Post your "Fellowship of the Ring" reviews here!

GandalfgalTTV · Post by **GandalfgalTTV** » Sat Jan 05, 2002 7:26 am

The two things that dissapointed me the most.

Everything happens too fast, their stay in Lothlorien being the most obvious, it really ddidn't feel right.

The other thing that bugged me, is how they completely rewrote the failing of the Fellowship IOW the ending of the movie.

der Moench · Post by **der Moench** » Sat Jan 05, 2002 8:05 am

I agree with Gandalfgal: too fast. The sad part of this (IMO) is that the story then seems like one battle after another (from the riders to Saruman to Moria to the Uruk Hai); but the real story of Fellowship of the Ring has much less fighting and such going on. It makes you wonder if the next two in the series, which do have a lot of fighting, will come out as one long gore-fest.

ThorinOakensfield · Post by **ThorinOakensfield** » Sat Jan 05, 2002 12:44 pm

Possible spoilers!

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Yeah first half of two towers is filled with fighting and leads up to the big battle and Helm's Deep.
Plus i'm sure they will show the fighting between the Riders of Rohan and the Uruk Hai that had captured the hobbits.
Then in the second part with Faramir and the oliphaunt and then later Shelob. Expect those to be longer fights.

The Return of the King, second part when Frodo is captured by Orcs. There was alot of internal fighting, and one of the few scenes in the book where the fighting is actually shown(as in writen). Sam attacks the Orcs and such.

ThorinOakensfield · Post by **ThorinOakensfield** » Sat Jan 05, 2002 12:45 pm

@at99: There is no point in asking why he wrote the book if you're not going to listen.

BTW SYM was created for spammers. Buck didn't want them screwing up the BG2 forum and he moved them here.

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 4:34 am

Originally posted by Vivien:
unless it involves abusing Fas or Gruntboy or Foul in some way.

Ouch.

@Kayless. I know what you mean. I haven't done GW stuff for 10 years now but I liked the LOTR figures so much I've been sucked back in.... AAARGH!

@Georgi.

I am considering going a 3rd time. Shouldn't you be at college.

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 5:03 am

Originally posted by Gruntboy:
@Kayless. I know what you mean. I haven't done GW stuff for 10 years now but I liked the LOTR figures so much I've been sucked back in.... AAARGH!

You played Games Workshop games before? Hmm... I never really pictured you doing those. You should check out the LotR Cave Troll model... Nice and ugly...

Georgi · Post by **Georgi** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 5:19 am

Originally posted by Gruntboy:
@Georgi. I am considering going a 3rd time. Shouldn't you be at college.

I am considering going a 4th time

And no

Because both of my first semester courses were only 10 weeks, whereas the semester is 12 weeks (10 before Xmas, 2 after, ie. now)... so I have an extra 2 weeks off, then 2 exam weeks during which I have one exam... So seminars proper don't start again until 4th February

What's your excuse?

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 9:36 am

I played GW stuff when I was 15. Seems like such a long time ago now.

@Georgi, My semester only started today so whilst I'm at work I have the money and my evenings are free.

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 12:38 pm

Originally posted by Gruntboy:
I played GW stuff when I was 15. Seems like such a long time ago now.

@Georgi, My semester only started today so whilst I'm at work I have the money and my evenings are free.

Mind if I ask which game(s)? 40K, Fantasy, or one of the others?

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Tue Jan 08, 2002 2:28 am

40K. I had everything - Marines, Imperial Guard, Eldar, Orks. I just loved painting the little suckers. Epic 40K and Titans too - I had whole armies.

Now I'm doing it solely for the painting

I've got a few Warhammer models too.

Kayless · Post by **Kayless** » Wed Jan 09, 2002 12:34 am

Wow, lots of Warhammer references here!

I started with the old Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying game (yes, there was a Warhammer RPG once

) when I was about twelve years old and that soon lead to Fantasy Battle (the rest, as they say, is history). I amassed a rather large Orc Army, have some Warhammer Quest models (The Witchhunter is my favorite

), acquired lots of those tiny Epic 40k models I’ll never paint, and recently I have been pulled into regular Warhammer 40k.

What I like about the new LotR models is that (not only do they look great) you can use them to recreate scenes from the movie, like the attack at Weathertop.

Back on topic: I feel the movie’s taut pacing adds to the sense of anxiety rather then detracting to the film. It didn’t feel rushed to me, but rather more like a suspense picture. Unlike the novel, the hobbits couldn’t stop to smell the flowers whenever they wanted. I liked this change personally.

[ 01-09-2002: Message edited by: Kayless ]

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Wed Jan 09, 2002 2:28 am

I haven't made up my mind yet whether I'm going to see the movie or not. I'm hesitating since I don't like the books and I heard the movie is 3 hours long. Some questions to all of you who has seen it:

Originally posted by loner72:

Settings, and I'm not just talking New Zealand's landscape. The construction of Hobbiton, Rivendell, and Moria was simply breathtaking.

Are many scenes shot outdoors? I love NZ, I could consider seeing the movie just for the scenery if it's plenty of it shown.

How is Ian McKellan doing as Gandalf? I usually like McKellan a lot. What about the acting performaces in general?

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Wed Jan 09, 2002 4:42 am

Ms Elegans - there are lots of NZ scenic shots - you'll love it for that, I did!

I couold live in Hobbiton.

Kayless · Post by **Kayless** » Wed Jan 09, 2002 6:10 am

Originally posted by C Elegans:
Are many scenes shot outdoors? I love NZ, I could consider seeing the movie just for the scenery if it's plenty of it shown.

Tons of beautiful shots of the New Zealand landscape. Really quite breathtaking.

Originally posted by C Elegans:
How is Ian McKellan doing as Gandalf? I usually like McKellan a lot. What about the acting performaces in general?

Ian McKellan is great. Ian Holm is great. Viggo Mortensen is great. Sean Bean is great. Elijah Wood is great. Sean Astin is great. Etc, etc, and so on and so forth

(McKellan, Holm, and Bean are my favorite performances).

Originally posted by Gruntboy:
I couold live in Hobbiton.

*Suddenly has a disturbing mental picture of Grunt as a perverted hobbit*

EMINEM · Post by **EMINEM** » Wed Jan 09, 2002 6:26 am

@Elegans

Many, many beautiful shot of the NZ countryside/mountainscape. I'd also like to vacation at Rivendell. Live there? Nah. Looks too expensive, like a summer resort in South France.

Ian McKellan as Gandalf was true to the part. The part where he shouted "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" to the Balrog was breath-taking. The Moria scenes alone are worth the price of admission.

But I had no idea McKeelan was gay until after visiting his website. He certainly gives a new dimension to Gandalf's claim (by virtue of wearing the third Elven Ring) as the "keeper of the sacred flame."

Maharlika · Post by **Maharlika** » Wed Jan 09, 2002 6:37 am

Originally posted by Gandalfgal The Talking Variant:
The two things that dissapointed me the most.

Everything happens too fast, their stay in Lothlorien being the most obvious, it really ddidn't feel right.

The other thing that bugged me, is how they completely rewrote the failing of the Fellowship IOW the ending of the movie.

ditto.

There was not much characterization on the part of Gimli and Legolas and how their meaningful friendship started.

IIRC, it all started when Gimli had a paradigm shift on his view on elves when he met Galadriel. From then on he became a "self-appointed" knight of the Elven Lady.

This was first expressed fully when he defended Galadriel's honor against Eomer when the latter muttered something ill of the Queen of Lothlorien. Legolas was quick to share his bow in Gimli's defense.

Would love to see their "contest" in the Siege at Helm's Deep. Gimli won by one orc head, his axe notched in the process (the last orc had a metal ring around its neck). Legolas ran out of arrows and resorted to using his "knife."

The handing of the gifts to each of The (now 8) Walkers by Galadriel was very significant IMO. This was absent except the part when Galadriel gave Frodo the Philial of Elbereth (Varda? the patron Valar of the Elves(?) )I figured, Mr Jackson(?) could have done this "fade-in, fade-out" while the remaining 8 were traveling the River Anduin (great scene!

)on their way to the Falls of Rauros. Gimli asked nothing but a lock of Galadriel's hair. I'd think Legolas took a diiferent turn in his outlook towards Gimli right after this.

Somehow the 3 hours passed by so fast!

I reckon it's a great movie mostly for those who haven't read the book. But for those who are really INTO Tolkien would perhaps find some disappointment here and there.

3 hours, it seems, might not be even enough for the ardent Tolkien readers to be fully satisfied with the movie. The director had time constraints to deal with (not unless he comes up with a director's cut just to please Tolkien fans accordingly based on the book.)

So far I couldn't see the wisdom of changing the script re: the breaking of the Fellowship.

All in all though, I could still say I enjoyed the movie.

[ 01-09-2002: Message edited by: Maharlika ]

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Wed Jan 09, 2002 6:40 am

I guess Kayless is trying to tell us the acting was... um, great!

Kayless · Post by **Kayless** » Wed Jan 09, 2002 6:43 am

However did you get that impression Grunt?

Maharlika · Post by **Maharlika** » Thu Jan 10, 2002 4:32 am

I forgot to mention that I could not understand why they did not show the cleaving of Boromir's horn nor the laying of orcish weapons and armor beneath his feet when the three hunters laid him to rest in one of the elven boats that would carry the body through Anduin and into Gondor waters...

I'm sorry

for the nitpicking on these details but I couldn't help it since it would not be impossible nor would it compromise anything had these details were taken into account.

McBane · Post by **McBane** » Thu Jan 10, 2002 7:51 am

I watched the film for the 2nd time and still found it great!

I know someone had already mentioned this (I'm too lazy to go back and see who) but, when did Elrond get such an attitude? He did not seem so "racist" in the book. I wonder if his two sons will be in the final battles in Gondor. He must not like Arwen's relationship with that "human" Aragorn.