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Return of the King - Triumphant!
YodaMan
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Posted: Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 12:50 AM UTC
OK, I woke up at 8AM - 23 hours ago.. Still awake, and having seen ROTK for about 3 hours now, here's what I think: The Lord of the Rings trilogy will go down as the best trilogy ever... The types of movies that, 10 years from now, people will say 'they don't make movies like that anymore'.

As for just ROTK, here's the best and worst:
Eowyn and her moment - can't say more without spoiling...
Legolas - single coolest battle stunt ever.
Samwise Gamgee, need I say more?
The Plains of Pellennor - best onscreen battle ever. E-V-E-R.
Acting overall - awesome
Visual effects - Great at worst, completely realistic at best
Shelob - If people don't yet have arachniphobia, she will cause them to have it. This spider is one terrifying monster... grown men (and women) flinched in her scenes (including me). This is the visual effects at it's best that I mentioned. There is no hint of this creature being CG - it looks real, and that's the horror of it.
Aragorn + the Paths of the Dead - 'nuff said

Worst:
The movie was too short! Some scenes felt a little rushed, and I couldn't help but think how much material had been cut out of the movie. The movie keeps good flow and pacing, but I wanted to see more, a lot more!
Um... what else didn't I like... uh, there is nothing else that isn't related to what I said above.
-Ah, I hate the fact that this is the last movie in the Trilogy! What am I supposed to do next December???

Acting 10/10
Directing 9/10
Book to movie translation 6/10
Visual effects 10/10
music 10/10 - Will someone please give Howard Shore and award?
Flow 8/10
OVERALL = 95/100
Yes, this movie should be a perfect 100 points, but we all know that more storytelling goodness is coming in November with the extended edition. The only thing I don't like about this movie are a few missing elements that were in the books, and that some of the sequences are a little rushed... not in pacing, but it seems like additional diolouge or action was cut to save time. This movie reall needs to run a full 4 hours...
BOTTOM LINE = Stop reading my inane babling, and get tickets to the showtime nearest you!!! You need to see this movie!

YM
Halfyank
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Posted: Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 06:02 AM UTC
Gee, don't sugar coat it YodaMan, tell us how you REALLY feel. Sounds great but I think I'll have to wait until the hype dies down a little. I certainly plan to see it, just a matter of time.
GIBeregovoy
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Posted: Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 11:57 AM UTC
I HATES YOU! I HATES YOU ALL!

Can't watch it tonight - got class (I HATES THE PROFESSOR! I HATES HIM!)

Will have to wait for January (it's sooooo far away, sooooooo sooooooo far away...) because it's the annual Metro Manila Film Fest (I HATES IT! I HATES THE FILM FEST!) and all they show are locally produced (some are just badly produced) films.

Speaking of Shelob, she ain't CG - SHE'S MY PET SPIDER! (spiders are just soooooooo cute... REALLY!)
mlb63
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Posted: Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 12:18 PM UTC
my wife will simply kill me if we dont see it sometime this week.just got the Two Towers dvd for my birthday you know THE EXTENDED PLAY VERSION.there are 16 new scenes and 19 extended scenes. gives you something to look forward to.the movie also makes more sense.so when ROTK comes out on dvd get the extended play version if you dont have a dvd player now would be a good time.
SS-74
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Posted: Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 12:49 PM UTC

Quoted Text

my wife will simply kill me if we dont see it sometime this week.just got the Two Towers dvd for my birthday you know THE EXTENDED PLAY VERSION.there are 16 new scenes and 19 extended scenes. gives you something to look forward to.the movie also makes more sense.so when ROTK comes out on dvd get the extended play version if you dont have a dvd player now would be a good time.


And SpongeBob DVD Player should hit the store shelf in Target in April or May, full of features, and it's also a good time to get it....please visit www.emersonradio.com to keep track of the SpongeBob DVD player availiability or other SpongeBob items. #:-)
andy007
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Posted: Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 02:26 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Directing 9/10

i think you mispelled 10/10 Yoda, Peter Jacksons a kiwi it has to be 10/10.
Also you missed out scenery since it was filmed in New Zealand it has to be a 10/10 #:-)
StukeSowle
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Posted: Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 11:08 PM UTC
Saw it tonight. Great movie, don't miss it. However, unlike YodaMan...it just dragged on a bit for me at the end. It wasn't the length of the movie, just what they decided to leave in and cut out. I don't like long sappy endings. I would've rather seen that time spent more for scenes in the beginning and middle of the book.

However, by far the best movie I have seen this year. One of the best I have ever seen. Looking forward to the extended version that I can watch sprawled out on my couch and not cramped into a theatre.
staff_Jim
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Posted: Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 04:08 AM UTC
One word: awesome.

As for the ending, well... try reading the Silmarillion, all the additional histories, the hobbit, and then the Lord of the Rings and you will see why Tolkien didn't just consider this the end of his trilogy but indeed the end of his whole 10,000 year saga.

Jim
YodaMan
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Posted: Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 07:53 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Directing 9/10

i think you mispelled 10/10 Yoda, Peter Jacksons a kiwi it has to be 10/10.
Also you missed out scenery since it was filmed in New Zealand it has to be a 10/10 #:-)

Whoops! I think I meant that '9' for editing.

Jackson definately gets a 10, even an 11, for directing.
As for scenery, no award could be goo enough for New Zeland or WETA for making those fantastic locations stand out!

StukeSowle, as for the ending: Yes, it was long ,but I didn't mind. I was only thinking one thing after Aragorn recieved the crown: 'This is really the end.'
This movie trilogy is one of those rare creations in film, that we should recieve films that are so epic, so visual, so focused on the characters.. it's just awesome! :-)

*sigh*

I have to wait 'till Monday to see it again...
staff_Jim
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Posted: Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 07:59 AM UTC
A read a rather long list of reviews this morning. Almost all of them very glowing.

Roger Ebert seemed to think that Faramir died in the movie so I am not sure he didn't fall asleep half-way thru and just winged-it for the rest. I get the feeling he has NOT read the books either.

This made me stop and think. No one who reviews movies should only see them once. You don't fully capture the beauty of some films until you have watched them more than once. Seven Samurai is a good example of this.

Cheers,
Jim
sniper
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Posted: Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 05:59 PM UTC
I don't think the movie will be truely appreciated until all three extended versions can be seen together.

It is WAY to hard to sit in the theater that long with a bunch of kids with the flu sitting behind me and coughing the entire time. Ugh! What do parents do things like that for? Ten minutes of commercials and previews at the beginning didn't help much either.

I kind of agree about the ending being a bit drawn out. I'm sure when the extended version comes out there will be more of that 'begining' and 'middle' stuff, so then the ending will be just fine.

To be honest, I really can't think of many 'better' movies. Put these three together and what else comes close? When you look at what has been accomplished with these films, it really makes the Star Wars saga pale in comparison. Not that I don't like Star Wars, just that I think Peter Jackson is now the real King. Sorry Aragorn.

To be honest, it was really too big to even be digested at once. I can't think of anthything to compare it to. That's what says GREAT to me.

Oh, if Howard Shore doesn't get the Oscar for that music and Peter Jackson doesn't get the Directing award, we know that aliens have taken over the earth...

Steve

PS - Have to add that Fellowship is still my favorite of the trilogy. I feel it captures the spirit of the books best and I think it's brilliant. ROTK is a close second and TT without question is third.

Now that this is over, what movie is there to look forward to???? Please do the Hobbit Mr. Jackson.
SS-74
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Posted: Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 07:21 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I don't think the movie will be truely appreciated until all three extended versions can be seen together.

It is WAY to hard to sit in the theater that long with a bunch of kids with the flu sitting behind me and coughing the entire time. Ugh! What do parents do things like that for? Ten minutes of commercials and previews at the beginning didn't help much either.

I kind of agree about the ending being a bit drawn out. I'm sure when the extended version comes out there will be more of that 'begining' and 'middle' stuff, so then the ending will be just fine.

To be honest, I really can't think of many 'better' movies. Put these three together and what else comes close? When you look at what has been accomplished with these films, it really makes the Star Wars saga pale in comparison. Not that I don't like Star Wars, just that I think Peter Jackson is now the real King. Sorry Aragorn.

To be honest, it was really too big to even be digested at once. I can't think of anthything to compare it to. That's what says GREAT to me.

Oh, if Howard Shore doesn't get the Oscar for that music and Peter Jackson doesn't get the Directing award, we know that aliens have taken over the earth...

Steve

PS - Have to add that Fellowship is still my favorite of the trilogy. I feel it captures the spirit of the books best and I think it's brilliant. ROTK is a close second and TT without question is third.

Now that this is over, what movie is there to look forward to???? Please do the Hobbit Mr. Jackson.


It's all downhills from here.
jimbrae
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Posted: Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 07:54 PM UTC
Rather its all Underhills from here. I believe you just Tooks my one-liner, Lord Dave! You really should get Sackvilled for that.....Jim #:-)
AJLaFleche
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Posted: Friday, December 19, 2003 - 01:14 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Roger Ebert seemed to think that Faramir died in the movie so I am not sure he didn't fall asleep half-way thru and just winged-it for the rest. I get the feeling he has NOT read the books either.

Cheers,
Jim


The local station showed its abject ignorance of the films and the books in their review and banter, commenting how the third installment of a series is often weaker than the previous ones. Clearly, they didn't relailze the Trilogy itself was written as a single work and the movie was filmed as a single piece as well. I expected them to ask how Jackson was going to follow this up in part 4.
blaster76
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Posted: Friday, December 19, 2003 - 05:33 PM UTC
As one who hasn't seen any of them yet....well, I remember reading the HObbit as a kid/college student. Hated it. Saw the animated version of the Hobbit in the 80's (yawn). So what's my remedy, well I searched and fought like a banshee for 4 days, but for a whopping total of $27, I managed to win both the Fellowship and the Two Towers on DVD. So far the first one has arrived. Expect the second in a few days. PLan to watch those and then see the final btwn Christmas and New Years. Looking forward to it!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)
newtothegame
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Posted: Saturday, December 20, 2003 - 04:11 AM UTC
I just watched it yesterday. Thought it was great. I'm glad they finally brought Anduril into it, I was kind of pissed about Aragorn not having it when he first went to Edoras.

One comment I have about the ending being sappy is that everytime during the whole trilogy when the lighting changed to a sunset look you knew a sappy 3-5 minute monologue was coming - it kind of got old, but just a small thing among many, many things that I absolutely loved.

I am guessing I will go see it again once the crowds die down so I can notice more details.
Easy_Co
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Posted: Saturday, December 20, 2003 - 07:43 AM UTC
Thanks for the Review Yodaman, I havent seen it yet I wait till January when the crowds have died down a bit but being a serious fan Im in withdrawls by then.Just to let you know over here the B.B.C. have just run a contest called the Big Read, ran for seven weeks various stars saying why we should vote for a certain book,there was some heavy competion Harry potter Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy and the such like,i am pleased to let you know ol J.R.R. won. :-) (:-)
sphyrna
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Posted: Saturday, December 20, 2003 - 08:24 AM UTC
Saw it yesterday in Times Square - greatest movie experience EVER!!!!
The anticipation, the magnificence of the movie- over powering! Up til now the best movie going experience was when I was 10 and saw Star Wars at the Loews (pronounced Low-eees) Paradise on Fordham rd. in the Bronx- an old time movie theater with gold chandaliers, velvet curtains... An elegant movie theater for a simpler time....

But , the Return of the King......wow

When will a movie like this (the entire trilogy) ever come around again? We may have had the pleasure of experiencing a once in a lifetime cinematic event..

yup- I was blown away by it


Peter
mlb63
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Posted: Sunday, December 21, 2003 - 03:20 PM UTC
just saw ROTK today in a word incredible i can't wait for them to come out with the extended play dvd!
mikeli125
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Posted: Monday, December 22, 2003 - 02:50 AM UTC
Just seen it last night great flick only thing wrong was the end you thought it'd finshed about 5 times before it really did and having soom woman sit behind me whinging at the end just a pity it wasnt done for the i-max cinemas now that would have been something!
GSPatton
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Posted: Friday, December 26, 2003 - 08:28 AM UTC
Took my son to see it on Saturday - WOW ! 3hours + passed so quickly I was left wanting MORE!

The movie is the climax of a real work of love by the Director Peter Jackson. It will go down in history as the highest grossing trilogy in history. Just hope Hollywood recognizes its greatness.



blitz
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Posted: Friday, December 26, 2003 - 02:00 PM UTC
it was AWESOME!!
 _GOTOTOP