Based on the ext. versions of the first two films, and 2 viewings of the last. Mostly going for feel of place, but a little characterisation stuff may slip in
The Long-Expected Party 3.5
Looked & sounded great.
Bilbo’s disappearance was a little abrupt. Missed G’s cover-up fireworks.
Shadow of the Past (
Gandalf's revelation to
Frodo of
the Ring's true nature) 4
Caught the spirit of the passage, mostly.
Introduction of
Merry and
Pippin and departure from
the Shire 2.5
Worked cinematically (a damning phrase)--but felt so rushed.
Bree and
the Prancing Pony 2
Rough, ugly, mean, overdone. Nothing like I expected. But Barliman, the intro to
Strider and attack of the
Ringwraiths were mostly good.
Weathertop 3
Didn’t really feel the dread of the Ringwraiths. Felt like a set during the fight.
Ford of Bruinen 3.5
In addition to the departure from the text, which will always pain me, it took too long. Tolkiens text is wonderful here. Jackson dragged it out and lost the sheer intensity of the moment. But the visuals of the actual ford were lovely.
Rivendell (in general) 4
Very nice overall. Would’ve liked to have seen the hall of fire. (Thought the ‘dying’ Rivendell in RotK was an interesting foreshadowing of what might have been in the 4th age after the departure of
Elrond.)
Council of Elrond 4
Looked very nice. Although the ‘filler’
men and
elves felt just like that--mannequins with no purpose.
Tale of
Aragorn and
Arwen 2.5
Would’ve liked a
Lorien flashback on the hill of
Cerin Amroth. But liked the bit in the TTT flashback, for some reason, although like so many things it felt incomplete.
Ring goes South 4
Nice visuals. Liked Hollin, the sword-lesson and the approach to the
Moria gate. Thought the addition of
Saruman to the Caradhras pass was interesting and effective cinematically.
Moria and
Bridge of Khazad-dum 4.5
Overall some of my favorite film bits here, even with changes. Stirring and intense and a nice rare combination of action, cgi and character bits. Wonderful
Balrog and bridge confrontation.
Lorien 2
Oh, it felt too much like a set! I wanted golden Lorien, and a sense of distance and glory and soaring
trees. It looked too much like papier-mache. And too blue!
Galadriel’s pitcher looked like something from Ikea.
Great River 3.5
Too short, but the
Argonath was nice.
Breaking of the Fellowship 5
Very nicely done. Not perfect, but one of the best moments in the films for me.
Meeting with
Eomer 4.5
Well done. Although Aragorn was a little off-hand in his introductions.
Too bad that was about it for Eomer, though!
Uruk-hai 4
I liked the
orcs best in this bit, as they seemed most Tolkienesque at this point.
Meeting with
Treebeard 3
Cinematically, okay, but no shadow on the original for impact. But I did like Pippin’s reaction.
Gandalf's return 3
Almost there. The reassigning of dialog was distracting. Looked good.
Rohan (in general) 2
Additional viewings have warmed my views towards Meduseld, but overall Rohan stills comes off badly IMO. Again, it LOOKS like a set. Too many artfully smudged villagers. And what a bunch of whiners! The juxtaposition of
Eowyn’s statement of the resilience of the women of Rohan compared to repetetive shots of cowering women and children irritate me.
Healing of
Theoden 1
If I’d never read
Tolkien this might have worked for me. As it is, it was disappointing.
Battle of
Helm's Deep 3.5
Too long. Too many orcs. Didn’t really mind the elves showing up. Hated the ‘Olympic torch’
orc bit and the triple take on the explosion in the culvert. Enough, already. Really wanted to see Aragorn’s speech on the battlements with the orcs. Oh well.
Sack of
Isengard 4
Pretty good. Watching Saruman scurry around though I felt something was missing.
Voice of Saruman 1
We didn’t really get to see this, did we? His speech to the men and orcs didn’t do much for me.
Capturing of
Gollum 3
The Marshes 2
Kind of disappointing. Thsoe little gas jets were distracting. And the undead weren’t bad at first, but once again, Jackson didn’t know when to quit...
Arrival at the
Black Gate (Frodo and
Sam) 3.5
Better than expected, although didn’t really capture the scope of the dead lands. Liked the look of the
Haradrim.
Meeting with
Faramir/
Osgiliath 2
I’m warming up to this--for movie purposes--and the Ext. version helps. But the whole bit with Frodo showing the ring to the
Nazgul...? Great visual. Lousy storytelling. Still one of the great inexplicable bits of Jacksonian revisionism.
The
Palantir 2
Not bad in its overall use and portrayal. Even thought Pippin’s fascination with it was done rather well, except that the bit where he gets ‘captured’ by it went on too long, and Aragorn’s inability to handle it was criminal. Another almost seemingly deliberate waste of one of the most cinematic of Tolkieins’ writing--Aragorn’s wrestling with
Sauron through the Palantir.
Minas Tirith/
Gondor (in general) 4
Lied the
city, but the populace again felt like mannequins. Some of the reaction shots were poorly edited--happy faces in response to horrible
events? Huh?
The
beacons 5
I loved this. The music, the cinematography. It just worked for me on an emotional level.
The Ride of the
Rohirrim 4
Another favorite bit , although it felt truncuated.
Anduril 2
Okay. Not what it could have been although an interesting play on the text. (Instead of sending the message through his sons he brings it himself; instead of Arwen’s standard being brought by her brothers, the father brings the
sword. Still too much Elrond grouchiness. Arwen dying? Please.
Paths of the Dead 2
Initially very good, but why the extended entrance through the brightly lit moonscape valley? Once they plunged into the shadowy crack at the base of the
mountains, they were INSIDE the mountain. And the whloe ghostly city bit was way over the top. More ghoulish zombie effects, oh goody.
Wounding of Faramir 2
Felt like an afterthought.
Siege of Gondor 3
Good, but again, too long.
Confrontation of Gandalf and
Witch-King 0
Didn’t really get this either, did we?
Battle of
Pelennor Fields
5 for the charge of the Rohirrim. Hail Theoden King!
3 for everything else.
O for Mr Potato Head who got too much screen time.
Death of the Witch King 3
Very good right up to the thrust of Eowyn’s sword. Then he suddenly turned into Margaret Hamilton in the Wizrad of Oz, with Eowyn looking as if she’s forgotten why she was there. Anticlimactic.
Stairs of
Cirith Ungol 4
Thought it captured the vertiginous feel rather nicely! Liked overall feel and look of
Minas Morgul and bridge also.
Shelob 4
Much better than expected. Quite intense and effective. But could’ve done without the lingering Frodo-dribble-shot.
Mount Doom 4.5
Mount Doom itself--very good. Destruction of the ring sequence went on too long, which was a shame. The power of Tolkien’s words was much better served in the BBC radio adaptation.
Eye of Sauron 1
Worked okay the first few times in FotR. Was getting tediious in TTT and by RotK was a joke. Sauron’s Used Cars, anyone?
Battle at the black gate 2
No build-up. No dramatic confrontation. EverythingTolkien gave to the filmakers was tossed aside for a few bon mots and (what a shock) more cgi
trolls. BUT--the
eagles were wonderful, and Pippin’s cry. Rather liked the destruction of Sauron’s forces as well, although one wonders how the good guys got home, being left high and dry as it were.
Coronation of Aragorn 2
Felt truncuated, and boy, did he look completely unsuited in that outfit. Like he was lost inside the clothes. Did not feel right at all.
Ending(s) 2.5
Too much slo-mo, not enough dialog, too many knowing smiles, and M and P back to being bouncy boys after actually growing a bit towards their literary counterparts. Ech. Final bits in
shire okay as such, and ending at havens was okay, but it felt too long and too rushed at the same time.
Reading over this you’d think I hated these films and I didn’t --I was just disappointed that for every moment that seemed to capture the source, there were many others that seemed to deliberately misuse it. Perplexing!
Apologies for long-windedness...
