"The Fellowship Of The Ring": review by Darth Sidious

The presently elated state of my gray matter | December 19th, 2001 | Darth Sidious

[BigBlueJon]

I saw the 12:01 viewing last night also. Fantastic!! The special effects were believable. (if you were scared by Bilbo's transition, raise your hand) From the terrifying orcs to the majestic landscape shots, everything was just how I imagined it.

The acting was perfect. Every character was just perfect, even the glimpse of Gollum. I'll say it again, just how I imagined them. I saw the movie with my brother and I'll probably see it again with my wife if we can work something out with the 2 month old.

I'm confident that this will be the best movie of the year and will continue into next year with high marks. I've waited since I was a kid to see this movie and was not disappointed.

[Deb]

Just curious about the Aragon shot. It's the most important "character presentation" (next to the Gandalf hat reveal) in the movie and in some theatres the picture is so dark you can't see Viggo sitting, hooded and smoking his pipe in the corner.

Theatre owners drive me crazy in their attempt to save money by cutting down on the lumin light that projects the picture on-screen. Sometimes you can't even see a movie completely till it comes out on VHS or DVD.

Sorry, just a technical obsession of mine.

[Huck]

Maybe you meant that you hadn't seen a movie at all since the Patriot, in which case I retract my sneering look :)

yeah, and what's all this crap about Star Wars "raising the bar"? :-P

[HairOfTheDog]

I will give a response from a chick and a fan of the books who read them through and through more times than I can count.

I don't know the basis of your gut-level rejection of "sorcery" so I will answer from the two bases that I think you may be coming from... If I am wrong, correct me.

If you object to sorcery from the position that you just aren't really "into" the "gothic sort of sorcery-wizards and fantay genre", I will tell you that, at least in the books, that part of the story is secondary to the main theme. Clearly there are magical things that are not of this world, but the main theme of the story to me is character, temptation, valor, fellowship and devotion. There is enough "chick stuff" underneath the reasons all the events happen. You will bond with these characters.

If you don't like sorcery because of a christian rejection of magic, I may not be able to help as much as one of the theology scholars that are around... Did you read the review done by a Catholic and fan of the books? Posted here A Christian Review of the Fellowship of the Rings

Anyhow... try it... if you like it, maybe you will read the books and enjoy them as much as I did (have you asked your mother?). If you don't... you will know more about it than you did before.

[John Farson]

In Tolkien's books, bad things happen to men who use magic. Gandalf is not a man, but an Istari -- a spirit sent by Manwe to protect the people of the Middle-Earth.
(Tolkien geeks please correct me if I'm wrong.)

[ThinkPlease]

Great review! I just got back from the noon showing...whoo!!! Loved it!

By the way, on the wings thing, I think Peter answered the question once and for all. *ahem* But I think I'll have to go to the 7:30 pm showing to make sure. ;-).

[newgeezer]

not a single swearword anywhere, no mention of sex anywhere.

<anti-hollywood sarcasm> How could it possibly make a profit? No one will go to see such a movie in this day and age. </anti-hollywood sarcasm>

[4Freedom]

Excellent revue! I have to wait until next week to see it, but reviews like this will help me make it through.

[Overtaxed]

When the third film brings the Easterlings, Haradrim and Far Haradrim in as friends of Sauron, we'll hear plenty of howls ;)

I wonder if the part about Sam wondering if the Easterlings et al wouldn't rather be home with their families will be in the movie.

[Overtaxed]

Oh, while you at it, got some others who want to be added to your one ping list...

Overtaxed

I'm already on the list.
signed,

Overtaxed aka "Pingwraith"

[RobFromGa]

Just got back from seeing it. I thought all the effects were spectacular and the casting was excellent except I would have liked Strider and Boromir to look a little more different and Liv Tyler wasn't a great choice. I give it a solid A. I'll be interested to hear reactions from people who did not read the book.

[ottersnot]

bttt cant wait!

[New Horizon]

Saw it today at 9:00. It was AWESOME, to say the least.

[Skywalk]

Nice shot, Huck! =)

Just got back from seeing it con mi madre. I gotta tell ya, this movie was fantastic. I was nervous, scared(yes Bilbo's transition was frightful) excited, happy, and sad. There were more than a few times that my eyes welled up.

Yes, there were sacrifices for the sake of the film translation, but they take away very little.

I love Cate Blanchette. I mean, in general, I love her :)

Most importantly, it's easy for people to say that "nothing compares to imagination," except if that were true all directors would be equally visionary and creative, and none of us would watch films. Sometimes the visual effect is more stunning than anything you could imagine. The swarming orcs in Moria(the pillars!Look at the pillars!) is but one example of how a 2-D image in your mind can seem wooden next to the "reality" of the screen.

[Huck]

Thanks for the ping. All attempts at lowering my expectations have been met with abject failure. I haven't read the books (yet). I don't have that baggage. But I am scared of going into a theater, where I am so often disappointed, to see a movie touted as nothing short of a monumental moment in filmaking. Yikes. But I will see it. Maybe I'll try and see a matinee on Christmas eve. I am off from work that day.

[lowbridge]

But to someone blessedly belonging to the realm of normal mortals, the idea of seeing a movie at midnight - unless it's Rocky Horror Picture Show - is still a bit peculiar.

I haven't done that yet! :-)

[Samwise]

I would have liked Strider and Boromir to look a little more different

I'm glad you set that. I thought it was probably these tired old near-sighted eyes. I had problems distinguishing them.

[Samwise]

I saw it this afternoon. I have never before gone to an opening day movie. I couldn't wait any longer--30 years is long enough. Your review is spot on. I won't quibble about Braveheart. When I first saw the Shire, Rivendale, and Mirkwood I was delighted. The director did not depict them. He found them in time and teleported there for the filming. I was mesmerized by the scenery. I have imagined them so many times and there they were. I wanted to keep looking and gazing. I wanted to walk over that hill and see the view from there.

[Darth Sidious]

Schindler's List is no longer the greatest historical film ever. See my comments above for what I mean by that.

Fellowship Of The Ring is the movie that should be shown on network television, commercial free, sponsored by Ford(tm). Better than all the Star Wars movies put together, and far more to cry about than Titanic.

We've seen it twice this day. Going to take a little break and catch it again in another week or so. Lisa said she probably can't see any movie more than 4 times... but I'm determined to break my record of the number of times I've seen a movie during it's first run. Right now it stands at 9, for The Phantom Menace. Heck, I'll see it 20 more times :-)

[Cascadians]

We saw the first showing of it today. Beautiful.

TLOTR:FOTR aahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, immersion in a dream, reading bliss materialized.

Now to see it again and again, to own it hold it freeze each frame and bathe in it ...

Back to Middle-earth :-) aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh thank You God