(no subject)

[semperfiona]

Okay, so you might have gotten the idea from my one Two Towers post that I didn't like the movie. Not true. I quite enjoyed it. I think, though, that just like the first one, I will need another viewing to see it for itself rather than nitpicking the differences between it and the book. (Besides, I have to use my free-ticket certificate.) However, nitpicking and commenting on specific details I can do now.

My biggest peeve is that the character of Faramir was sorely slandered, as I noted yesterday. Other than that...(I'll try to put these mostly in order)

• I loved the Balrog fight sequence. Expanding that was a very good idea.
• I've always loved Rohan and the Rohirrim, and this movie did very well by them. But they didn't quite make it clear enough just how much the Rohirrim love their horses.
• More lovely scruffy longhaired men. ::drool::
• We could have done with a few more of the original lines of dialog from the first encounter in Rohan. It seemed like a rather abrupt change from aiming spears to handing over horses.
• The transformation of Theoden was delightful to see.
• While I didn't imagine Ents looking like that--I had imagined them less leggy--it's an interesting take, and supportable from the text.
• Merry didn't decide the course of the Entmoot, they did. They already knew about Saruman's perfidy (and by the way, what a wonderful word).
• Eowyn is easily the hottest chick in the two movies so far, on the grounds that she seems more "real" to me than either of the elves. On the other hand, Liv Tyler/Arwen does have really quite marvelous lips.
• The Battle of Helm's Deep was wonderful.
• I have a bit of a problem with the Southrons looking so Arabic. I realize Tolkien's own descriptions slant that way as well, but it seems too much like a reference to the present world situation to fit with a fantasy/mythological epic. On the other hand, I might not have noticed that had I not already read a review which mentioned it.
• Again, I had a difference of imagination with Jackson on the appearance of the Nazgul's winged steeds. To my mind they might have been slightly more effective without the full closeups of their faces. But they were still damned cool.
• How the fuck am I going to wait another year? (Yeah, yeah, I hear you. I'll end up buying copies of all versions of the DVD and rereading the books again.)

I now invite other nitpickers to comment.

Oh, and I can also say with confidence that you want to get seats farther back than the fourth row. I had a neck ache after straining up to see everything.

Comments

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Want to see!!! Heck, if I sat down and did one, my list of nitpicks for Fellowship would probably be as long or longer... and I loved it immensely.

Eowyn is easily the hottest chick in the two movies so far, on the grounds that she seems more "real" to me than either of the elves.

Can't comment yet on the latter part of your statement, but I'll agree with the former part just from what I've seen in trailers and stills. And I have a soft spot for Cate Blanchett in just about anything.

Liv Tyler/Arwen does have really quite marvelous lips.

Well, from those genes, she would, wouldn't she? :-)

[semperfiona]

If I had had a notepad in the movie theater, I could probably come up with more. These are just what stuck in my mind since last night.

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Well, I'll just have to see it, and you'll just have to see it again. Hmmmm... ;-)

All in the extended special edidtion DVD?

[batesmotel34.livejournal.com]

They had to save the extended Rohirrim dialog and the full Entmoot sequencing for the extended version DVD of the Two Towers to be released next December... Maybe more of Theoden and Grima Wormtongue as well before Theoden's transformation. It's been 20 years or more since I reread the wh ole trilogy so I definitely need to go back to the books to see where else my memory of the text differs from the text (and from the movie).

I did heare a comment some place from JAckson that the Two Towers is where he departed most from the books, for whatever that's worth.

[semperfiona]

This thought had occurred to me, but I dismissed it on grounds that computerchix would want to see it too, and *someone*'s got to watch the Precious.

Re:

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there is that. Some other opportunity may need to present itself.

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

If I'm still feeling like death warmed over, I'll watch her while you two go.

[semperfiona]

You're a sweetheart. Well, how about we just plan to play such things by ear.

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

I was figuring most of the weekend was going to be by ear :)

[circumspectly.livejournal.com]

*sigh* i typed this all out once, and it got wiped...so gonna do it again.

I've always loved Rohan and the Rohirrim, and this movie did very well by them. But they didn't quite make it clear enough just how much the Rohirrim love their horses.
i agree. wholeheartedly. someone who hasn't read the books would just think that they were a bunch o' guys on horses in the middle of nowhere who took sport killin' orcs.


More lovely scruffy longhaired men. ::drool::
oh, i sooooooooooo agree.


We could have done with a few more of the original lines of dialog from the first encounter in Rohan. It seemed like a rather abrupt change from aiming spears to handing over horses.
we talked about this on the way home from the movie. it seemed very abrupt to me as well. chris didn't think so as much as i did, but didn't disagree wholeheartedly, either.


The transformation of Theoden was delightful to see.
it was, wasn't it?!? i thought that the movie painted him as a little more indecisive (after the transformation) than the book did.

While I didn't imagine Ents looking like that--I had imagined them less leggy--it's an interesting take, and supportable from the text.
i said on the way home, "i thought they would be *fatter* or something. so, i had imagined them being less leggy as well..they were cool though. not enough *hrooooooom*ing by far. :)

Merry didn't decide the course of the Entmoot, they did. They already knew about Saruman's perfidy (and by the way, what a wonderful word).
right. i wonder if they did that just to *include* merry and pippin a bit more in this movie? they did seem to kinda get lost in the shuffle.

Eowyn is easily the hottest chick in the two movies so far, on the grounds that she seems more "real" to me than either of the elves. On the other hand, Liv Tyler/Arwen does have really quite marvelous lips.
i agree about eowyn wholeheartedly. i don't think arwen is attractive at all, but i think that's probably not the popular opinion...

i didn't have much of a problem with the look of the southrons...it pretty much matched the book (as you said)...chris says it was a weak point in the writing. the closeups of the nazgul's steed's faces was a little depreciatory...god, i probably spelled that wrong.

anyway...i'm not nuts about waiting another year, either.

oh...OH...did you notice that when gandalf was walking in to see theoden, that his staff kept changing perspectives? when you were looking at him from behind, he was carrying it upright, but when you viewed him from the front, it was under his cloak? also, did you notice that you could see the stirrups at one point when gandalf was riding shadowfax? heh...just small things, but two things that caught my eye... :) i love ian mckellan, and i want him for christmas.

oh, and we were in the 3rd row...oy.

[futabachan.livejournal.com]

I don't understand why people keep picking on the winged Nazgul steeds. I rather like them. Of course, I don't understand why people keep picking on the appearance of the Pontiac Aztek, either....

Rohirrim.... *drool* Absolutely letter-perfect late Roman cataphractarii gear, right down to shield designs lifted directly from the Notitia Dignitarum. JRRT would have loved the extreme Saxonness of it all, even if the handful of Normans looked a bit out of place. And I want that 15th century white harness that the Gondor soldiers had at the battle for Osgiliath....

Anyway, enough gear lust. Theoden is one of my favorite characters, and they did really, really well by him. Eomer and Eowyn were wonderful, too, and both quite drool-worthy. :-)

[queensheba.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry for this probably way-too-basic question, but the Southrons were the people who showed up towards the end of the Battle of Helm's Deep, led by the blond elf guy, wearing sort of Eastern-looking blue robe outfits, right? What exactly are they - they're elves, right? Are they just a different sort of elves, like Legolas is a Mirkwood elf as opposed to a Rivendell elf?

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

There's a euphamism in there somewhere, and I'm just not seeing it.

Now see what you've done? :):):)

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

If it's by ear, wouldn't you have to listen for it, rather than see it?

*Ducks*

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

Isn't it _fun_ down here in the gutter? ;)

[lcohen]

i've not seen two towers yet (i will over my vacation in a couple of weeks) so i'm basing this on the first movie, but you said:

i don't think arwen is attractive at all, but i think that's probably not the popular opinion...

and actually, she was okay but she didn't do that much for me, either. i'll look forward to seeing eowyn.

lisa, not afraid of spoilers since she'll forget 'em all by the time she sees the movie!

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

*Geese*

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

*waving down to Toni from the gutter*

;-)

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

*rubbing hands together and cackling*

You'll be joining us down here soon.... C'mon, it's _fun_ down here....

[semperfiona]

No, those were Lorien elves, and the leader was Haldir (who is the same one that greeted the fellowship at Lorien in FotR). The Southrons are the human soldiers that were marching to join Sauron's forces in Mordor.

[queensheba.livejournal.com]

Thanks for clearing that up! I knew they were elves from Lothlorien, but I thought perhaps they were called Southron as well. I thought the Lorien elves' costumes were particularly cool and somewhat eastern-looking, so that might explain my confusion. And I *thought* Haldir looked familiar!