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Old 02-24-2008, 02:27 PM   #41
Hookbill the Goomba
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: On A Cold Wind To Valhalla
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Hookbill the Goomba is lost in the dark paths of Moria.Hookbill the Goomba is lost in the dark paths of Moria.Hookbill the Goomba is lost in the dark paths of Moria.Hookbill the Goomba is lost in the dark paths of Moria.
Pipe

Episode Three is one of mt favorites from the early parts of the book. This is where a lot of action begins to happen. We also get a good insight into Strider. I do think they chose the right voice actor for Aragorn; his account of Beren and Luthien seems quite heart felt.

Butterbur is dreadfully amusing in this episode. His voice has always stuck with me when reading the books, especially at these points, with the selling of the Pony and the discussions with Strider. But is it just me or does Strider say "We shall see" an awful lot?

On the road to Weathertop we get Sam's rendition of Gilgalad's poem, me absolute favorite version. The tune fits well and the lines are rendered almost hauntingly, especially with the sound effects in the background from birds etc.

When they get to Weathertop we get a clear sense of the place from Merry's description;

Quote:
And very cheerless and uninviting it looks! There is no water and no shelter. And no sign of Gandalf. Mind you, I don't blame him for not waiting, if he ever came here.
A larger description of Weathertop would probably have been out of place, but this brief description from a disapointed Hobbit says it all. Which is something I liked about this production; the descriptions didn't seem to take up too much space, we get a great sense of the area from the sound effects and the dialogue. This is a good sign of a well produced transition from book to radio. It is so easy for long and enjoyable pieces of prose to be given to a Narator, or, slightly more foolishly, to a character. This does not always work, in my opinion. The Narator is a tool best used scarecely.

The Nazgul are scary! The Lord of the Nazgul has an amusingly British voice, I noticed. As if he spends his time, when not hunting Hobbits, sat at home with a cup of tea and a pipe.

Glorfindel isn't great, I have to admit. Something about him in this version makes him seem constantly worried. But given the situation they are supposed to be in, I think I can forgive them this, however, because he never appears again, it's hard to know if this is supposed to be the character or simply a reaction.

When we come to the Council of Elrond I think we have a dreadfully well crafted arrangement. There is so much material in that scene it would be nigh impossible to record it all in a dramatised format without it seeming dull. With the Dwarves story we have a good idea; inter-cut with dialogue from the messenger of Mordor. This works well and gives an indication as to how they must have felt with such a messenger with seemingly kind words.
Then there is Boromir. No Sean Bean, but still a good performance, especially here. The 'Seek for the Sword' poem hurts my ears, though.

The episode ends at the right place. Frodo accepting the Ring bourdain. After all the talk and discussion, this one decision is, I think, a monumental point in the narrative. Making it a 'cliff hanger' was the right decision, I think, to make it stand out as such.
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