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I saw Peter Jackson’s Helms Deep twice on Wednesday. Though I liked the film better the second time, I was still disappointed. Much of that disappointment is a result of baggage that I bring as an audience-member and not a result of Jackson’s filmmaking; nearly every other review I’ve read or heard has been glowing.
I was going to write a proper paragraph-based review with nice transitions, etc. etc. etc. but I’m not up to the effort. Instead I’m going to provide a review which uses lots of bullet points. Warning: spoilers ahead!
Please keep in mind that I do not hate Peter Jackson’s Helms Deep; I’m just disappointed by it. I was also disappointed by The Fellowship of the Ring last year, though I’ve warmed to it after multiple viewings. Most of my review focuses on the negative aspects of Helms Deep, but that’s only because all of the other reviews are glowing and you can read them to find out about all that is good about the film.
Here are some disappointing features shared by The Fellowship of the Ring and Peter Jackson’s Helms Deep:
- Intrusive music
- Howard Shore‘s score isn’t bad, but it’s omnipresent, and sometimes overwhelms the action on the screen. Maybe this is a problem with me as an audience member. Perhaps others like it. I don’t.
- Moving camera
- I was sick last year when I saw The Fellowship of the Ring. The always-moving camera made me feel even more nauseated. Peter Jackson (and his unit directors) don’t seem to have enough confidence in their framing to allow a simple static shot. The camera pans and sweeps and soars and zooms and never stays in one place for long. It’s dizzying.
- Elves
- Yes, elves are wispy and mystic. But these films play them in such a languorous fashion that they nearly put me to sleep whenever they appear. The elves speak s-l-o-w-l-y. They move s-l-o-w-l-y. It gives the intended other-worldly effect, but it also slows the pacing. Rivendell and Lothlorien are the two slow points in Fellowship. The Arwen/Elronod/Galadriel section slows Helms Deep. I’m not suggesting that these scenes should not be in the films, just that they should have been done differently.
- Glossing
- Because The Lord of the Rings is a huge story, it’s impossible for Peter Jackson to put everything on the screen. It’s inevitable that some things have to be cut. Tom Bombadil? Yes, I love him, too, but he’s not essential to the story. However, I don’t understand why essential bits were cut (or glossed over): Galadriel’s gifts in Fellowship (which, fortunately, are restored in the extended DVD), Merry and Pippin’s experiences with the orcs, the Ents, etc. Merry and Pippin are give rather short shrift in Helms Deep, which is unfortunate.
- Battles
- My least favorite parts of these films are the battle sequences. The book has battle sequences, and they are integral to the story. I am not opposed to battle sequences, even long ones, if they are done well. The battle scenes in these films are not done well. They’re long and nonsensical. Jackson spends a lot of time establishing that the orcs, especially the Uruk-Hai, are threatening, yet when they enter combat, they’re surprisingly ineffective. They’re like Star Wars stormtroopers with swords instead of blasters. In Ewoks Attack, pint-sized teddy bears are able to take out trained battle troops with rocks. In both Fellowship of the Ring and Helms Deep, Merry and Pippin take about trained battle troops with rocks. We’re supposed to find these villains threatening?
Here are my specific comments regarding Peter Jackson’s Helms Deep:
Negatives
- Despite the movie’s three hour length, things felt rushed. Important plot points are glossed over in favor of the epic final battle scene.
- Some plot points, especially those related to the battle sequences, are ludicrous. From the sheer stupid:
- Where do Merry and Pippin get the stones that they throw while perched upon Treebeard’s shoulders?
- Why are they throwing stones again? They did it at the end of Fellowship; it was stupid then, it’s stupid now: these hobbits are hefting and throwing stones so large, and throwing them with such accuracy, that they kill orcs? Give me a break.
to just silly on an abstract level:
- If Saruman is such a mastermind, if he’s going to the trouble to mass ten thousands of orcs, then:
- Why doesn’t he give them a little training so that they don’t fall like matchstick men at the first hint of combat. These Uruk-Hai are supposed to be tough and scary, yet they’re so delicate that two hobbits can hold off dozens of them. That’s not very scary. They’re no better than rats.
- Why doesn’t he provide them with combined arms? The only weapons the Uruk-Hai seem to have are spears and those funny pseudo-carpenters squares. That’s fine for close combat, but it kind of sucks when your opponents have longbows, you know? At Helms Deep, there are two Uruk-Hai with crossbows, but they’re seen only briefly for dramatic effect. They certainly aren’t around when they’d actually be useful (as when Gimli and Aragorn are scaling the wall of the keep).
- Wormtongue moans, “Where will we find an army large enough to storm Helms Deep” and Saruman takes him to the window to see tens of thousands of Uruk-Hai massed outside Isengard. Give me a break. What? Wormtongue doesn’t know anything of Saruman’s master plan? And somehow thousands of orcs managed to gather outside in hushed whispers and tiptoes? This is an example of the filmmakers choosing the nonsensical simply for dramatic effect.
- Another example of the nonsensical in the service of the dramatic: as the Uruk-Hai march to Helms Deep they make an impressive thump-thump-thump marching-in-unison kind of sound. That’s great, except they are obviously not marching in unison. What we should hear is a chaotic shuffling of feet, but that just wouldn’t be as fun now, would it?
- Gollum has no dangly bits where his dangly bits should be.
- Theoden should speak in iambic pentameter.
- People have complained that Gimli is relegated to comic relief. He certainly serves that purpose in Peter Jackson’s Helms Deep, but I don’t mind. I’m more miffed that Legolas doesn’t play a larger role. Legolas rocks. Also, Merry and Pippin’s story has been truncated. (Though I suspect we’ll see more of them in an extended DVD.)
- Our heroes are girding themselves for battle. Gimli is in the middle of trying on a chainmail dress when elven archers march through the gates. Everyone rushes to greet them. When Gimli lumbers down the stairs, he is now clothed for combat. What? What happened to the chainmail dress he was just wearing?
- Gandalf and the Rohirrim charge down an impossibly steep slope. Any horse galloping down this embankment would, in reality, lose its footing on the first stride and tumble headlong into the waiting army of orcs. The scene looks silly.
- Theoden and Aragorn’s final charge knocks over orcs on the bridge as if they were bowling pins. These orcs look completely computer animated in the way they march exactly alike, the way none of them stand aside to let the riders pass, the way they’re simply there to be pushed off the bridge. It’s silly.
- Did I mention I don’t like it when Merry and Pippin throw stones?
- I don’t mind Peter Jackson making changes to the story to improve how it plays on the screen, but some of the changes seem to serve no purpose. Why have Faramir take Frodo to Gondor? What purpose does it serve? None that I can see. Worse is Aragorn’s faux death? Is this simply so he can enter a fugue state in which he dreams of Arwen? This side-plot seems contrived and unnecessary. (Indeed, it literally is contrived and unnecessary.)
- Not to beat a dead horse but: the battle films are overlong and poorly staged. (And this is the primary reason that the other bits need to be glossed over). Yes, I know I’m a minority voice here. Most people love the battle scenes, especially Helms Deep. I’m not one of them. The final battle in Fellowship (the movie) is drawn from two pages in the book, yet lasts twenty minutes on screen. The film version features Merry and Pippin finding stones on the floor of a forest (problem one) that they heave (problem two), toppling orcs (problem three, especially since the orcs are, seemingly, killed by the throws). This is typical of all the battle scenes in both films so far. On Weathertop, Aragorn throws a torch at one of the Nazgul and it goes up in flames. What? did he bathe in kerosene? The battle of Helms Deep is rife with these kind of errors. I can’t help thinking that if Saruman had thought to construct more than two ranged weapons. Really, the battles are my biggest beef with the films. The other gripes I can forgive. It’s not even a problem with the script. I don’t mind battle scenes, and they could still follow the same script but just have the action on screen be more consistent, less preposterous, better edited.
Positives:
- It was clever to merge Gandalf’s voice with Saruman’s when Gandalf the White first appears. I like that.
- The acting is uniformly excellent, especially that from the supporting players. Grima, Theoden and Eowyn are fantastic, almost Shakespearean. This is the element of the books and the films that I love: the literate epic drama, not the fantastic battle scenes. Pare down the battle scenes and give me more intrigue with Theoden and Grima and Saruman! Give me more acting, less fighting. This would make a better film. (For me.)
- Generally, I’m not a fan of horses; they’re big clumsy beasts that step on young boys and scar them for life (literally and figuratively). However, I think horsemanship is a skill that transfers well to film and I want more. The little that is on screen is great, but give me more more more!
- Wormtongue rocks. Well done!
- Arwen has fantastic lips. Very kissable. They’re the best part of the film, really.
- Gollum has no dangly bits where his dangly bits should be.
- Jeremy says: “Those rocks actually fall like rocks instead of Styrofoam blocks.” (This is true of the bigger pieces, but the smaller “stones” in close-ups still fall like Styrofoam blocks.)
- Treebeard: “That doesn’t make any sense to me. But, then, you are very small.”
- Gollum’s internal conflict plays well on the screen. It’s written and performed well.
- The song that plays over the end credits is by one of my favorite obscure artists, Emiliana Torrini. It’s great!
I like nearly every portion of Peter Jackson’s Helms Deep in isolation. If you were to show me any one scene, I’d like it. However, when the scenes are strung together into a film, something seems to be missing. The whole is less than the sum of its parts.
Remember: I do not hate this film. It’s above average in fact, meriting a 6.0 on J.D.’s Patented Move Rating Scale. I had hoped for more.
One of my favorite bits from Tolkien:
Frodo
If you ask it of me, I will give you the One Ring.Galadriel
You offer it to me freely? I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired this.In place of a Dark Lord you would have a queen! Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the dawn! Treacherous as the sea! Stronger than the foundations of the earth! All shall love me and despair!
I pass the test. I will diminish and go into the west and remain Galadriel.
On 20 December 2002 (10:47 AM),
Dana said:
On 20 December 2002 (03:25 PM),
Dave said:
I have to take issue with some of what you bring up. Specifically:
* Where do Merry and Pippin get the stones that they throw while perched upon Treebeard’s shoulders?
-I believe that we clearly see Treebeard handing them rocks.
* these hobbits are hefting and throwing stones so large, and throwing them with such accuracy, that they kill orcs? Give me a break.
– My recollection is that the hobbits threw the rocks, knocked the orcs on the head and then Treebeard stepped on them, but I admit that this was a fairly small part. I did think that the rocks were fairly good sized for hobbit-sized folk, however. And by the way, have you ever been whacked in the head by a flying rock? Ask the Israeli’s why they wear helmets when dealing with rock throwing Palestinians. In addition, aren’t hobbits supposed to be really good with rock throwing?
* Why doesn’t he give them a little training so that they don’t fall like matchstick men at the first hint of combat. These Uruk-Hai are supposed to be tough and scary, yet they’re so delicate that two hobbits can hold off dozens of them. That’s not very scary. They’re no better than rats.
– Talk to Tolkien about this. In the book the hobbits do exactly as they did in the movie except that I don’t recall the chase into Fangorn Forest. Of course, in the movie the hobbits only survive because Treebeard squashes the orc first rather than the hobbits.
*The only weapons the Uruk-Hai seem to have are spears and those funny pseudo-carpenters squares. That’s fine for close combat, but it kind of sucks when your opponents have longbows, you know?
– Of course, it could be that none of our fair heros happen to be standing in places where orcs with crossbows are at and we therefore don’t see them. In other words, simply because we don’t see them doesn’t mean that they’re not there.
*What? Wormtongue doesn’t know anything of Saruman’s master plan? And somehow thousands of orcs managed to gather outside in hushed whispers and tiptoes?
-Why would he know of how many orcs Saruman has? He’s a soothsaying spy that just got tossed out on his ear, presumably rode hard to get to Isengard and probably has no idea how much strength Saruman has amassed.
* Gollum has no dangly bits where his dangly bits should be.
– His loincloth went underneath the whole way. I checked it out because the dangly bits thing bothered me, too. Hmmm, should I really be admitting that I was checking out Gollum?
* Gandalf and the Rohirrim charge down an impossibly steep slope. Any horse galloping down this embankment would, in reality, lose its footing on the first stride and tumble headlong into the waiting army of orcs. The scene looks silly.
-Oh yeah, you’re right on there. Of course, cavalry charging pikes usually doesn’t work out well for the first line of horses, either…
*Why have Faramir take Frodo to Gondor? What purpose does it serve? None that I can see.
– In The Return of the King, Faramir goes back to Minas Tirith and then goes out to fight the battle at Osgiliath. I think that Jackson compressed this into 2T’s in order to allow for more room in TROTK but still set the strategic stage for Minas Tirith being in jeopardy, allow for the siege of Minas Tirith, allow the hobbits to hook up with the Rohirrim, etc.
* Worse is Aragorn’s faux death? Is this simply so he can enter a fugue state in which he dreams of Arwen? This side-plot seems contrived and unnecessary. (Indeed, it literally is contrived and unnecessary.)
-Right again.
* Theoden and Aragorn’s final charge knocks over orcs on the bridge as if they were bowling pins. These orcs look completely computer animated in the way they march exactly alike, the way none of them stand aside to let the riders pass, the way they’re simply there to be pushed off the bridge. It’s silly.
-Right again. If it was that easy, why didn’t they do this at the outset?
I also agree with Dana’s assessment of the Scouring of the Shire. When I read the trilogy again this summer, I found that the Scouring was the portion that I liked the best, perhaps because of the obvious political undertones that it had. I remember thinking while sitting in the movie, “Damn, they’re going to skip the Scouring of the Shire, aren’t they?”
On 23 December 2002 (04:53 PM),
Tracie said:
Re: Faramir. I noticed but didn’t mind most of what was mentioned above. I agree with it, but it didn’t bother me too much (just a bit). But where I really was bothered wasn’t so much in Faramir taking the hobbits to Osgiliath, as Faramir initially “failing” the test of the ring–which he passed with flying colors in the book. Jackson gives the impression that Faramir is nearly JUST LIKE Boromir–he has to be bonked on the head by seeing the peril of the ring before he can understand it. BIG disservice to the character Tolkein created. When he says in the film that this is a test of his quality, he then decides to bring the ring to Gondor! FAILED! In the book, he gives Frodo and his companions safe passage through the land! As far as needing to get them to Gondor to meet up with the Rohirrim…Am I missing something? Why do they need to meet the Rohirrim? Frodo and Sam HAVE to move on to Mordor after this, and Merry and Pippin will meet Theoden in Isengard–as written by Tolkein, I would assume? Meanwhile, if Faramir does his thing at Osgiliath, then we won’t ever see the strain between him and his father–because that is what PROMPTS his riding out to Osgiliath–from which he comes back unconscious and seemingly dying. So, the character set-up and drama between Gandalf, Faramir, and Denethor won’t occur. PLUS, why would Denethor favor Boromir over Faramir now anyway? Since Jackson’s Faramir is just a Boromir clone…? I like your site! Thanks!
On 27 December 2002 (11:05 AM),
ME said:
I’ll tell you what bothers me about this review: the movie is called THE TWO TOWERS and not PETER JACKSON’S HELMS DEEP!!! You sound like a mouron everytime you say it, DJEEZES!!!
On 30 December 2002 (08:47 PM),
Rory said:
Does it really matter what he calls it?
I agree with about 80% of your points. Details such as the omnipresent music don’t bother me much, but I think it depends on the viewer. I will admit that I too was swayed by the Helms Deep battle scene, but even the badass-ness of it all doesn’t cover up the sheer unrealistic qualities. I understand that this is a fantasy, but you can’t take it to the point of imminent disbelief.
On 30 December 2002 (10:47 PM),
Gordon said:
Ok. I have seen the movie twice. I don’t mind the changes that Peter Jackson made to it. Except for Helms Deep. There were no elves at Helms Deep. They are too busy getting ready for Dol Guldur which is clearly stated in the book.
So Peter Jackson can’t afford the special effects of having the Huron’s do away with the Orcs (which is why Gandalf really went away from Rohan). He wants to have shiny silver men gallop to the rescue. I can live with that. I just don’t think the elves would even show up at Helms Deep even if they could. All they are doing is covering their asses as they head West. Why do directors insist on putting their mark on movies? He was doing such a good job of more or less accurately portraying the story.
On 30 January 2003 (11:49 AM),
Turbonut2003 said:
I don`t understand why Saruman,with tens of thousands of orcs at his disposal doesn`t keep any in reserve as home guard for Isengard.The film only shows about 50 at most.
Also,the second film is called “The two towers”,this is presumably a reference to Saruman`s dark tower and the white tower of helm`s deep?
But they don`t actually feature very strongly.
I can`t recall seeing either tower in it`s entirity……….
……….Perhaps it`s just me,I don`t know.
On 04 February 2003 (09:24 PM),
Bob said:
In reference to the actual “two towers”, Tolkein never stated what two towers the book was named after. In the movie the two towers that were mentioned were Orthanc and Barad-dur (Saruman states this while looking in the palantir or standing on the top of orthanc, i dont quite remember). Tolkein actually considered many of the towers in middle earth: Orthanc, Barad-dur, Minas Morgal, Cirith Ungol, etc…He never choose two specific towers…
Moving cameras? If you feel sick, you should have stayed at home. I feel haveing these constant moving camera shots, you get the feeling that the cameras are actually there and are not restricted; its like you are there and obversing the action as it happens. I feel it makes things more beleivable, as if you were just there, floating above the action.
The elves are great. I feel they are the best part of the movies and the books. The way Jackson and the writers decided to portray the elves is done is such a way to make them more knoble. They seem to demand more respect. They are so graceful and elegant. If they would have moved faster or talked faster, they would have lost this element. The elves would seem just like men, but with pointy ears and straight beautiful hair.
As for “Glossing”…Jackson was told by the producers (or someone along those lines) to make the movie under three hours. He had to cut the scenes that were not crutial to the plot. He did make an agreement with them though. He said he would take the scenes out as long as the extended version was out befor “The Two Towers” was released in theaters.
The quiest Orc army? Of course they didn’t have to tip toe to gather in front of Orthanc. Grima and Saruman do not actually hear the orcs until they reach the window in the tower. I guess the tower is sound proof….
Marching in unison? Of course you cant make that many orcs march in step. But what would have been better to hear, the orcs marching with a very “chaotic shuffling of feet” or the menacing thump-thump-thump? Think about it.
At Helms Deep, The Uruk Hai did have more than “spears and those funny pseudo-carpenters squares”. If you notice, when the orcs first charge the walls, many elves are hit and fall from the walls. There are more than just two crossbows at helms deep. You not only see then there, you also see them when the orcs break down the door. After they brake a portion of the door down, they began to shoot at those trying to baracade the door.
I know everyone is entitled to their opinions, as I am, but alot of the other comments made by jdroth are ludacris. Get over the rocks. Hey, they’re hobbits. They’re simple. Stick to simple things. Alot of the timing issues can be looked over. They dont ruin the story line. They are not even that noticable.
Over all I loved the movies. Both “The Fellowship of the Ring” and “The Two Towers”. The only things I feel they should not have added was the Ents (not gathering the hourns) and taking Frodo and Sam to Osgiliath. By taking them, Jackson took them far out of their way and he also totally changed Faramir’s character. He was more cruel in the movie and I dont think it was something Jackson had to change from the book.
On 05 February 2003 (01:43 AM),
M@TT said:
Has this guy ever read the book the two towers I mean he sounds like he’s winching about how poorly the scenes were staged. I mean what else do u expect ok they F*cked up with the characters and the film but that doesn’t mean this A*sshole can wine about it. So if anyone think the film sucked then read the book u clowns it’ll make sense i’ve read the a couple times and i saw the film 3 times and it’s better than the last one.
NOTE: read the return of kings if u think two towers sucks
On 08 February 2003 (05:47 PM),
Bob said:
DAMN RIGHT!
On 08 February 2003 (10:41 PM),
J.D. said:
Because the last two commenters seem concerned that I’m unfamiliar with Tolkien: in the past twenty years, I’ve read the trilogy probably ten times. I’m by no means a detail geek (that’d be Dana), but I’m plenty familiar with the work.
I have no problem that Peter Jackson wants to change certain things with the book; I just want the changes to make sense, and to work on screen.
Also: Matt and Bob, I never said I disliked these films. They just didn’t live up to my (admittedly high) expectations, especially Peter Jackson’s Helms Deep. Just because somebody doesn’t worship a film that you think is great doesn’t make the other person wrong…
On 15 February 2003 (12:55 PM),
kingbridge said:
nice little debate lets talk about how jackson made and ruined certain characters king theoden whay is he such a wimp in the books he was a war monger wishing to go to his forefathers and not be embaresed by their deeds .then u have farimer the weak willed. ah dont get me wrong i liked bolth movies but these characters bugged me
On 14 March 2003 (06:14 PM),
heather said:
this is not about the movie but i need peter jackson’s e-mail address, if you happen to have i would love to have it i have to ask him a very important question! thanks
On 18 March 2003 (05:47 AM),
Susie said:
M@tt and Bob, you should be ashamed to post on the internet. I’m surprised you were even capable of reading the book! It’s just a shame you were apparently unable to learn anything about effective punctuation from Mr Tolkien.
And as for “me”, what kind of moron can’t even spell the word?
On 30 July 2003 (04:00 PM),
shooka said:
okay..this like 1 million years later…but first things first..
dude, quit griping about the movie. if you dont like it..dont watch it. :)
second…elves at helms deep..this wasn’t due to the fact that PJ didn’t have any money for the Huorns..in fact the Huorns are in the film.
last…dude, you’re a little too obsessed with Gollums bits…
On 03 August 2003 (11:01 PM),
frodofanatic said:
Ok, I don’t know why you did not like the music so much. It added to the battle perfectly, blending violins and bass instruments in splendid harmony. You must be deaf to think the music overdramatized the battle. You must have not listened to the way the music builds as the fight scened become more gruesome until Gandalf and the Rohirrim charge down the slopes. If you still don’t believe me, listen to the cd, without the battle. You will know what I am saying. You’re sick to be talking about Gollum’s-er-dangly bits. For likng the movie so much, you sure do like to post negative things about it.
On 04 August 2003 (07:12 PM),
dowingba said:
In frodofanaticism land it’s only possible to like 100% of something or hate 100% of something. Criticism is not allowed. One may only say “I do not like it” or “I do like it”; any variation is punishable by death, as well as every single other crime.
But I do agree the music is amazing, in both LOTR films so far.
On 07 August 2003 (06:49 PM),
Eric said:
It is quite clearly stated by Tolkein that the two towers were Orthanc and Minas Morgul. Minas Morgul, also know as Cirith Ungol was not even in Peter Jackson’s film. Further, in an interview, I heard him state that the two towers were Orthanc and Baradur…gah…he didn’t even know which towers were being referenced by the title of the book(s) he was making into a film. He isn’t qualified for this endeavour…Being as he only used one of the two towers in his film adaptation, I tend to refer to the second movie as, “Peter Jackson’s One Tower” It was an okay, if somewhat disjointed movie, with silly dumbed-down more modern dialouge and a lot of flashy effects in the big battle sequence, but I’m afraid the battle itself bored me…I agree very much that it wasn’t well done. Beyond that, there is the fact that because PJ played with the timeline and combined events (specifically–the refugees and Eowyn travelling with the King and his army to Helm’s Deep) that the battle of Helm’s Deep COULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED AT ALL! Theoden and his riders set out, rode hard (a forced march) and got to the keep just barely in time to be attacked. And that was only possible because it was a mounted force not burdened with any wagons or refugees on foot…..hence, Theoden and his forces would not have gotten there in time. Their travel time would have been easily doubled, if not tripled….and the orcs would have caught them in the open and slaughtered them…..in short, PJ’s depiction of the military campaign for Rohan (due to all his meddling with events, ignoring the timeline, and even geography)is intellectually insulting if you know even a little about medieval war and a good amount about Tolkein’s writings on the subject. The things he had happen in his movie are not possible given the structure and setup he used…
On 05 September 2003 (12:02 PM),
Ben Mead said:
Can you give me Peter Jackson’s e-mail address cos i’d really like to speak to him. I think the films are the best films i’ve ever seen.
On 13 September 2003 (03:06 PM),
Imrahil said:
Um, Eric? The tower of Cirith Ungol and the City of Minas Mogul are totally separate! Cirith Ungol is the name of the pass you idiot! Not aother name for Minas Morgul! By the way, the Uruk-hai pretty much kick the defenders @sses until Gandalf arrives. I agree about Faramir’s character being screwed up and about the Eomer and Gandalf charging down the hill. BUT, the causeway Theoden and his men charge down is barely wide enough for two horses, so the Uruks couldn’t get out of the way. Also, when the Rohirrim charge down the hill, the Uruks are blinded by the sun coming down the hill! It’s kind of hard to spear a horse when your blind. Yes, they could still have braced the pikes, but the horses could ride around them. And the sudden rising of the sun behind the hill would have suprised them so much they might have forgotten to brace their spears. As for the actual story, the Huorns and much more scenes w/Faramir will be in the extended edition dvd. Those dvds are for the purists who are whining because Treebeard has the wrong kind of moss beard! Oh, and for the record, the elves have composite bows, not longbows. Big difference.
On 26 September 2003 (05:14 PM),
jess said:
lord of the rings is a big loser movie, okay!!!!!!!!its dum!!!!!!!!!!!
On 26 September 2003 (08:56 PM),
dowingba said:
Remember that Orcs hate sunlight, too. Now, the Uruk Hai don’t hate it as much as normal Orcs, but they hate it nonetheless.
On 29 September 2003 (06:54 PM),
LegolasFan said:
When I saw Helmdeep, I wondered how they made it. I wanted to know if I could have a blueprint. You see some friends are working on a prodject, A movie, they wanted to know how to make Isengard, Mordor, Helmdeep, Rivendell, The Shire, Rohan, Gondor, and all those kinds of things, they are actually going to try and make a kids version of Lord of the rings, they will call it Prince of the Rings. No they aren’t going to copy all of it, They just like how Peter Jackson made the book come alive and they thought they should make a kids version of it. Have auditions and everything. We loved how he espesially made rivendall and helmsdeep.
Things that I thought needed allittle work:
nothing
Things that I loved about the movies:
Everything
Arwen (Liv Tyler) Awesome, I loved the way you talked in Elvish teach me.
Legolas (Orlando Bloom) I loved the way you said Elvish in The Two Towers while talking to Aragorn at the very end of the sentence.
On 24 October 2003 (09:25 AM),
Kyadoshi said:
I suggest you quit analysing story details and do what Sartre suggested.
Suspend your disbelief.
If the movie doesn’t do that for you, then I’m sorry. Go listen to rap.
On 25 October 2003 (09:33 AM),
Sandor jun. Simon said:
Hello.
I’m from Germany and my Englisch isn’t very good. I admire Peter Jackson and the Lord of the Rings is really fantastic. I want to write a letter or an e-mail to Peter Jackson. Is this possible? The Lord of the Rings has change my life and I cannot stop thinking.
Thank you
Sandor jun. Simon
sandor1989@gmx.de
On 12 November 2003 (03:24 PM),
championangel121 said:
First of all, Sandor jun. Simon, for someone who’s moved here from Germany your English isn’t at all bad. You probably can write to Peter Jackson and get something back, even if not directly from him. Perhaps some others can help?
Now for the rest. First of all, I’m someone who actually likes the battle scenes and stuff. That said, I agree with many points, but disagree with some:
This is a fantasy movie. It may seem unrealistic, and in parts it is, but that’s because you’re looking at it from a 21st century person’s eye, not experiencing it from a pre-medieval viewpoint. Have you any idea just how powerful a few horses can be? The causeway is narrow; a bunch of thousand-pound beasts running much faster than humanoids can, and mounted men with swords; think about it. All they have to do is nduge them a few feet. Its overdone, but if it’s going to have that Shakespearean feel to it, then it needs to be overdone. From realistic viewpoints, its overdone. From the movie, pretty good. It was worth it, at least to me.
Throwing rocks: Well, duh it doesn’t kill them. They’re rocks. Still, even hobbits throwing rocks can knock people out. They actually didn’t throw rocks in the 1st movie, only in the EE. Remember the Hobbit? Hobbits are good at games, and Bilbo was “dangerous” with stones. I’d bet Merry and Pippin are even stronger than him and had larger stones. Again, maybe overdone and not really necessary, but pretty realistic.
Wormtongue: Well, probably not. That is pretty ignorant.
Marching: I’ve often wondered about this. Again, its supposed to be imposing. I don’t know what a massive horde marching sounds like, so I can’t really comment well.
I’m not even commenting on dangly bits.
Elf and Dwarf: Yes, Gimli is changed to comic relief in the movie, which is a prime complaint from many. Orlando Bloom is a great actor (not to mention really hot from a girl’s standpoints) and he has yet to have a starring role. Not even PotC really worked. But you have to keep attention where it belongs-like you’ve been saying over and over again. About the chain mail, all he has to do is slip it off; he doesn’t actually wear it, or I don’t remember the movie well enough.
Faramir: This was one of the worst changes in the movie from the book. They’ve changed Faramir from strong helper to obstacle. I think that they’re trying to build up his character, which you’ll see in TT EE and ROTK: how he’s always been second to Boromir and nearly despised by his father. How he’s pretty much banished to the backwoods with a small group of men and left to do whatever. How he’s still a proud man of Gondor who could control the Ring and who doesn’t know its true potential. Still, I disagree with what they did in this film.
Aragorn’s fake death: Again, I agree with you. Come on. VM broke his toes for this scene! They really didn’t need it, it probably fooled hardly anyone, and it took away valuable time.
Uruk-hai: I disagree entirely here. Just watch the movie: Orcs are guarding Isengard, not Uruk-hai. And the Uruk-hai aren’t being defeated easily; they’re trading nearly one to one with the Elves and Men of Rohan. They didn’t need crossbows, of which they almost certainly had more than the two seen; you can even tell from the number of Elves hit! Why use bows when you can just send massive amounts of troops through a blasted breach and over a wall? The Uruk-hai were doing very well, and didn’t at all tumble like matchstick men.
Horse Charge: One of the top two or three epic scenes in movie history. Enough said,
Music+Camera: If it was any other way, the movie would probably be worse. You can’t do much better.
Elves: Maybe so. But its worth it to gain insight into them. You have to build up the story and provide some background.
Enough. See my drift? Good comments, good positives. Arwen is awesome! Anyway, signing off. I’ll try to find PJ’s or the LOTR effort’s e-mail and/or mailing address. See ya!
On 16 November 2003 (02:46 PM),
Billy said:
Enough about the two towers, it’s time to tackle the problem of Christopher Lee’s character being dropped from the RotK. Sign the “Put the Saruman scene back into the Return of the King” at:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/smanrotk/petition.html
On 01 December 2003 (12:53 AM),
JJ said:
VM broke his toe when he kicked the orc helmet at the orc funeral pyre, that the rohirrim (?) made, thinking that the FS had failed to save the hobbits.
My interpretation of the Gandalf charge into the orcs was that at the last moment, Gandalf cast a blinding light against the Orcs, causing them to lose their line in the confusion and bewilderment.
Hated the Legolas surf board. That was just pandering to box-office.
Agree on Faramir subversion. That just did not make sense.
On 01 December 2003 (02:30 PM),
Ruthie;-) said:
Hey ya’ll….
Just a few little comments I’d like to make. I am by no means a *LOTR Fanatic*, but I do love and admire the books and love and admire the movies. But really…lighten up!! I mean, you don’t have to take it so seriously! First of all, it’s a fantasy. It doesn’t exhist!! Yeah, it’s a great book, and yeah, they changed some crucial stuff in the movie, but who honestly expected the movies to live up to the books anyway?
I agree mostly on the Faramir stuff. Don’t get me wrong…Faramir is my favorite character and I was extremely disapointed when I first saw the movie, but I can see what PJ was trying to do. It’s hard to show the inner struggle on the movie screen, and I think he was trying to bring that out a bit more. No, if I’d been in charge, I wouldn’t have even entertained the thought of doing it that way, but it’s not ALL that bad. It’s actually pretty good in the EE, because Faramir has all these flashbacks and extra conversations with Frodo and Sam. (Ok, I’m probably gonna get yelled at pretty bad now, but hey;-)
One last thing…Arwen’s lips the BEST part of the movie? Oh…wow. Right. Can you run that by me again? Arwen’s lips the…best…part of the movie. Sure. (Having a hard time grasping this here.) Personally, I think that’s the WORST part of the movie!! Woo…just thinking about those whoppers makes me feel a little sick! They must weigh 5 pounds each!! Did she get an injection or something? Wow.
Alright, I’m done.
Overview: I liked the movies a lot. They had flaws. They weren’t as good as the books (duh!) They were a little corny at points. They went a bit too fast at some points. SO WHAT?? I still love them;-)
On 01 December 2003 (06:19 PM),
Kevin Cheberenchick said:
I Love The Lord of the Rings. I’ve read all of The Lord of The Rings books. I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AN ACTOR IN THE LORD OF THE RINGS. I have all of them on on DvD with nothing taking out and I always watch the movie before I see the next one. And I ALWAYS watch the Speical Features. Peter Jackson I say you should make “The Hobbit” since they dont have The Hobbit with people acting in it the have a cartoon Hobbit. You should use the people that acted in the the others movies like Gangdalf and if you need any other people that are only in “The Hobbit” YOU CAN ASK ME PLEASE (I put my e-mail)
On 01 December 2003 (06:19 PM),
Kevin Cheberenchick said:
I Love The Lord of the Rings. I’ve read all of The Lord of The Rings books. I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AN ACTOR IN THE LORD OF THE RINGS. I have all of them on on DvD with nothing taking out and I always watch the movie before I see the next one. And I ALWAYS watch the Speical Features. Peter Jackson I say you should make “The Hobbit” since they dont have The Hobbit with people acting in it the have a cartoon Hobbit. You should use the people that acted in the the others movies like Gangdalf and if you need any other people that are only in “The Hobbit” YOU CAN ASK ME PLEASE (I put my e-mail)
On 01 December 2003 (06:22 PM),
Kevin Cheberenchick said:
Sorry I posted so many it to a while but Please still read my and if you do make “The Hobbit” you can choice me.
On 11 December 2003 (02:52 PM),
Adrimal Ardvark on board the Bolivian Navy Ships (currently on manuvers in the South Pacific) said:
Give me a break!?! Please!!
You’re ‘review’ is complete lies man! Yes the movies that Peter Jackson made are not infalliable but who the hell can make PERFECT movies, espically when you’re dealing with the greatest story ever told. The books were sublime and of course the film adaption won’t be as good, it never could but Jackson, Walsh, Boyens ,TAylor et al have done a brilliant job in adapting them.
I do see where you’re comin from cuz the uruks fell like little girls but it wuz needed, remember it was our heros that threw them! And as for how they got the rocks… use you’re imagination! Treebeard gave them to them.
All in all the movie is worth well more than a 6.0, 9.5 at least.
When citing it’s fault remember that the movies had to make money so they had to appeal to those that haven’t read the books and this justifys why (although I really disliked them both) Faramir being such a dick and Aragorn’s faux death.
I am completley confident that RotK will clean up at Oscars 2004. It couldn’t not. Can’t wait for Dec 17th.
On 16 December 2003 (07:03 PM),
Rachel Nipper said:
GIVE ME A BREAK!!!
PJ did his best ( and his best was great!). I am in love with the movies and the books, and that does mean I may give it a little more credit. Not that I don’t agree with you at all, but I loved the movies (the books are better though). Here are my opinions (jeeze you guys are going to be yelling at me aren’t you?)
Moving Cameras-If the movies make you sick forget about watching them!The moving camera (like someone else said but I forgt, sorry) makes it seem like you are in the movie! It was awesome.
Actors- I agree with most of you there, the actors made a brilliant performance. (Although the whole “Arwen’s lips being the best part” thing was just stupid!) And why are you so obsessed with gollum’s dangly parts (kind of strange)?
Battle Scenes- I thought the battle scenes gave it something extra, I don’t want to go 2 indepth but dude, use your imagination about all those stuff, it is a fantasy movie.
Well I really could go on, and on, and on, but I’d rather not. Wait, before you move on to the next posted mail pleeeeeeeeeeeeease give me Peter Jackson’s address, e-mail address, anything that I could write to him on! I NEED to say something to him. And on Ruthie and the Kevin guy’s post, I am so dreaming of being in one of those movies too! Anyone have his address, anyone?
On 16 December 2003 (09:25 PM),
Courtney said:
I disagree with a lot of what you said.
No movie can ever live up to the book. When you read a book “your” imagination runs wild. Everyone’s imagination is different and therefore we get different interpretations about the book. However – P.J. did stray from the story, especially with Arwen and a few other things.
About the music. I think Howard Shore is an amazing composer. I remember watching TTT for the first time and hearing the music when the elves came to the battle of Helm’s Deep. The way Shore took the theme from Lothlorian and added a snare drum (among a few other things) to it to make it more warish was awesome. I’m a music person, so that just made my day because of his cleverness. I’m totally stoked about the ROTK’s soundtrack.
Also – you have to remember that the first two movies never reach the climax that is in the thrid movie. It’s all exposition and rising action.
And – I think P.J. has accomplished a great deal with what he’s done. No one else could have created a world that makes you feel like you could take a trip to. Considering Tolkien’s world was fantasy, P.J. has made it real. Imagine if the movie was made while Tolkien was alive. It would have been horrible and you probably would have thrown up, but not because of the camaras. They could not have made this movie then.
Congratulations to P.J. and the amazing cast and crew and to Howard Shore. I wish I could have been an extra or played in the orchestra for these amazing monumental movies.
Don’t knock things – especially if you can’t do any better or if Tolkien wrote them (i.e. the rocks and such). Just get over it.
On 22 December 2003 (09:35 AM),
Shane said:
I have to greatly disagree with some of what Courtney says. She’s is taking the role of an apologist and tries to deflect any criticism by saying that if you can’t do any better, don’t knock things.
No.
People have all the right in the world to “knock” things. I do not have to be a computer engineer to know that an old 486 chip is slow compared to a new Pentium 4 or AMD processor. Just as I do not need to have skills matching or surpassing those of the inventors of these computer chips in order to understand this, I do not need to have skills matching or surpassing those of various directors or authors to notice failings or successes. Your way of arguing is a deflectionary method which is not worth anyone’s time. You yourself are knocking the opinions of people here by writing your comment. Are you equal or beyond them in their skills?
No. We will not get over it. We care about and love the books. If we see people perverting the very nature of the characters in the book or just simply notice a character wearing something different seconds later, that is not wrong. We are not simply discarding all the amazing work that has been done in the rest of the films but are only seeking to point out flaws in our never-ending quest for excellence. If you do not want to search for excellence then don’t, but please do not tell us to “get over it”.
Oh and there are plenty of people in the world who could have done worse, as good or perhaps even better than Peter Jackson. There are so many people in this world that you can never elevate one man and say that nobody else could do that as well. This is simply inaccurate. Not many who could have? That would have been likely but there are certainly others.
My own thoughts? I loved the movies in so many ways that I could not explain them all right here. The positive sides to the films are so great and obvious that we tend to not mention them as often as the flaws but there are there just the same. I was very, very disappointed with how they ruined the character of Farimir and reduced his honor and wisdom by making him falter to the degree that he did with regard to the ring. I disliked Peter Jackson going on a tangent with “Aragorn’s Death” and dream. I loved the scenery and the acting. I thoroughly enjoyed the costumes and was extremely impressed with the sight of Minas Tirith and Minas Morgul. Very nicely done to say the least.
I think Jackson and the cast and crew of the films should be saluted for their superb job. It was an excellent rendition, far surpassing those of the past. By no means perfect or without glaring flaw but excellent all the same. I commend them for their hard work and wish to drive others onto greater work by pointing out areas of improvement, rather than ignoring them and simply settling for what is. I will always remember these movies as a high quality benchmark for excellence but I cannot simply ignore they utter ruin they bestowed upon the very character of several individuals either. (Faramir’s ring-lust & Frodo being tricked by Gollum regarding Sam for example.)
On 27 December 2003 (09:24 AM),
Michael Hamill said:
after viewing the return of the king, i had to wonder WHY jackson ever left out bombadil of the whole trilogy. in the films i believe a character such as bombadil is required, i fully understand the concept of time and that the movie has to appeal to die hard fans and the less enthuastic tolkien followers but this was truly the biggest error leaving out bombadil (in my opinion).
On 05 January 2004 (05:17 PM),
Emily said:
Ok, I read all the stuff up above, but what i am really looking for is Peter Jacksons email or address or a site where i can write 2 him or something! If u have info please mail me at jt2111ENGLISH@msn.com. This is my moms email because mine is not working, so put To Emily under the subject. Thanks!
On 05 January 2004 (05:17 PM),
Emily said:
Ok, I read all the stuff up above, but what i am really looking for is Peter Jacksons email or address or a site where i can write 2 him or something! If u have info please mail me at jt2111ENGLISH@msn.com. This is my moms email because mine is not working, so put To Emily under the subject. Thanks!
On 18 January 2004 (02:42 PM),
Tulkas said:
I think Peter Jackson is to Lord of the Rings, what James Cameron was to the ship “Titanic,” i.e. he turned the story into a corny action chick-flick, but not even that much in that the characters in “Titanic” actually would have looked better in “Lord of the Rings” than the geeks cast as elves, kings, great warriors, wizards etc; in fact, Kate Winslett was originally supposed to play Arwen, but she was replaced by Olivia Tyler to shut up her screaming tantrums, when her dad, the lead guitarist for “Aerosmith,” used his connections to gave his little groupy-goof what she wanted– and to make all that plastic surgery pay off.
And speaking of Arwen, who the hell made the virgin goddess into Xena? Thank New Zealand for that!
Furthermore the entire movie looked like it was filmed in miniature, and in a cesspit with dirt and crap all over everything; people who read the books might like it, but people who UNDERSTAND the books should hate it.
On 28 January 2004 (04:45 PM),
I LOVE ELIJAH WOOD!! said:
hey well I think that PEOPLE should appreciate the movies and how much work was put in to them. come on, Peter Jackson worked for over 5 years on these!
On 07 February 2004 (01:20 PM),
Emily W. said:
First of all i disagree with many things that you said were “bad”.
“If Saruman is such a mastermind, if he’s going to the trouble to mass ten thousands of orcs, then:
Why doesn’t he give them a little training so that they don’t fall like matchstick men at the first hint of combat. These Uruk-Hai are supposed to be tough and scary, yet they’re so delicate that two hobbits can hold off dozens of them. That’s not very scary. They’re no better than rats.”
-First of all, in the books (of which this movie was written from) there’s no reference that Saruman gives training to his Uruk-Hai. Now i can see how they could have just “added” it in there, but it’s not that important or essensial to the movie. Remember, they were trying to focus the movies around the ring bearers journey. They didn’t have enough time to go into great detail.
“Where do Merry and Pippin get the stones that they throw while perched upon Treebeard’s shoulders?”
-is that really essential to the movie??!! who cares how they get the stones! That’s reading way too much into the scenes.
“Gandalf and the Rohirrim charge down an impossibly steep slope. Any horse galloping down this embankment would, in reality, lose its footing on the first stride and tumble headlong into the waiting army of orcs. The scene looks silly.”
-yes, some of that may be true, but the music combined with the climatic entry of the Rohirrim is just magnificent! Look past the impossiblities and just enjoy the scenes.
Now to get that over with, (i had to say my opinion!) i want to comend Howard Shore for his magnificent score!!! Bravo! When i saw the 1st movie i was thrilled with the music (i always pay attention to the music in films b/c i am a music person who plays the trumpet). The 2nd movie was kind of a let down compared to the 1st movie. The “theme” of TTT music seemed to be quite war-ish, alittle too war-ish for me (i think the battles in the 2nd movie were a little too long. They didn’t seem that long in the book!). But when i saw the 3rd movie i was thrilled! The brass parts were magnificent (oh and of course the other instruments were good too! lol :)) It topped the trilogy off well. Bravo Mr. Shore!
On 11 February 2004 (07:49 PM),
Sammy said:
I’m weirded out to see that you can find so many negatives in such a great film. Even if you see things you don’t like, try to focus on the positive more..I mean, c’mon…PLEASE! And what’s with this “battles scene were not well done” thing. Think YOU could have done a better job?
Doubt it.
On 12 February 2004 (06:43 PM),
Jacob D. said:
I have the first lord of the rings on vhs and the two towers on dvd. I think that they are brilliant movies! If you hate the storyline, they it is easier to see whats wrong with these movies! I enjoyed the plot and the graphics are very well detailed! I could barely spot all the mistakes that everyone posted online. I am not complaining!!! Could you get me the e-mails of orlando bloom, Viggo Mortensen (played Aragorn), and some others! they are my favorite actors! the movie is just a masterpiece!!! Thanx SO MUCH!!!!!! jsnicks@nc.rr.com
On 13 February 2004 (12:52 PM),
Jacob said:
I am desperate for the Emails please!!!!!!!!! I want them so badly!! please respond to this anyone with info on viggo mortensen or orlando bloom please send them to me!!!!!!!!!
On 14 February 2004 (09:37 AM),
Emily W. said:
Hello Jacob! I love those characters too! I’m sorry i don’t have the e-mails of them, but i do have mailing addresses. If you’re looking for them to respond back, it’s probably unlikely seeing as i sent them a letter like 2 years ago and…. zip. Anyways, i did ask for an autographed picture from Elijah’s company thing, and they sent one back (the autograph is probably copied but it made my day :)). So here are the mailing addresses to some people.
Orlando Bloom:
c/o Artists Management group
9465 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90212 USA
c/o Chris Andrews
ICM
8942 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90211 USA
Viggo Mortensen:
c/o The Rawlins Company
3933 Patrick Henry Place
Agoura Hills, CA 91301 USA
Elijah Wood:
c/o Willam Morris Agency
151 El Camino Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90212 USA
Sean Astin:
P.O. Box 57858
Sherman Oaks, CA 91413 USA
If you need anyone else’s i’ll be happy to give it to you! untill then, hope you can use these.
-Emily W.
On 14 February 2004 (10:01 AM),
Emily W. said:
P.S.
(one of my favorite scenes in TTT)
Frodo:”I can’t do this, Sam.”
Sam:”I know. It’s all wrong. By rights, we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end… because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was… when so much bad happened? But in the end it’s only a passing thing… this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will sine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you…that meant somethin’. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories… had lots of chances of turnin’ back, only they didn’t. They kept goin’…because they were holdin’ on to somethin’.”
Frodo:”What are we holding on to, Sam?”
Sam:”That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. An’ it’s worth fightin’ for.”
-I LOVE that scene!!!
On 19 February 2004 (03:44 PM),
Vaessa said:
Emily can you get Foromire’s adress(sp?) for my friend?
On 24 February 2004 (02:10 PM),
Emily W. said:
Hello Vaessa,
I’m sorry it’s been a while but i wanted to get a post up on here. You probably won’t get a mail address from me this week because i have like a bajillion and one things i have to do for school, so once the week-end comes i’ll search a little harder. So far i’ve found nothing. It will be hard to find his mailing address seeing as he’s not an actor from the usa. Thanks so much for you understanding. I’ll see what i can do :) I really only have the addresses for the fellowship but i’ll try. cyaz!
-Emily W.
On 28 February 2004 (01:41 PM),
Emily W. said:
Hey Vaessa!
After much searching i found David Wenham’s (Faramir) mailing address! It’s through a company so i’m not sure if you’ll get a response. But here it is anyway!
David Wenham
c/o Artists Independent Network Vanessa Pereira 32 Tavistock Street London WC2E 7PB United Kingdom
There ya go! I’m glad i could help!
-Emily
On 01 March 2004 (05:51 AM),
TolkFanatic said:
So many of the comments here are like those on Amazon — if you don’t give a movie 5 stars you suck. The reason I didn’t like the movies is the destruction of the secondary charachters. The only one they got right was Boromir. Theoden, Faramir, even Eyowen were all de-emphasized for the sake of the primary characters. The other reason I was so pissed off was not that I can’t accept change between the books and the films, but that Peter Jacksopn et. al. made such a big deal about how “accurate” his portrayal was. I’m sorry, but you can’t make such claims, unless you’re going to try to be accurate.
In response to some posts above:
1. “* Why doesn’t he give them a little training so that they don’t fall like matchstick men at the first hint of combat. These Uruk-Hai are supposed to be tough and scary, yet they’re so delicate that two hobbits can hold off dozens of them. That’s not very scary. They’re no better than rats.
– Talk to Tolkien about this. In the book the hobbits do exactly as they did in the movie except that I don’t recall the chase into Fangorn Forest. Of course, in the movie the hobbits only survive because Treebeard squashes the orc first rather than the hobbits.”
Two things — Sauruman didn’t know which hobbit had the ring, so he told his orcs to capture, without harming or searching them. In the book, Merry slices off several of the orcs’ arms and hands before they’re taken. See, Merry and Pippin had swords, which they got from the wights after meeting Bombadil. So that got cut. Tolkein writes that Boromir is pierced by many orc arrows before he dies. I got the impression from the way Tolkein writes that most, if not all orcs carry bows. also, the Isengard Uruk-Hai were joined by orcs from Mordor.
2. *What? Wormtongue doesn’t know anything of Saruman’s master plan? And somehow thousands of orcs managed to gather outside in hushed whispers and tiptoes?
-Why would he know of how many orcs Saruman has? He’s a soothsaying spy that just got tossed out on his ear, presumably rode hard to get to Isengard and probably has no idea how much strength Saruman has amassed.
Wormtongue was in and out of Isengard many many times in the books, Gandald guesses. Like over years’ time. He must of known of most of Sauruman’s plans and plots.
3. In reference to the actual “two towers”, Tolkein never stated what two towers the book was named after.
It’s helpful if you understand that Tolkein’s inital publisher named the three books and he hated the titles.
4. nice little debate lets talk about how jackson made and ruined certain characters king theoden whay is he such a wimp in the books he was a war monger wishing to go to his forefathers and not be embaresed by their deeds .then u have farimer the weak willed. ah dont get me wrong i liked bolth movies but these characters bugged me
Theoden was ruined. In the book, all Gandalf did was shake the dark out of his eyes. But in the movie, he’s this naysayer all the way into the ROTK. In the book, Gandalf tells him to hide with his people in the hills, but he says – you don’t know your own strength, Gandalf, I ride to war. In the ROTK, he’s ready and willing to aid Gondor, and doesn’t pout about “they’ve never helped us.”
What kills me is the books was all about how the main charchters were sources of inspiration to the 2ndary charachters. They helped them past their doubts and returned them to their previous glory. Faramir, Theoden, Treebeard are all perfect examples. But that was too subtle for Jackson. He had to have people nag them to death about what was right. It was so surface it sickened me.
5. This is a fantasy movie. It may seem unrealistic, and in parts it is, but that’s because you’re looking at it from a 21st century person’s eye, not experiencing it from a pre-medieval viewpoint.
All movies have to live up to the reality of their own framework. What I mean is, if a movie is about dragons, fine, I’m not going to complain that they can’t fly because they’re too heavy. But if the dragon gets killed by the first arrow, then it’s unreal within its own setting. See? For great fantasy, watch Conan the Barbarian. Conan, though a highly-trained and strong warrior, is still just a man, and can only take on 1 guy at a time. The scene in ROTK with Sam and Shelob was so unispriring I almost laughed. Shelob was supposed to be the queen of all spiders, and all she can do is push him around on the wall? C’mon. I felt like I was watching the muppets there.
6. I will always remember these movies as a high quality benchmark for excellence but I cannot simply ignore they utter ruin they bestowed upon the very character of several individuals either. (Faramir’s ring-lust & Frodo being tricked by Gollum regarding Sam for example.)
I could have forgotten all the above and still enjoyed the movies, except for the way Frodo betrayed Sam. Always in the books, whenever the dark greed fell on Frodo, he quickly recovered and it bonded the two hobbits more closely. Having Frodo trust Gollum over Sam was absurd. I alomst walked out of the movie after that. It was Jackson’s final failure.
On 05 March 2004 (02:30 PM),
Emily W. said:
Hummm… So many things you said above were, well really harsh. I would’ve like to see if you could have done better. I agree with the part about how Frodo betrays Sam. It wasn’t in the book and the point?? But still, it wasn’t a failure! Look at the massive job that these people take on and it’s amazing that they even finished the movies. No, the movies weren’t perfect, but they were still a masterpiece.
On 17 March 2004 (08:00 PM),
Krishan Bhakta said:
Heelo can u e-mail me back 2 busy rite now thank you
On 18 March 2004 (04:46 PM),
gemma said:
hey im wonderind if i can please have Peter Jacksond address im am going to audition for a part in his next movie cause i thought that he maid three other great movies and i wanted a chance in being in king kong i have been in productions before and i realy want to send some information to him about me and i have looked everywere for his address and then i found this
pleeez can i hav it its important to me
On 18 March 2004 (04:57 PM),
gemma ward said:
the lord of the rings triliogy was the best movies that i have ever seen in my whole life i dont no why some people say harsh things about it. the first time i read the book was when i was 6 now im fourteen and desperate to be in his next move i have been in plays and productions before and i would appreciate it if you could send me peter jacksons address to my email. it would be great if i could just send him my info and i cant do this if you dont give me his address CAN YOU PLEEEZ SEND ME SOME INFORMATION ON HIM AND WHEN THE AUDITIONS ARE. IT WOULD BE A GREAT HELP THANK YOU SO MUCH DONT FOR GET
IT IS REALY REALY REALY IMPORTANT THAT I GET MY INFORMATION TO HIM REAL SOON BE FOR IT IS TO LATE
On 09 May 2004 (01:15 PM),
Emily w said:
Hey i don’t know if this will help but i only have his mailing address.
Peter Jackson
c/o ICM 8942 Wilshire Blvd. #219 Beverly Hills, CA 90211-1908
It was the best i could do. Hope you get your chance in king kong!
~*Emily*~
On 09 May 2004 (01:19 PM),
Emily w said:
By the way, it doesn’t show your e-mail, Gemma. You have to type it.
On 29 November 2004 (08:43 AM),
Jessica said:
when are the audtions for the Hobbit going to be and where will they be held???
On 14 December 2004 (12:31 PM),
someone said:
Dear god, you people are pathetic. Half of you cannot spell good enough to pass third grade, and the other half are most likely IN third grade.
1. I like the movies, and I can see his points
2. You will NOT get a part in Peter Jackson’s next movie.
3. You will NOT get a personalized reply from any of the actors
On 14 December 2004 (03:08 PM),
Joel said:
Er, someone (if that is your real name), shouldn’t it be “Half of you cannot spell WELL enough to pass third grade…”?
On 27 December 2004 (02:56 PM),
Ezri Bloom said:
Hey SOMEONE Joel is correct so maybe you are the one who needs to go back to third grade and learn correct grammar!!
On 13 January 2005 (01:51 PM),
Emily W. said:
hahahaha!!! Y’all are so strange! :) Be happy! Hey the extended 2nd movie is out! And it shows i think the running into Fangorn forest. Remember, they couldn’t put EVERYTHING into the movie, it would be just way too long! Although, I wouldn’t mind if it were like 5 hours! lol :)
On 16 March 2005 (05:19 PM),
marcia said:
PLEEEEEEEEAAAAAASE HELP! I NEED PETER JACKSONS ADDRESS! I HAVE BEEN ON THE COMPUTER FOR HOURS ON END AND TO NO AVAIL! THENKYOU SO MUCH IF YOU CAN HELP! IF THE CORRECT EMAIL ADDRESS COMES BACK I WILL SEND SOME EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS! THANX AGAIN!
On 02 April 2005 (08:52 AM),
Ruben said:
i need Peter Jakcsons e-mail realy bad can you help.
Ruben
On 23 April 2005 (10:39 AM),
Murray MacDonald said:
Dear Peter Jackson. My name is Murray MacDonald Im 12 years old. I am a Autistic boy and I live twelve miles from Oban in Scotland. I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan I have seen both origanal and Evtended edition’s of all three films on DVD. Please could I have your Email Address because I was wondering if I could come down to New Zealand with my parents and my two brothers who also like the trilgoy and meet you and some of the cast members who live there. Hope you are well from Murray MacDonald
Phone number 01631 750 231
Email kenny.macdonald1@tesco.net
Address
Alder Cottage West
Ardchattan
Connel
Argyll
PA37 1RG
Scotland
On 23 April 2005 (10:39 AM),
Murray MacDonald said:
Dear Peter Jackson. My name is Murray MacDonald Im 12 years old. I am a Autistic boy and I live twelve miles from Oban in Scotland. I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan I have seen both origanal and Evtended edition’s of all three films on DVD. Please could I have your Email Address because I was wondering if I could come down to New Zealand with my parents and my two brothers who also like the trilgoy and meet you and some of the cast members who live there. Hope you are well from Murray MacDonald
Phone number 01631 750 231
Email kenny.macdonald1@tesco.net
Address
Alder Cottage West
Ardchattan
Connel
Argyll
PA37 1RG
Scotland
On 23 April 2005 (10:39 AM),
Murray MacDonald said:
Dear Peter Jackson. My name is Murray MacDonald Im 12 years old. I am a Autistic boy and I live twelve miles from Oban in Scotland. I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan I have seen both origanal and Evtended edition’s of all three films on DVD. Please could I have your Email Address because I was wondering if I could come down to New Zealand with my parents and my two brothers who also like the trilgoy and meet you and some of the cast members who live there. Hope you are well from Murray MacDonald
Phone number 01631 750 231
Email kenny.macdonald1@tesco.net
Address
Alder Cottage West
Ardchattan
Connel
Argyll
PA37 1RG
Scotland
On 13 July 2005 (11:43 AM),
whodyanikabolokov said:
You all need to get a funkin life especially the sad old fuke who was moaning about not seeing gollums ‘dangly bits. Love to see you make a better film you tosser.
Me, myself and gollum
On 14 July 2005 (10:06 AM),
Will said:
Hi,
I am a huge lotr fan and am even planning on going to live in NZ. I think Lotr is fantastic and I don’t know why people hate it so much as to make a web site about how much they hate it!
To be honest I think that any one who dislikes lotr should look at all of the facts.
– Lotr took a total of 6 years to complete, including all of the designing processes.
-Filming took 14 months.
-PJ hired the best cast to play the parts of all the characters.
-The best composer ever was making the music-Howard Shore.
-The best visual effects, prosthetics e.t.c producers were hired- WETA Workshops.
-Lotr won a total of 11 OSCARS. The world record.
so some one must like it!
It sad to think that it was nearly 2 years since lotr was finished and every one has calmed down about it. But one day, hopefully peter Jackson will make The Hobbit then all of the madness can start up once again.
From Will, Gollums twin.
On 27 August 2005 (03:24 PM),
Cassandra said:
I have been a huge fan of LOTR ever since i picked out the Hobbit picture book for my dad to read to me when i went to bed when i was four. Sure, some parts of the movie are a bit unessecary, but look at it this way… the orgins of this book started almost a hundred years ago when Tolkien enlisted in WWI. Guess were the dead marshes came from? The bodies in the water-filled trenches on the battle field. Tolkien had one of the most imaginative minds that I believe there ever was. It’s taken us almost a century to catch up with it. Because the master himself cannot preside over this project, Mr. Jackson did the best he could. It was a HUGE risk to take on this movie… and i believe he pulled it off very well. Your not supposed to pay attention to slightest detail and then rip on it. It’s the movie as an overall. It’s wonderful, it draws you in toward the characters, makes you feel for them. I believe a movie is not only about the camera angles, shots, and graphics, but how well the movie engages the audience. How it pulls them in and says, “Your in it now, too.” I’m rather fond of Legolas too, and was disappointed that he wasn’t it the movie as much as he should, but his time on screen was well managed and forgiving because of the “importance” of other characters at that moment. Mr. Jackson did an amazing job, much better than we could ever dare to dream. and if ur still disappointed, in about another 60 years, YOU re-make it and see how hard it is to translate the un-translatable onto the big screen without complains from fans like us.
On 08 September 2005 (08:11 AM),
RAGHAVAN said:
PLEASE IF ANYONE CAN GIVE ME PETER JACKSONS EMAIL ID PLEASE MAIL IT TO rahul_01_2000@yahoo.com I REALLY NEED TO TALK TO HIM PLEASE I WOULD REALLY BE GREATFUL TO YOU THANKS
On 08 October 2005 (06:30 PM),
Hillary said:
Hey i love Lord Of The Rings its my “ALL TIME FAVORITE MOVIE” I hope that Peter Jackson pusses through and makes “The Hobbit Movie” iam waiting for this movie to some out and hopr it does!!!!!! Thanks alot *Hillary*
For three years, Star Wars cards were our prized possessions. We coveted them: the blue cards, the red cards, the green cards, the yellow cards, the orange cards. Each pack of cards ($0.15/pack) also contained a Star Wars sticker and stick of hard, pink bubble gum. We put these stickers all over everything. We chewed the gum with gusto.
You and I frequently like or dislike the same things, but for vastly different reasons. In a surprising turn of events, I pretty much agree with your reasoning completely.
The presence or absence of Gollum’s dangly bits aside, he’s an amazing piece of work, and everybody involved with him deserves recognition. He’s pretty amazing.
I know that there is destined to be no Scouring of the Shire, too, in the third film, and I think this will rob the conclusion of a needed closure.
The Saruman/Gandalf blend was indeed quite neat, but I thought it would have worked much better if the previews hadn’t given away that Gandalf returns…
“Your talk of snuffling riders with invisible noses has unsettled me.” — Pippin, FotR