[lindil]

I did my best to apply 'Gilathalion's rule of LotR movie - going' which is:<P>"enjoy it as it's own work" or somesuch, it has been a year since I read his sage advice in this very forum.<P><BR> and it stood me in better stead than FotR because in may ways PJ butchered TTT way more than FotR.<P>That being said I succsessfully applied my pschizophrenia to the movie letting my 'critic' go on in abut 4% of my brainwaves and enjoying the movie w/ the other 96%.<P>Both sides were very active within their own realms.<P>The good:<P> The scenery - just stunning it really made the whole thing come alive and it is so refreshing to see something not made in CA [ I live here so I am use to seeing our dry hills, cities or redwoods used in darn near every movie]<P> The overall battle of Helms deep, the feeling of the Rohirrim [ non-soldiers] [ although they were a lot dirtier than I pictured war notwithstanding].<P>Gollum, he took getting used to but his split personality scene was a classic.<P>Sam was OK<P>the Oliphaunt [ although I missed sam's silly poem]<P>gandalf's glowing return.[ his only classic part in the film unfortunately]. He went from major inspriational return to travelling Exorsist.<P>Eomer's men 'circling' the three runners.<P>Aragorn's tracking.<P><BR>What my critic-side did not like:<P>Faramir's pitiful re-write. hsssssss, booo hsssssssss.<P>he is one of the most subtle and cool characters in the book and PJ dropped the ball shattered it put it back together w/ elmers, put on a cheap coat of paint and tried to call it Faramir. I let myself enjoy the movie anyway but that along with ...<P><BR>The Ents<P> was a great disappointment.<P>The ents reminded me over and over of 'Imperial Walkers' with a bit of shrubbery tacked on.<P>Treebeard was reduced to Jar-Jaresque status and I am afraid and Tolken would have been more disappointed in this than anything else. [well Faramir might have given him a run for his $]<P>I really feel for anyone who saw this before reading the books and may forever after have their associations tainted.<P>I would have traded the whole silly 'warg' scene for a real look at treebeards house and Ent-Draughts or a real moot.<P>I did not expect all of the ent-wife background to make it, but the rest was a real loss.<P>Now that being said they did a good job of Isengard destruction relying to much however on that non-existent Dam that a commando unit of rohirrim should have taken out long ago anyway!<P>And did I say Faramir was lame?<P>Dead marshes were good but the idea of flames was totaly cheezy. Alittle more careful reading of the book would have stood the scene in good stead. it was as if pj was all of a sudden on a budget.<P>And did I say the ents were lame?<P>although it was cool to see the burning ent get his fire doused, and to see the ents use a 'bow and arrow stance ' to weather the flood' this is what any intelligent martial artist would do for maximum stability against a fwd moving 'opponent [ assuming there was no getting out of the way.<P><BR>well all the negatives being done for the moment, I agree with whoever said that we need to wait for the extended DVD to get thee full picture [ and do not think these criticisms [ or more accurately others like them ] will not have some effect on what goes in.<P>I was glad Arwen was not with the elven host. [ a good examole of purist fan pressure, assuming she was there originally]<P><BR>Haldir and co.<BR>Oddly enough I did not mind that much, because I knew it was coming and I suppose I had wondered myself why Lorien at least never maintained relations with Rohan or more plauisbly Gondor, so it was the Elves trying to make up for past neglect.<BR>One thing I did not get was why haldir said they were from Elrond? anyone else puzzled by that.<P>A troop of Norther Dunedain would have been preferable. but maybe we will see them in 3.<P>I did like Galadriel's Osanwe w/ Elrond , but the scene w/ Arwen was as many other 'purists' have pointed out totally lame, and I agree I did not need to see them making out. Arwen I am afraid more than anyone else so far simply does not cut it.<P>Did I enjoy it alot? Yes<BR>Will i see it again? God willing?<P>Do I wish PJ had a sound thrashing from the actors or someone everytime he made some goofy new storyline and deleted something cool? absolutely!<P>will I let that effect my enjoying of a grand cinematic event? as little as possible.<P>I will close with my 6yr old daughter's words upon leaving the theatre,since nothing I can say could be as eloquent or laconic:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>The Two Towers was good, but they made things up and left things out. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>.<p>[ December 19, 2002: Message edited by: lindil ]