUNNING-ACTION.
Faramir and Eowyn do end up together. The scenes developing their relationship are supposed to be in the extended edition and the only vestige in the theater release was their standing next to each other at the coronation. Do yourself a favor and read the book!
Bill, that’s not quite the way I read the scene in the original. Sam _is_ a reluctant warrior, but in defense of his beloved friend he does, more or less, turn into the “defiant warrior”, with a little help from Galadriel’s phial. I thought Jackson stuck to Tolkien like glue in that particular sequence.
Right, Theoden’s Eowyn’s and Eomer’s uncle. Read the book. Even with the amazing work Jackson & co. did, there’s a lot of backstory and nuance that just couldn’t make it into the film. — But one thing that made it into the film loud and clear — Eowyn the shieldmaiden is the best there is.
I thought the film did both Denethor and Faramir a disservice. In the book, Denethor’s noble and honorable, bowed down by grief, and driven to despair by the Evil One’s lies (he has a palantir, one of those crystal balls that Pippin stole a look at). In the film, he doesn’t come off so well. Same for Faramir. Maybe the extended DVDs will clear things up.
The changes made with Denethor made sense in the context of the changes with Faramir. Hopefully, some Palantir scenes are in the extended ( = complete ) edition.
For those with no access to ROTK on IMAX, and are in the D.C. area, the Uptown Theater on Connecticut has an ENORMOUS screen. I saw it there and was blown away.
Wow. I didn’t know it was showing on IMAX. Did they issue warnings for the feint of heart.
Bite me.
I saw it last night, too. It was awesome.
Caution….slight spoiler:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Just one small complaint, they should have ended it when he said, “you bow to no one”
or
When they cheers’ed back in the Shire.
The end dragged on and on .
Wicked! Tricksy! False!
We hates it!
yeah.. I got a sense of vertigo during some scenes. Amazingl, just amazing…..
I agree with Buff. The last twenty minutes should have been sliced from the film, but perhaps inluded in the extended DVD.
All in all, can’t complain, but not as goood as the first two.
–Spoilers–
Those scenes are essencial to the story. I know they seem ‘a bit much’, sort of a post-climactic letdown, but I’m glad they’re there. I almost cried at the final scene on the dock.
Awsome: When the characters opened their mouths and said whatever Tolkein had them say.
Terrible: When the characters opened their mouths and said whatever Jackson had them say.
Overall a wonderful movie, but Jackson writes terrible dialog!
Nice catch, Noonan. The movies drag whenever Jackson and company intrude with their own words/plotlines, but soar when they stick to Tolkien’s.
I personally thought ROTK was sluggish in the first half and rushed in the second half. If the screenwriters hadn’t spent so much time indulging their own fancies during these three movies, they’d have had plenty of time to get more of Tolkien’s story on the screen. Pity.
I bet the DVD cut of ROTK runs about five hours…
Eowyn kicks ass.
Spolier…
With all the resolutions, Eowyn was the one plot line that had no real ending. (Threesome, anyone)
IMAX?!
How much is a flight to Colorado these days?
Spot on Noonan.
I found dying Theoden quoting dying Darth Vader to be particularly egregious in that regard.
And I found the Legolas Super Elf scene to be very silly too. I guess they were just providing fan service for NAMELA. (Not that I’m intolerant.)
Visually stunning, but Denethor was reduced to a caricature, and Faramir and Aragorn, of all people, were given short shrift. The only thing I saw that vaguely showed Aragorn in an especially kingly mein was his receiving Anduril. I mean, if I went around claiming I was king because some pointy eared tree fairy lobbed a scimitar at me…
But I think they got the hobbits right and I think they ended it properly. I still couldn’t help to chanting to myself when Sam picked up Frodo and started running up Mount Doom though, (rudy, Rudy, RUDY, RUDY!!)
Was Denethor so utterly loathsome in the book, or was he depicted with a bit more nuance? His character in the movie was so loathsome as to actually ruin the parts of the movie he was in.
John,
Denethor suffered at the hands of yon Kiwis. He wasn’t exactly Mr. Wonderful in Tolkien, but the writers sent him downhill in the movie.
*Spoilerish*
One thing I did like in the film that wasn’t in the book. Theodan King riding down the line and sword-slapping all the spears before the charge at Pelannor field. And I dug watching the fear grow in the faces of the orcs. Or were those Raiderfans?
Spoilers, blah blah blah -
I went to a 12AM showing. I have never read the final book. When Frodo and Sam are on the rock and lava is all around them and the screen fades, count to 5, and THEN comes back, it was all I could do not to shout “Jackson, you pissant!” But I wished to live.
But I like the longer ending. In a trilogy like this, I think it’s important that the audience get to properly say goodbye to the characters and see what happens to them. Granted, I could/should read the book, but I also appreciated the gentle bringdown after the Battle of Wet-your-Pants (stolen from Ain’t It Cool News). And I appreciated it more the second time.
CS
Wow,
I thought IMAX had strict time limits on the films they can show, the reels are only so big, after all.
I think he means it was shown on an IMAX-sized screen, not that it was actually on IMAX film stock; it’s on at an IMAX-type theater in Memphis, for example (Muvico 22 at Peabody Place).
Return of the King on IMAX?
Only the estra wise screen will be large enough to get all of Elvis’ fat butt on it.
hehehehehehe
ed
I rather liked the scene between Eowyn and her father. It was touching. It wasn’t totally made up, either, they borrowed bits of dialogue between Theoden and Merry and elsewhere to make that exchange. The line that drives me nuts is the “Get away from him you FILFTH!” to shelob from Sam. What is this, a Jerry Bruckheimer film? Sam is supposed to be a reluctant hero, not a defiant warrior.
As for the ending, I loved it. Slow reflective scenes are exactly what was missing from the rest of the movie. It gave you something other than NONSTOP-STUNNING-ACTION.
For someone who read the books, Do Eowyn and Faramir have a romance?
Terrible: When the characters opened their mouths and said whatever Jackson had them say.
I’m not sure I agree with that assessment. My favorite line in the film, was my boy Gimli’s, “That still counts as just one!” hehehe.
Riyadh delenda est!
Faramir and Eowyn do end up together. The scenes developing their relationship are supposed to be in the extended edition and the only vestige in the theater release was their standing next to each other at the coronation. Do yourself a favor and read the book!
Bill, that’s not quite the way I read the scene in the original. Sam _is_ a reluctant warrior, but in defense of his beloved friend he does, more or less, turn into the “defiant warrior”, with a little help from Galadriel’s phial. I thought Jackson stuck to Tolkien like glue in that particular sequence.
I rather liked the scene between Eowyn and her father.
But Theoden wasn’t her father. (not to be nitpicky or anything)
Right, Theoden’s Eowyn’s and Eomer’s uncle. Read the book. Even with the amazing work Jackson & co. did, there’s a lot of backstory and nuance that just couldn’t make it into the film. — But one thing that made it into the film loud and clear — Eowyn the shieldmaiden is the best there is.
I thought the film did both Denethor and Faramir a disservice. In the book, Denethor’s noble and honorable, bowed down by grief, and driven to despair by the Evil One’s lies (he has a palantir, one of those crystal balls that Pippin stole a look at). In the film, he doesn’t come off so well. Same for Faramir. Maybe the extended DVDs will clear things up.
But I’m quibbling!! IT WAS GREAT!!!
The changes made with Denethor made sense in the context of the changes with Faramir. Hopefully, some Palantir scenes are in the extended ( = complete ) edition.
For those with no access to ROTK on IMAX, and are in the D.C. area, the Uptown Theater on Connecticut has an ENORMOUS screen. I saw it there and was blown away.