[lindil]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Everything was too close together. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>.<P>A rare downs moment. Burrahobbit and I agree.<P> It got absurd after awhile, <BR>You open the Black gate and there was the mountain and Barad dur. Heck Legolas should have just gotten an elvish sling shot and...<P>OK to start more generally:<P>I was <I>really</I> hoping to enjoy this as much as i did FotR, but PJ as I hate to have to say, fell prey yet again to the lure of the ONE PEN. His editorial one.<P>In short where we hear JRRT's writing and see his scenes it is great. A few of the Minas Tirith battle amplifications were very well done as well. Some of that was awesome. The Rohirrim crashing into the orcs [although the real build up to all of that was largely replaced by the horrific, 'what do we owe Gondor' garbage 'Theoden' was made to utter, was extremely well done. Finally we see the real Rohan. <P>However having them coming as a suprise creeping silently through the Pellenor [oops that's right PJ had some great reason for leaving that out ] would have added much to it.<P>But as the movie went on the great moments for me were consistently overridden by the 'adaptations'.<P>'Denethor' was a <I>complete disaster</I> imo. Worse than the 'Faramir' adaptation. Oh well, like father like son. <P>The lack of any other nobles and feifs in 'Gondor' was really sad. Why not another one of those map scenes wherein someone can say, while pointing...'3,000 from Dol Amroth and Imrahil will lead them, 500 from the Ringlo Vale and hopefully Dervorin will lead them etc. <P>this lack reached the height of absudity when after 'Denethor's 'murder/suicide [see <A HREF="http://forum.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=4&t=002542#000004" TARGET=_blank>here</A> for more on that splendid scene] we finally get to the 'fellowship' alone occupying the Hall of Kings in Minas Tirith. How goofy.<P>At least 'Theoden' finally gets to act like a king of 'Rohan' before the Battle, that was refreshing. His death scene though, while wordred somewhat faithfully betrayed fwe signs of a person about to die. Quick eye movements and a few other details I do not recall, and generally way to strong a voice all undercut the moving scene though.<BR>And no passing the banner to 'Eomer'. completely lame. But I guess as PJ has said 'it does not get the ring to mordor', so it was out. <P>The whole 'Sam/Gollum/Frodo' thing was exactly the kind of absurdity I have come to expect from PJ, and for which he does not disappoint. He has a compulsion to waste screen time with non-existent plot lines and then cut corners with things that beg to be shown [Imrahil, the Dunedain of the North and on and on].<P>However in the Ext. DVD while most of my criticisms will sadly remain unfixable, I am sure the quick trip through Mordor will be suitably amplified, and we will be able to see them cast of their orc gear. <P>Apparently 'Gollum' falling in the midst of his cappering was not hollywood enough for PJ. 'Frodo' has to fall as well [and 'Denthor'... . <P>I can understand leaving out the Scouring, just as could Bombadil and Barrow Downs, As much as they all really have their place inthe story, I concede that somethings will have to go, but to have everyone come back and drink ale and wink at the quaintness of the shire just plain did not work at all for me. <P>It will be a skip scene for me for sure. It would have been far better for the company to go straight to Rivendell have collect frodo and then to the Havens and end with Sam coming to Bag End.<P>And as the final nail in the coffin for book readers 'Sam' gets to walk in the wrong door.So instead of the door of bag-End closing where it all began in The Hobbit, we get #3 bagshot row.<P>imo...<P>I truly hope the Extended version makes it all more watchable, but I must confess that sense of marring overtook my sense of enjoyment. I will just have to practice my latent schizophrenia and forget LotR is an already written masterpeice well and lovingly etched into my heart and soul in order to enjoy PJ's 'Variations on themes from the LotR'.<P>Newbies [to the books]- in this case you are greatly to be envied as what would be a great film had it no literary precedent will for many [not most I am sure] be an <I>extremely</I> exspensive bit of Fan-fction gone amok. <P>Final grades:<BR>FotR - B<BR>EXT FotR - A-<BR>TTT - D<BR>EXT TTT C<BR>RotK C<P>And by the way, lest I be seen as being a books only 'purist', one my favorite scenes in TTT is the Elves arriving at Helm's Deep. It works in a way that for me, many of PJ's other bits of tinkering do not.<P>Thank goodness I could not care less about what happens to King Kong.<p>[ 4:38 PM December 18, 2003: Message edited by: lindil ]