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Originally posted by Marselus:
(I´d give it a 10 if it wasn´t for the Légolas stairs descent a la Xander Cage in XXX ).

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But maybe it should be the other way around? I'm pretty sure that scene was filmed way before xXx was. And, it's been done before.

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Originally posted by Marselus:
(I´d give it a 10 if it wasn´t for the Légolas stairs descent a la Xander Cage in XXX ).

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Well... his horse-mounting maneuver should more than make up for any foibles you have with it.

I liked the score's nods to themes heard in the extended cut of Fellowship, notably the new choir motif from the extended Amon Hen scene from Fellowship which wasnt heard in choir form here, but full orchestral. The cue never made the TT score CD, but as consolation I found it only one of a handful of REALLY great cues that didn't make the CD.

Dan

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Originally posted by Dan Brecher:
Took in two showings today.

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Wow Dan, just a bit obsessive?

Dan

Those Tolkien freaks at the LACMA Shore event scared me from rushing out to see the film until it dies down a bit next week.

"Adaptation," "Antwone Fisher," "Talk To Her," and "Ararat" are on my list for the weekend.

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Originally posted by Dan Brecher:
I liked the score's nods to themes heard in the extended cut of Fellowship, notably the new choir motif from the extended Amon Hen scene from Fellowship which wasnt heard in choir form here, but full orchestral.

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Side note: I was 1st in line for my showing...out of 510 people :-) And I had about 17 others with me, it was smashing good fun!

That being said, Aragorn (at least) seems to be slowly filling out his role as future leader, and Gollum is the most interesting character in the film. And while he was superbly realized, I think all the talk (elsewhere) about trying to get him nominated for "Best Supporting Actor" is a piss-poor idea.

The intercutting between the three story threads was done in a rather uninteresting way, and didn't heighten the drama at all - it almost felt like Jackson was saying "oh yeah, I gotta show what Merry and Pippin are doing....". And given the different pacing this film had compared to the first one, I don't think you could watch them both back-to-back; it would be too jarring a shift in tone.

So, while I enjoyed the film (and am seeing it again tomorrow, with a more critical eye now that I've had time to absorb and think about it), I think it's far from an "amazing film". Entertaining movie, yes. Visually impressive, without a doubt. Amazing? Hardly. There are better films this year. (Hell, I saw CHICAGO last night and have more of an "excited high" about that one than I did about LOTR:TTT!)

Dan

Side note: when I saw the film 1.5 weeks ago, I was in the front of the line. so, nuh!

TOWERS has a looser feel, without the relentless chase structure. While more reflective, even spiritual at times, it shares some of the book's weaknesses. In particular, Aragorn's primary relationship is with someone who isn't there, which creates a few problems. The film sorely misses Sir Ian whenever he's absent. He had much more to do in the book, and I hope we may see more of him in the inevitable Expanded Edition next November.

Still it's an amazing achievement and maintains the lofty standards of the first film. Let's keep in mind how much lies ahead for part 3: Saurman's death, Sheelob, the seige of Minas Tirith, the romance of Eowyn and Faramir, the reforging of Narsil, the defeat of the Witch King, the trek up Mount Doom, the final battle before the Black Gate, etc., etc. I expect the next installment will be an amazing ride.

I believe this is how Jackson has envisioned the process...hence the lack of an introduction or recap at the beginning of this film (which many narrow-sighted critics have complained about.) A recap would destroy the flow when the project is viewed as a whole.

HIGHS
Score! (and the use of it...)
Gollum
Helm's Deep

LOWS
Pacing
Editing
Blue Screen work for Merry & Pippin

So, I did not enjoy it as much as the first film, but it still an impressive picture based on the material and the grandeur of it all. What made the first film perfect for me was the pacing and almost seamless editing. The Two Towers was my least favorite of the books, simply because there was too much material (there is such a thing) and the odd structure of it. Jackson fixed the structure (justifiably so), but unfortunately the three story arcs just don't mesh well. The editing is my real gripe--each scene in Fellowship seemed a perfect transition into the next. TTT is all over the place (which it truly is in context of the story), but I do not hold Jackson responsible for it, rather Tolkein and his propensity to bring too much to the table.

Gollum was a fantastic character--complex, well animated, well acted. And what can I say about the score that hasn't already been said--I will echo the sentiment that Forth Eorlingas is an example of music in a film elevating a scene to a whole new level.

The film felt a little ponderous in the first half and a bit overzealous in the second half. I think the flow of the narrative was adversly affected by forced cuts to limit the run time. Where I thought the extended cut of Fellowship disrupted the the flow of the film--I feel an extended cut of this film will help it out significantly.

In the end a very enjoyable film and welcome addition to the story. It did not engage me as deeply as the first film, but I think that the films faults lie rooted in the source material. That being said, it is still a mile ahead of most films that have been released this year.

The CGI was the best I have ever seen. This team should go over to ILM and start giving some instructional classes.

The photography was beautiful and amazing, especially the scenes of Elrond's predicted doomed love for Arwen and Aragorn. And the Wraithe hovering on his dragon in front of Frodo as it grasps for the Ring. Brilliance.

Lucas is dead to me. I guarantee you, EPISODE III will still not be on the level of this movie. I am so happy that Peter Jackson's trilogy is out at the same time...it will ultimately show George that his greediness and laziness reaped nothing and a small passionate director was able to rise and surpass what was the most anticipated trilogy of all time.