Post your "Fellowship of the Ring" reviews here!

Aubrey · Post by **Aubrey** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 2:49 am

Hi there.

First of all I should tell you that I spent most of my childhood reading books on King Arthur and the Knights of Round Table, and yes, it's strange they didn't lead me to "meet" the Ring trilogy. I hadn't read any of Mr Tolkien's books, though I had learned a lot about his invention of languages in the Ring trilogy during my translation studies course. From there on I was often saying to myself, "You should read the Lord of the Rings", but I had never come that close. So, the day before yesterday, first day the film was out to the theatres, I decided to be one of the first to watch it.

I won't be ashamed to admit that while watching the film my mind was often going to the BG's world. After all, that's where I had met (first time in my life) halflings, elves, dwarves, and all these other than human races. I suppose BG series made it easier for me to understand the world of the Ring, and I am grateful.

IMHO, it was just a marvellous movie! Impressive costumes and settings, excellent sceneries and photography, convicing characters --or they were just actors impersonate some characters? Gandalf (the Grey, as I read in the book --I have bought it and started reading it last night!) was an imposing figure, though I have to agree with some other opinions here, about expecting him more powerful for a wizard. And Legolas stood up the description and expectations for harmony, beauty and balance one can found in the Elven kind. I loved and fully sympathised with Fronto --is he going to resist the corruption of nature the ring causes? I don't know but I hope so. Did Boromir died because he was an easy target for the evil power of the ring to influence and control him? I don't know either, but I felt deeply sorry for his death. And what about Aragorn? Will he be wise enough not to resign into the evil power of the ring in the end? Oh, I can't wait to find out!

I descended to an epic and heroic world of magic and fairy tale where Good and Evil are the only options for one to go (I don't share this view of distinctiveness in real life, but on the other hand this is what I am looking for in a world of legends), and when the movie ended I knew I didn't belong to the world around me, I had lost so much precious time postponing the reading of the book, and yes: BG series and D&D games originate in the Lord of the Rings.

Having always considered "Excalibur" to be a masterpiece in its kind, and rated it 5/5, I think The Fellowship of the Ring deserves at least 4/5 if not the same.

Thanks for bearing with my ranting

but I do think the Lord of the Rings is one of the best movies of 2001!

P.S. As for the argument about the adaptation: I usually avoid comparing books to their screen adaptations; should I did so I would probably go grumbling for long after. Since I much enjoying reading good books as well as viewing good movies, I prefer judging each one on its own virtues.

Cheers

Sailor Saturn · Post by **Sailor Saturn** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 2:58 am

Originally posted by Georgi:
Well, let's face it, you'd probably enjoy watching Legolas doing... well, just about anything, right?

So true.

EMINEM · Post by **EMINEM** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 6:21 am

Originally posted by Aubrey:
 Fronto --is he going to resist the corruption of nature the ring causes?

Fronto??

Aubrey · Post by **Aubrey** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 7:00 am

@EMINEM:

Fronto??

Frodo! Frodo! FRODO!

It was just a typo. So hard to see? Well, am I forgiven or, what?

Cheers

EMINEM · Post by **EMINEM** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 7:07 am

Speaking of Frodo, I think it was a stroke of genius for Tolkien to choose the little guy as bearer of the Ring of Power. Although everyone from Elrond on down seemed to think Frodo an unlikely or unsuitable candidate, he was probably the most qualified being in Middle-Earth to be given the quest to destroy the Ring. He kind of reminds me of Moses, really. In the book of Leviticus IIRC, God (the tetragrammaton YAHWEH) chose Moses to be his representative to the Israelites (and by extension, mankind), not on the basis of his strength, wisdom, or charisma, but rather on the basis of his humility. "Moses was the meekest man on the planet... which is why he was called God's friend."

Frodo was probably the meekest creature in Middle-Earth. From the text itself (see the barrow-wight chapter), we learn that Frodo was considered by Bilbo and Gandalf to be "the best hobbit of the Shire," implying of course that he was the best hobbit to be found in the world. Now what "best" actually means I can only speculate, but since Tolkien's model and measure of perfection in LoTR spiritually, mentally, and physically, was the Elven race, it's safe to assume Frodo was the most "Elvish" Hobbit of his race. Physically, he was "taller than some and fairer than most," and unlike 95% of Hobbits, he was actually fit for someone his age (which was 33 at the beginning of "Fellowship," the age incidentally at which Jesus died). Spiritually, this might explain why Frodo had such a quick grasp of their language, and was hailed by Gildor an "Elf-friend" upon their first meeting.

Come to think of it, Sam was probably the second-best Hobbit of them all. For some reason even he could not understand, and which Bilbo's high tales of adventure cannot completely account for, Sam was captivated by anything Elvish. This might also be the cause for his unusual devotion and attraction to Frodo. The germinal of "Elvenkind" buried deep in his soul was stretching forth to embrace the same quality in his best friend, which lay in shallower ground, and at times even broke through the surface of his being, inspiring love and wonder in those who saw it. Anyway, Frodo possessed both the humility inherent in his race and the humility and purity of heart inherent in his character. It's unlikely anyone else would have been able to carry the Ring as far as he did without succumbing to it sooner.

Kayless · Post by **Kayless** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 8:11 am

I'm with ya Aubrey.

Man, I just love all the LotR characters! Fronto Biggins and his uncle Bonbo, Randolf the Wizard, Jim Lee the dwarf, Legoass the elf. And who can forget Eragorf the ranger or the Dark Lord Saurian?

Maharlika · Post by **Maharlika** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 8:14 am

@EMINEM: ...such is the beauty of Reading...

...but the "child?" in us would probably have wanted also to see the books in living color.

Maharlika · Post by **Maharlika** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 8:20 am

Originally posted by Kayless:
I'm with ya Aubrey. Man, I just love all the LotR characters! Fronto Biggins and his uncle Bonbo, Randolf the Wizard, Jim Lee the dwarf, Legoass the elf. And who can forget Eragorf the ranger or the Dark Lord Saurian?

ROFLMAO...cruelly wicked!

Kayless · Post by **Kayless** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 11:51 am

Originally posted by Maharlika:
 ROFLMAO...cruelly wicked!

Yeah, I can be such a jerk sometimes. Hehehehe

EMINEM · Post by **EMINEM** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 12:21 pm

Originally posted by Kayless:
I'm with ya Aubrey. Man, I just love all the LotR characters! Fronto Biggins and his uncle Bonbo, Randolf the Wizard, Jim Lee the dwarf, Legoass the elf. And who can forget Eragorf the ranger or the Dark Lord Saurian?

LOL!!

'Can't forget Sandwhich Gangrene his buddy and pal, and Marry-a-dog, and Poppin his kinsmen.

Someone get me a copy of "Bored of the Rings!" the Monty Python version!

HighLordDave · Post by **HighLordDave** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 2:43 pm

Originally posted by Georgi:
Then again, I was probably distracted with horror at the line "Let's hunt some orc"...

That was pretty cheezy . . . but I liked Gimli's line, "No one tosses this dwarf!"

humanflyz · Post by **humanflyz** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 4:24 pm

I think the staff is a phallic(spelling?) symbol. By breaking Saruman's staff, Gandalf is basically stripping him of his essence, or Yang, making Saruman impotent to do anything.

Sailor Saturn · Post by **Sailor Saturn** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 5:16 pm

Originally posted by Kayless:
I'm with ya Aubrey. Man, I just love all the LotR characters! Fronto Biggins and his uncle Bonbo, Randolf the Wizard, Jim Lee the dwarf, Legoass the elf. And who can forget Eragorf the ranger or the Dark Lord Saurian?

ROTCLMAO!!!

After the movie, my mom kept calling Gandalf "Gandorf" and Gondor "Gondar."

Aegnor · Post by **Aegnor** » Sat Dec 22, 2001 8:57 am

Ok, saw the movie last night and I'm pretty impressed, but there's just one thing bothering me:

Did anyone else find the scenes in Lorien disappointing? I'm thinking of the mirror of Galadriel, where she summons Frodo to be "tested" and ends up facing her own test. Specifically, I though the use of special effects to be unnecessary and detracting from the main message, which is that Frodo indeed is suited to be the ringbearer, simply because he is quite willing to give it up. This DOES come through in the movie, but having all that special effects getup was like hitting the audience over the head. Anyone else feel this way about the Lorien bit?

Also, in the book it is during this scene that the inevitable fading of the elves is emphasized. I'm not sure if this came out in the movie, that win or lose the ringbearer signals the end of places like Lorien in middle-earth.

Still, loved the movie, not at all unhappy with the storyline "streamlining" that went on, etc. Moria was excellent, I thought, and i suspect IanMckellan/Gandalf will replace AlecGuiness/Obi-wan as pop culture's most quotable sage.

Georgi · Post by **Georgi** » Sat Dec 22, 2001 11:39 am

Originally posted by HighLordDave:
That was pretty cheezy . . . but I liked Gimli's line, "No one tosses this dwarf!"

Heh, yeah, that was bad, but then that was meant to be funny... The orc line was cheesy melodramatic bad

Georgi · Post by **Georgi** » Sat Dec 22, 2001 11:44 am

Originally posted by Aegnor:
Anyone else feel this way about the Lorien bit?

Actually, I was kind of disappointed with the Lorien part. For a start, I felt the whole section was too sinister. And I wasn't particularly impressed by the temptation of Galadriel scene - though the friend I went with says it was his favourite scene in the movie. I found the FX distracted from what Galadriel was actually saying.

Sailor Saturn · Post by **Sailor Saturn** » Sat Dec 22, 2001 12:03 pm

Originally posted by Georgi:
Actually, I was kind of disappointed with the Lorien part. For a start, I felt the whole section was too sinister. And I wasn't particularly impressed by the temptation of Galadriel scene - though the friend I went with says it was his favourite scene in the movie. I found the FX distracted from what Galadriel was actually saying.

I felt they left too much out of the Lorien part, including the blindfolding of the Fellowship.

My problem with the Galadriel scene was not an excess of special effects, but just not the right fx. What's describe in the book is more like when Gandalf basically had to scare Bilbo back to his senses when Bilbo was acting like Gollum before leaving the Shire. Galadriel's scene just didn't look right.

HighLordDave · Post by **HighLordDave** » Sat Dec 22, 2001 12:41 pm

Originally posted by Georgi:
I found the FX distracted from what Galadriel was actually saying.

There were several instances during the movie when I could not understand what a character was saying. As I said before, our theatre had some glitchyness, so that could have been part of it. There were also a number of minor characters who only appeared for one or two scenes and I didn't get to hear enough of their accent to get used to them. However, I think in too many instances to be coincidence did the SFX and music drown out the dialogue.

Georgi · Post by **Georgi** » Sat Dec 22, 2001 6:28 pm

Originally posted by HighLordDave:
As I said before, our theatre had some glitchyness, so that could have been part of it.

I hope you complained and got some complimentary tickets

However, I think in too many instances to be coincidence did the SFX and music drown out the dialogue.

I can't say I noticed it anywhere but the Galadriel scene. *shrug*

scully1 · Post by **scully1** » Sat Dec 22, 2001 9:38 pm

Okay, I jsut wrote an entire review and it's been lost.

*stalks off*