[Essex]

Originally Posted by alatar

[I] The CG is even better than before, and I applaud WETA and PJ for giving us a Sméagol/Gollum that never makes me think ‘puppet.’

The very first few seconds of this scene as Gollum is laying down are breathtaking, the CGI is that good. I still, almost literally, caught my breath when I was just re viewing this scene again.

It’s actually cute/funny when Gollum talks about the taste of orcs

I found it quite creepy, esp. as Gollum licks his lips as he thinks of the taste of orcs.....

Gollum’s smirk as he and his master walk away tears at Sam. The gardener had better stay on his toes.

priceless look from Gollum, and also Sam's look as he sarcastically smiles back with a look to say - 'OK, Touche, you've won that round but you'd better watch yourself'.



One of the main reasons I love this movie so much is the LOOK of the scenes. As we see Edoras and our Heroes asleep, the picture looks so vivid, so colourful. The view as Aragorn walks outside into the dead of night looks so good too.....

Eowyn's speech - as noted earlier, at least we have som great Tolkien text in the moive here. So I can forgive them for the change of character.

Pip steals the palantir from the creepy Gandalf.....Pippin is sweating, but it’s not because the room is hot – he too is addicted. He unwraps the palantir then smiles, and so we know that he’s getting his fix.

Exactly. An addict getting his fix.

Pip talks of the White Dead Tree, and then the Eye. We get a mini-PJ “Gotcha!” moment as we wait to hear if Pip spilled the beans on Frodo, but seconds later in a more levelheaded atmosphere Gandalf lets us know that all is still well.

Sauron probably tried to break the connection with Pip as he’s still planning his war, and what if Pip learned that he planned to attack… (wait for it)… Minas Tirith! Argh! It’s too late. Gandalf figures it out from the clues provided by Pip.

yeah - different to the book. But then we never found out why Book Gandalf thought Minas Tirith was next in line to be attacked. Common senese I suppose!

Gandalf even knows of the Black Fleet! That was some palantir experience Pip had.

yeah, I know. But then how did Book Elrond know of the fleet? It was foresight, so, to not complicate movie goers minds PJ just had Gandalf forsee it.....

At least we know why Pip does not bow to Frodo and Sam at the end of the movie, as he’s integral to the fall of Sauron.

Pip gets ridden out of town - Théoden is taking no chances - and Merry chides his compatriot as he prepares to go. Merry has grown up some since Orthanc, and Pip is about to as well. Merry tells Pip that Sauron thinks that he has the Ring, and so may come and claim it. At first this troubled me, but now I realize that Merry (and maybe the rest of the crew at Edoras) does not know that Frodo showed the Ring to the Nazgûl at Osgiliath.

Joking aside, Pippin WAS integral ot the fall of Sauron specifically for making him think that the Ring was in Rohan, and totally rid his mind of any thoughts that the Ring was anywhere near him (in the movie too as the nazgul and his fell beast were felled by Faramir!!)

Shadowfax speeds away, and Merry with Aragorn at his side watches them go.

the shot of shadowfax flying out of the stables from overhead is a masterful piece of cinematography. It's just these little things that help make the movie so good.

Elrond is still miffed at Isildur after all of these years, and turns his back on his daughter. She drops a book, and when he returns to retrieve it, he takes hold of her hands, and they are chilled. Mortality has crept into Arwen’s veins, and so the die is cast. There is now no ship that can cross the sundering gulf between he and his daughter, and so Elrond is left with poor choices: watch her die in the darkness, or leave her on this eastern shore. At least it’s in his power to make the second option better for Arwen.

I do think this was a clever way to show Arwen's choice. Not sure it's taken from any book material.....


PS Elladan re:

I joke with my brother (Elrohir) that Legolas only has one facial expression throughout the entire three films. OK, it changes once per film.

I find I have the same envy of Tom Cruise who has lasted a whole career with one character in each of his films (except for the Vampire one maybe) -
us blokes just can't handle good looking males being succesful, rich and having beautiful women on their arms......

PPS - Orlando Bloom has now starred in 2 of the 3 biggest grossing movies of all time, so I don't think he gives a stuff about what jealous guys think of him!!!

PPPS - Wasn't Extras brilliant the other night - What a superb send up of himself that Orlando Bloom did - and I hope Johnny Depp wasn't watching LOL!