where does the other penny go?
Here are my thoughts on the EE, in no particular order, now that I finally gave in to temptation and watched it.
Although I dreaded the Saruman and Grima death scene, I actually enjoyed it. I think I would have preferred it if they'd been on the balcony, but that's my only gripe. Christopher Lee's acting was superb; I think he really nailed the Voice.
The king crowned with flowers, nice little addition.
The Denethor scenes... I'm mixed. I didn't care for him stumbling about and almost falling over his throne, but I did like his exchange with Faramir regarding the Ring. I did love some of his added lines, though, especially this one, so great I had to write it down:
"Why do the fools fly? Better to die sooner than late... for die we must."
Gandalf's Gondorian 101 was a nice inclusion, giving some good background. Kudos to Ian McKellen for once more doing some exposition without making it awkward.
Eomer finding Eowyn on the battlefield was short but perfect. It makes me wonder if perhaps he knew a little more than everyone else, and if his remark about how war was for men was made with a bit more purpose, as though he was afraid she might try something. Mere speculation, of course.
One thing I really enjoyed was another very small point: when Eowyn and Theoden are fighting near each other, and Eowyn is really giving it her all. Theoden looks over at her in surprise and respect, no doubt wondering who this impassioned young soldier is.
The Mouth of Sauron. Hmm. I thought that he was almost comical in a sense, because where he was surely meant to be leering, he appeared to be offering a toothy, winning smile. His voice... I don't know, it just didn't seem right to me. Not hissy like I imagined it would be. I did love his armor, though, and also that of his horse. I want a helm like his. So, he was cool, but he wasn't "my" Mouth of Sauron.
The Houses of Healing -- sweet, but so short! I'm not sure I liked the song that was sung when Aragorn was taking care of Eowyn, but a couple more viewings will probably warm me up to it.
Gandalf vs. Witch King: a little bit disappointing, since Gandalf definitely got owned.
I liked Aragorn finally using the Palantir, but the title of the scene is "Aragorn Masters the Palantir." It seems like Sauron, in the end, won out by showing Aragorn a vision of the failing Arwen.
The Paths of the Dead were... interesting. I got postively giddy upon hearing Malbeth's prophecy, huzzah! Gimli blowing away the ghosts was funny, but perhaps should have been cut shorter. The cascade of skulls made absolutely no sense to me at first, and I was saying to myself, "What the fork... PJ, you've gone off the deep end." Then Aragorn and Friends emerged from the mountain, coming to the river. It seemed to me that perhaps the Dead were guiding them out, since the ships were fast approaching. Whether that's the intent or not is beyond me, but I think I'll stick with that idea to justify the sudden skull avalanche.
And last but certainly not least, Gothmog. We get to see him walk about a bit in the EE, and he's got this gimpy leg which makes me laugh. Now I can't stop thinking of him as Gimpy Gothmog, which I'm sure is the name the other orcs call him behind his back. He really had a miserable time of it, though. First he got beaten by Eowyn, then hacked apart by Gimli and Aragorn. You know, I was really hoping Eowyn would kill him, just because Aragorn is very sword-happy, as seen with the MoS and such. A little variety would have been nice there.
Despite my criticism I really did love it... but as noted earlier, by
Essex, I believe, I don't know where the time went. The forty-something minutes were so spread out, I guess, that it didn't excite me like the other two EEs. Yet it was an amazing film, and I think that much of my criticism will vanish when I watch it a few more times.