I'm going to start catching up here as work has kept me behind...Overall I was very pleased with these scenes and this part into Moria. (Is anyone surprised)? There are some good moments in this part of the film.
The one that sticks out to me is the scene between Gandalf and Frodo in Moria, while sitting around trying to figure out a way. Not only just because this conversation was in the books, but Jackson uses it to his best advantage. First, Ian Mckellan I think delivers his lines very well, plus the impact of these lines for Frodo later on in the film when he decides to leave The Fellowship.
First the important life lesson:
Quote:
|
"Many that live deserve death, some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them Frodo? Then do not be too eager to deal out death and judgement, not even the very wise can see all ends."
|
Again straight from the book and reminding us, that we don't know what's going to happen in life, so it's not our "duty" to deal out death and judge others.
Then the message Frodo will "flashback" to at the end of FOTR:
Quote:
|
"So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time it is given to us."
|
We get a clue in the movies that there are other forces at work, that are beyond Sauron's control, or anyone's control. Though they are working, they can not intervene and "run the show." Though there is some sort of fate involved, there still is
free will. In which those faced with the situation (in Frodo's case who come across the Ring) has to decide what they will do with it, it was fate that led him to the ring, but now it's his choice in what to do with it.
The Moria fight was neat, as well as the Balrog fight. Despite Jackson's innaccuracies with the Balrog (yes I call them innaccuracies) he makes a very scary and intimidating Balrog, something that anyone (even Gandalf) would fear fighting and so the innaccuracies really don't bug me.
Also, the Cave Troll fight really doesn't bug me. Instead of a large Orc Captain, Jackson inserts a Giant Cave Troll, and as we know the Orcs had cave trolls, The Fellowship just didn't fight them, so it's not like Jackson was just pulling stuff from the air.
The only thing that I wish was cut out was when The Fellowship is surrounded by a mob of Orcs. First, it creates a problem in that a mob of Orcs has surrounded 9 people, almost half of which look like little kids, so now Jackson has to figure out a way in order to get the Fellowship out of this mess:
Mistake 1- This is when he introduces the Balrog, and makes the goblins flee in terror. Why would they fear the Balrog, I thought it was he who commanded the Orcs as they drove out the dwarves? Plus it just doesn't make sense why 1,000's of Orcs would just run away from easy eatings.
Mistake 2- In order for the orcs to appear/get away, there's got to be a way for them to get out. So, Jackson puts in crevices and has them climb down from walls, and hop, creating the impression of a difference between Orcs and Goblins. Which there isn't, and even the movies interchange the two words. But, people get the impression (as there are countless of threads) that Goblins are different from Orcs.
To me this scene causes too many conflicts and isn't needed, again this one could be cut and the time could be used for something else. The mismanagement of time in the movies, inserting scenes that cause problems, or just aren't needed is really the stuff that I wish Jackson did differently. Other than that little thing though, this sequence was done extremely well. As was most of this movie, just the later movies I really start scratching my head at some things.