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...yes, the opinion of the masses after LOTR was deemed the greatest work of fiction for the 20th century. Only those that haven't read it would question that.
-------------------- "To the Enterprise and the Stargazer. Old girlfriends we'll never meet again." - Scotty
posted
I've read it, and I would question that. I'll admit it was a great literary work in that Tolkien created a vast and consistent world, but I don't think it is clearly the greatest literary work ever. Arguably the greatest, certainly.
AndrewR: There are exceptions to that rule, especially in names etc which can come from other languages. Some exceptions: weird, protein.
-------------------- "Out of doubt, out of dark to the day's rising I came singing in the sun, sword unsheathing. To hope's end I rode and to heart's breaking: Now for wrath, now for ruin and a red nightfall!"
The Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
Registered: Mar 2000
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Well I saw it last night, a fantastic movie. Some parts are left out and the story changed slightly but great none the less. They took great pains to the detail. Costumes, armour, characters, all wonderful.
-------------------- "and none of your usual boobery." M. Burns
Registered: Oct 2001
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It looks nice. It's fun. I'd see it again, if someone bought my ticket. Might even buy it on DVD.
But.
It's long. It's very, very, very long. So long that I suspect it isn't going to wind up doing very well. When I'm ready to get up and leave after Moria, and there's still an hour left, and I'm really enjoying the film...well, we'll see.
Registered: Mar 1999
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I must be alone in that I love long films. The more to the story, the better. I've never had trouble sitting through a three hour film that I liked.
quote: It's long. It's very, very, very long. So long that I suspect it isn't going to wind up doing very well. When I'm ready to get up and leave after Moria, and there's still an hour left, and I'm really enjoying the film...well, we'll see.
That's about the last thing I would have expected from Simon. 45 million for this weekend. Second place was 14 million, but I don't recall which film.
quote: A good movie. If you have read the books as many times as I have, you notice an awful lot of things that aren't there, but I think these folks made as good a film as can be made form LOTR.
The more I think about what I saw, and talk to others, the more I like the movie. I need to go see it again, and probably will, after my sister arrives on Christmas day. She is also a big fan of the books, and it will be nice to have her perspective.
[ December 23, 2001: Message edited by: Kosh ]
-------------------- Sparky:: Think! Question Authority, Authoritatively. “Believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see.” EMSparks
Shalamar: To save face, keep lower half shut.
Registered: Jun 1999
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Don't get me wrong. I liked it a lot. But there was just this sense that, after certain events, the movie could be over. The movie, if you will, exuded a certain sense of overness. And then it kept going. And then it seemed to be over. And then it kept going. This happened three times, by my reckoning. I suppose you could say the editing was off, that the film was allowed to lag too much after certain sequences. But that sounds too much like a criticism, and while I don't think the film was perfect, it was one of the better films I've seen this year (perhaps the best, I can't quite recall).
Actually, I do have one criticism. Though Jackson handled his computer-assisted shrinking of hobbits and dwarves rather well, when a scene called for a human or elf to speak directly to someone thus shrunk, and both were on screen, the effect was obvious.
Registered: Mar 1999
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My mom hated it. She thought it was too violent. I dunno. It was pretty violent, but I don't think the violence was over-glorified. It was really brutal and vicious and certainly didn't look like fun. The rest of the fam seemed to enjoy it...
-------------------- "Nah. The 9th chevron is for changing the ringtone from "grindy-grindy chonk-chonk" to the theme tune to dallas." -Reverend42
Registered: Sep 2000
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Of course it wasn't fun, swordbattles are terrible. But they were very artistically created, all the characters were allowed to do their thing, Legolas with his bow, Gimli with the axe and Aragorn with brutal efficiency.
I was glad when a reporter from a swedish movie-program interviewed Viggo Mortensen and he answered in danish! I never knew he still had ties with his homecountry, thought it was just the name.
I loved the attention to detail, down to the golden leaf-buckles on their cloaks, and was sad for certain reasons.
(mini-pseudo-spoiler) $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
The dialogue between Galadriel and Gimli that took place in the book at the parting of Lothlorien, when she was surprised at the audacity of Gimli's request, yet amused by it. She was much more sweet and gentle in the book, laughing in a maternal way when Frodo offered her the ring.
Another thing, I think they made bilbo a bit too terrible when being refused to touch the ring in Rivendell, he kind of scared the audience so much they never trusted him after that moment, always waitng for him to make another move. Had he done THAT in the book I think Frodo'd had much more difficult to save their relationship.
But, of course, he proved a nice connection between the ring and Gollum's illness and state of mind.
------
Loved the Balrog, I was specifically keen on how they would portray it and was very satisfied. They could made Gandalf a little more mighty, like he became when Bilbo wouldn't give up the ring in Bagshot Row, what with his growing stature and deepening voice.
I am very grateful that they incorporated Arwen. First I thought they would add her to the nine companions and fuck up the whole story, but this turned out very well.
(spoiler ends)
I hope they'll release the second movie in the summer so we don't have to wait a whole year between every episode...
[ December 30, 2001: Message edited by: G.K Nimrod ]
-------------------- "I'm nigh-invulnerable when I'm blasting!" Mel Gibson, X-Men
Registered: Aug 1999
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And furthermore I absolutely believe that "LOTR" deserves the number one spot before "1984". Sure, "1984" was a very thought-through criticism against Stalin and the Soviet Union and all that, but I believe it was too heavy and sorrowful to attract as wide an audience as "LOTR" did.
Registered: Aug 1999
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I don't believe any novel mentioned thus far deserves a "number one spot," largely because I don't believe in such a classification.
Registered: Mar 1999
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I can't believe I just added a Vacuume Cleaner site to my favorites.
Had to take out old one apart, found the bearings in the brush were about gone, and sprayed them with Liquid Wrench, then reversed the poor rubber belt, which was worn badly. It worked for two more times around the house, but I'm going to need parts.
-------------------- Sparky:: Think! Question Authority, Authoritatively. “Believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see.” EMSparks
Shalamar: To save face, keep lower half shut.
Registered: Jun 1999
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-------------------- "Nah. The 9th chevron is for changing the ringtone from "grindy-grindy chonk-chonk" to the theme tune to dallas." -Reverend42
Registered: Sep 2000
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The film is very good and can stand apart from the novel.
Sol System,
The official box office report, after 13 days out, is that the film has grossed $184.50 million. This is not surprising for many who liked the film on the first showing are going back for repeat viewings.
Registered: Sep 1999
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