After watching that Harry Potter film, I was reluctant to see the LOTR film. The former film was disjointed, the characters were lost in the scenary, and I left the theatre feeling that I wasted money seeing this film. From the reviews I am reading of the LOTR, this film is a fantastic adaptation that works seamlessly, the characters are essential to the film, and the reviewers are leaving the theatre shell-shocked. I am truly excited. Will this be the fantasy film of the year?
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
Well, uh, it's got a 50/50 chance, no?
Posted by TLE (Member # 280) on :
I'd say slightly higher than 50/50 chance. The LOTR fanbase has been around building for over 50 years so they have a head start.
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
Maybe a few $$$ ...
I really enjoyed Harry Potter. Ok, it was a bit long, but I thought it was very enjoyable. Especially Allan Rickman, but he's just the best British actor this side of ... well, Britain.
My biggest gripe with the film was the game sequence ... I thought the CGI of some of the players falling off their brooms and doing other broom related hijinks looked very obvious.
Still, 'Harry Potter' (and hopefully 'LOTR') will change the trend of films to completely butcher the book on which they're based.
C'mon ... someone make "The Book of Three"!
Posted by Proteus (Member # 212) on :
the fanbase only says its gonna make lots of money...
it could be the next episode 1, you know.
Posted by The Antagonist (Member # 484) on :
To enjoy a movie, you must set aside all preconceptions, unless you go see a movie thinking "this will be great no matter how shitty it turns out to be."
I have not read anymore than sixteen pages of "Fellowship," and I intend not to read any more. Why? Not because I hate Tolkien. On the contrary, the man had magnificent vision. I just want to watch a movie without desperately wanting it to live up to the book. God knows I'll enjoy it better that way.
Posted by NightWing (Member # 4) on :
Has anyone seen the promo?
It looks FAR better than Harry Potter...
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
My 50/50 comment was geared towards the fact that being the best fantasy movie in a year when there are only two fantasy movies does not seem, in itself, to be an incredibly difficult task.
Of course, I suppose that depends on how you define fantasy. Amelie is supposed to be pretty good.
Posted by The Red Admiral (Member # 602) on :
I've been eagerly following the LOTR movie progress for a couple of years now, and am truly excited now. But I really do think that all that are interested in seeing the film must read the book first, there is just so much more to it than even a trilogy of 3 hour movies could represent of portray.
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
I've never read The Lord of the Rings. I know, my public school education was sorely lacking on fine literature. I know that I'm going to see "The Fellowship of the Ring." I have quite a few friends that love Tolkien, and I'm going to see it with them sometime in earlier January. If I hurry, maybe I can get The Hobbit and Fellowship of the Ring read before I see the movie (and I add The Hobbit there because it's been recommended that the events in The Hobbit set up The Trilogy but that it isn't really necessary to read it beforehand).
On a slight tangent, what I do know about The Lord of the Rings comes from high school band. My junior year, the symphonic band played selections from Johan de Meij's Symphony #1: The Lord of the Rings. We performed Movement 1: Gandalf the Wizard as part of our competition repitoire. For our year-end concert, we played that and Movement 5: The Hobbits (we also tried learning Movement 2: Lothlorien the Elvenwood since all three share musical themes, but we ran out of time). The other two movements are 3: Gollum (Smeagol) and 4: Journey into Darkness (Section A: The Mines of Moria and Section B: The Bridge of Kha-whatever-it-was).
It was quite a fun piece, and I encourage all of you to find it and listen to it. Posted by The Red Admiral (Member # 602) on :
The Bridge of Khazad-d�m, a truly terrifying moment in the book. I've seen some of the trailers from the Moria sequence, and it looks suitably stunning.
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
The Bridge of Khazad-d�m! That's it! Sorry, but I keep getting that bridge's name mixed up with the Shadow planet Za-whatever-the-heck-it-is-but-sounds-a-lot-like-and-rhymes-with-Khazad-d�m from Babylon 5.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Z'Ha'Dum.
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
Thank you. Posted by Dr Phlox (Member # 680) on :
As a fan of the Harry Potter series I truly enjoyed the movie. I really enjoyed Robbie Coltrane's performance as Hagrid ( the tall guy). I believe the two and a half hours was worth it. On the subject of LOTR, I've tried to read the first book several times but can't get intrested in the story. The whole business about the birthday party was boring. I think I'll enjoy the film more.
Posted by Kosh (Member # 167) on :
quote: On the subject of LOTR, I've tried to read the first book several times but can't get intrested in the story. The whole business about the birthday party was boring.
If you read "The Hobbit" first, the events of the birthday party make far more sense. If you like fantasy books at all, LotRs is the top of the line.
Posted by Dr Phlox (Member # 680) on :
Wish I would of new that before I returned the book to Barnes and Noble.
[ December 12, 2001: Message edited by: Dr Phlox ]
Posted by Jernau Morat Gurgeh (Member # 318) on :
[edit: Minor minor spoiler for those trying to read LOTR before the film] $ $ $ $ $ $ $ I recognise LOTR as being the definitive fantasy story, revolutionising, and practically creating the genre, but I didn't really like the series when I read it a few years ago. I can't really put my finger on it, the writing is excellent, but I think the story just wasn't all that exciting, and I was a little put off by the, dare I say, childish parts like Tom Bombadillo and the Ents.
I'm trying to read the Fellowship OTR now, in anticipation of the movie (which I'm looking forward to, but only moderately), but I'm having difficulty maintaining my interest. I don't think I'll have it finished in time, but I kind of remember it anyway.
BTW Is Harry Potter worth going to if you've never read any of the books and don't know anything about the story?
hate to revive an old thread, but if you find the books boring and childish at all, then you will LOVE the action job butchery that is the movie. my favorite parts, , of the movie: arwen saving frodo at rivendell and the 500 line battle of moria that is ballooned into a huge production. also, the complete destruction of everything that made the books good. for instance, the characters, settings, (where the fuck is anything or anyone from the first half of the book?!?) and the stories, all butchered in the name of making money. the cheap cartoon made in the 70's is better than this slop. christopher tolkien was right to disown his son over this movie. i'm surprised that tolkien fans like this movie so much when enterprise (which keeps to roddenberry's orginal ideas much more than the LOTR sticks to the book) has been bashed so much by star trek fans. there is a reason why roeper gave this film a thumb down.
--jacob
[ January 07, 2002: Message edited by: EdipisReks ]
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
, of the movie: arwen saving frodo at rivendell and the 500 line battle of moria that is ballooned into a huge production. also, the complete destruction of everything that made the books good. for instance, the characters, settings, (where the fuck is anything or anyone from the first half of the book?!?) and the stories, all butchered in the name of making money. the cheap cartoon made in the 70's is better than this slop. christopher tolkien was right to disown his son over this movie. i'm surprised that tolkien fans like this movie so much when enterprise (which keeps to roddenberry's orginal ideas much more than the LOTR sticks to the book) has been bashed so much by star trek fans. there is a reason why roeper gave this film a thumb down.