The Two Towers (Finally!!) *spoilers*

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Well, I just got home from seeing The Two Towers. (It is 3AM here as I am writing this message to you) Yes, that is correct - a day early - the movie was started at 11pm on the 17th!!!
(I have a friend that works at the movie theatre here, and he let me come with him to their private employee early screening tonight!!)

I must say that, without giving any spoilers, although Jackson took a great deal more "liberties" with this one than the first part, this was well done, exciting to watch, and still stayed true to the feel of the book.

I will warn you all, however, to be prepared for the liberties he has taken to make this important middle section of LOTR into a good film version. The differences from the book are many, but the essence of the tale is still strong in the film.

BTW - I think that Jackson was watching "Fight Club" when he made a certain part of the movie - watch it and tell me what you all think!!

EDIT - I believe this makes me the first one on the boards to see the movie! Hooray for me!

[ December 19, 2002, 12:21: Message edited by: Taluntain ]

 

Yes, well I'll be seeing it on next sunday. And hooray for me for the fact that I didn't have to camp outside the theater to get the tickets, and I didn't have to watch the movie from a crappy place just because I wanted to get to the very first show. And hooray to me also for I didn't have to screw up my sleep-time and work because I just couldn't wait for a few days more.

Thank you for not spoiling anything. The freedom to the book was obvious to begin with, but I did not really expect this movie to be compared to the Fight Club in the least.. Well, I'll see how this one has turned out soon enough.

 

My brother is flying in from Seattle, my wife is finding a babysitter, and I bought a car ... all so that we can see the Two Towers (oh, and celebrate Christmas or something)

 

It was great not having to camp out - it was actually a surprise from my friend, and the theatre was almost empty - pretty cool to watch a movie without an obnoxious audience full of cheering or booing fans.

PS - The Fight Club comparison is only for one small part of the movie - not the entire thing.

 

I have just seen it and I did neither camp nor screw up any sleeping cycle, I just ordered a ticket on the net, easy peasy.
But I must say that I am a little disapointed, not much but alittle. If the Fellowship was a strong four then the two Towers are a weak four. It feels a bit like a collection of scenes, really great and well done scenes with superb acting and effects but still a scene. It is hard to get a big picture in the film as it jumps back and forth between the different parties before you can really set yourself into what it is that is happening. I have read the books thrice (not much compared to most here I am sure) but I still found places in the movie where I wondered what the hell was going on. Jackson has managed to cram almost everything into the film and in many cases it is to the price of the depth of the story. Felt alittle like reading the books on speed or something or to watch the movie while winding fastforward.
But when all things are considered so is it a magnificient film though not as magnificient as it could have been.

[ December 18, 2002, 22:01: Message edited by: joacqin ]

 

I've seen it now too and I agree with joacqin. The film was just too altered from original story (elves, Aragorn the hero, Faramir etc.) But overall TTT was good film, though FoTR was much better. I also wonder why they put Shelob and rest of Isengard in Return of the King.

 

Arwen must die. If I had been PJ, I would have stayed true to the book. Its coming in Jan. 18th, because we live in a crappy place called Estonia. Blaah. Must go sleep. Parties suck.

 

For me, even better than the first. I'd give oscars to Gollum, Treebeard and the New Zealand scenery. Dwarf-o-philes might object to the use of Gimli for light relief and Tolkien-o-nuts will object to the departures from the book like 'Aragorn and the Warg Riders'. However, for me it captures the spirit of the book well - from the redemption of Theoden to the great pitched battle at Helm's Deep.

 

Well, we just got back from seing it, and we were indeed impressed. Some of it was stunning. Sorry, take that back! It was damn near all stunning!

More humour than FoTR, which broke it up nicely when it seemed to be getting just a bit dark. Yes there were more changes to details, but the feel of the story was excellent, and very much in the spirit of the book. And before you all start to worry too much, it isn't *THAT* different.

Just like the ending of FoTR was extended to make it a more natural ending from the film's point of view, I think the same was done this time. Possibly more for cohesion in the final part than anything else. Let's face it, for someone who hasn't read it, the book ends on a point you really wouldn't want to have to wait a year for the next installment.

I watched FoTR this morning before we went to the pictures tonight. There was a great little reference to something Gimli said back in Moria that had me in stitches. All I'll say is "Just don't tell the elf."

Do not be frightened by the changes, it's a great film. It's not the book, it's a great film.

[ December 19, 2002, 01:00: Message edited by: Viking ]

 

AMEN, my brothers.

The changes were interesting, and did not harm the story at all (although I am interested to see how some are resolved).

And unfortunately, there were a few tooo many times where Gimli was the comic relief. At least the jokes/relief weren't overly stupid, though.

In all - I liked it (again).

 

Due to the inherent weaknesses of that movie (same director and same actors in all parts ) part-II will be just as disappointing as the previous one.
I'll probably only want to see it if I'm in a flaming mood anyway wouldn't make a difference then.
I'm not sure what to expect: For sure we'll see the Sam-Gollum and the Frodo-Galadriel romance (nude scene included) and the nothing less but the epic and glorious battle between Frodo and the incomparable dragon Mogrohad ...

 

Who is Mogrohad?

 

i really liked it. the book has been a favourite for years, but i don't really mind the changes that have been made in the translation to film.... it is a different medium, and stuff that works on paper doesn't always work on screen. i think p.j.'s done a really good job in creating middle earth in rich and varied detail.

 

Who cares Mogrohad is not in the book? Do you want to say that *you* have a better understanding of the LOTR than the ingenious, award winning Sir Peter Jackson?

[ December 19, 2002, 13:09: Message edited by: Ragusa ]

 

i disliced the first one but this one was a million times better... saw it with the school this morning... it was plain and simple GREAT... the Helms depp battle is the greatest ever...
BTW is Helms deep where they got the name for the god Helm to D&D world... just wondering...

 

I have never read the books, and in all honesty, I may never. But here is my opinion from a strictly movie goer's point of view. I only had a few gripes. First, too much comedy with Gimli. It felt like, since the halflings weren't in much of it, they gave the comedy role to Gimli. I have no idea if that is how it was meant to be, but I would doubt it. He makes for better unintentional sparse comedy spots than as the main comedy figure. I fealt it wasn't as tight knit of a movie as the first, as there wasn't as much quality character development, especially with some of the new major characters introduced, and there wasn't as much of a bond between the characters and the audience as well. Also, as joaquin said, it does jump back and forth a bit too much between the groups. With that said, I found it a tremendous viewing experience. It had such amazing cinamatography, wonderful settings and effects, it just blew you away. It sacrifices the intimate feel of the first one for a truly grand epic scale feel in this one. The battle for Helm's Deep was about as epic of a war scene as you will ever see in any movie. Aside from some outragous and comedy bits that seemed out of place there, it was almost perfect. And as someone who's never read the books, I just was giddy seeing the worg riders myself. I predict that will be the next big add on people will be clamoring for in NWN Also, the goblins I thought were better done is this film, much more distinct this time from the orcs. That's about as much as I'm willing to comment on this now as I don't want to give away any real details. Suffice to say, even though I emerged from the theatre at 1:45 am, and made it home around 3:00, it was worth it.

[ December 20, 2002, 05:55: Message edited by: Crawl ]

 

I just want to say that Arwen is a hot, nymphomatic, elven sex kitten.

That is all.

 

That's what I asked Santa for!

 

*dies of confusion*Arwen is a *****, who does not deserve such a large role. PJ was really drunk sometimes.

 

I understand why she has an expanded role...There has to be an appeal to the female population of moviegoers...Which = sappy romance.

Tolkien's books are guys books. About guys going out and doing heroic things, and the journey from boyhood to manhood, battling evil, and building a history. The mushy romance stuff aways took a back seat to the more epic story's.

Sadly, this approach doesn't really appeal to that broad of an audience...Which is why Arwen has to play a bigger part. I can live with it - Liv Tyler is a hottie!