Mouldy sends in yet ANOTHER review for TTT, yet another lucky bugger who has seen the flick before me. [More]
Category: Original TORn
Mouldy sends in yet ANOTHER review for TTT, yet another lucky bugger who has seen the flick before me. I guess I’ll just have to be patient and wait to see the flick tomorrow night in New York City with PJ, Elijah, Viggo, Miranda and the others. Such is life…. 🙂 (more about the NYC premiere and after party soon! -Xo)
Hey Xoanon! Greetings from Oslo!
I was very privileged to see The Tow Towers at the impressive Colosseum Cinema in Oslo a few days ago. I have been dying to post my thoughts on the film ever since then, but I have been away on a short break with my wife.
All the same there is not much more I can tell you that has not already been said. I would like to add a few things that I think truly make this movie great, and better than the first.
The most powerful aspect of this film is that we have not time to spare, unlike Fellowship that spends almost an hour and a half of screen time introducing characters, places, historical events, cultures etc etc, this film just throw you into the deep end and lets you fend for yourself. The introductions of the Rohan court, the Dunland Men, the new characters, Gollum and the Ranger’s of Ithilien are all executed with a far better precision than in Fellowship. I think about thirty minutes of film is really spent doing basic introductions, the film tends them to expose certain aspects of characters, places, events and so on as the film goes on in a more subtle fashion than Fellowship. The best example is Gollum, he has a short monologue in the first hour of the film that will bring a tear to your eye. Peter and Andy have created the entire character, his struggle between Gollum and Smeagol, his background, his lust for the Ring in one impressive speech. It also has a frightening emotional impact that is almost always lacking in psychological based characters in film. If Andy does not win best supporting actor, and if Peter does not win best director it will be nothing short of a crime.
I read too on another review posted to TheForce.Net (yes I am a big Star Wars fan) that the energy and bonding of the characters are like the original classic Star Wars trilogy, something that the first two lacked. I would like to re-enforce this point to the max. The energy and chemistry these actors have on screen is amazing, in some scenes the electricity literally zaps you in your seat. It is a little unfortunate that the worst aspect of the characters in the story is the Aragorn/Arwen love sub-plot, it just does not work as a series of dream sequences and flashbacks. But if you can look past that everything else works very nicely. The Eowyn/Aragorn love triangle stuff is brilliant, there is more chemistry here I my opinion than in the love scenes from Fellowship with Aragorn and Arwen, I so have the hots for Miranda Otto now! I must see it again if only for her. The only other thing I will say is Gollum is again perfect here, he just fits into the Sam/Frodo sub-plot of friendship so well and really challenges them both to be true to each other. The final scene of the film will utterly break your heart, Sam really steals the end of the show only to be shown up to Gollum who finally allows his darker self to take over, he will let “her” kill the Hobbits and then he’ll take the Ring…. **Sense of impending Doom! Dang must wait another year.
But as I already hinted there are things I disliked, in fact almost hated. The whole Elves sub-plot is totally bogus and it ruins the pace of the film. There is some really slow scenes that work fine by themselves, but then they cut an Elrond/Galadriel argument in the middle of them and the whole film becomes a bit stilted. It was like the editing of the Caradhras sequence where Saruman king of spoke to himself in a real theatrical monologue sense almost as if he was Gandalf’s thoughts during the whole scene. It just interrupted the flow of the film.
Thankfully however, just like Fellowship the film moves on quickly and we are spared any more torture. Some people have already mentioned a small prologue in the middle of the film, it is pointless really and needed to come earlier! Having said that all the Elven scenes, including the Live flashbacks could have been done in about 8 minutes of screen time as one single scene, well maybe two and then we could leave it and then have the Elves show up at the Deep.
Another thing I disliked was Faramir, he was one of my beloved characters from the book and he has been completely re-written almost as a new character. I remember a noble man, somewhat tempted by able to control it almost like Aragorn. To me he was like an Aragorn who had been hardend by endless war on the boarders of Mordor. This then lent itself to the reasons why Eowyn chooses to marry him in the end, or at least that is what I thought. Peter’s Faramir is like an older Boromir, he is not as reckless, he is more talented but he is still tempted. He does however redeem himself! After Sam puts Faramir back in his place (I was cheering for Sam, Go SAM!) he has a change of heart and sacrifices his life to let Frodo go. A bit cheesy really as Boromir kind of dies for a similar reason, but it brought a tear to my eye and made you feel like you did when Fellowship ended. Now just to be clear, Faramir does not die, his captain tells him he will be punished by death if he lets them go. Obviously Denethor has somehow fallen under the influence of evil because the Gondor soldiers are not exactly nice people, they a bitter like Boromir.
The battle with the Wargs was a little poor in terms of CGI, and Aragorn falling off the cliff seemed somewhat cliché to me! I mean how many times can a main character appear to die in these films??? I mean Frodo does it AGAIN in ROTK! But is served the purpose of the film so I guess it was ok… Oh and it was the only Arwen scene that rocked. She turns up all glowing and kisses Aragorn, at which point he wakes up to find Brego at his side. The Ents sometimes felt too CGI as well, but they make up for it by being the coolest trees ever, I love the way they talk! There was not enough Gandalf The White, there was also not enough of Legolas and Gimli, well Gimli gets a lot of screen time as the laugh factor but that is all. You will all die with laughter at Helm’s Deep when Gimli tells Aragorn to do something, reference to FOTR here! It got the biggest laughs at the screening if I remember correctly.
But that was pretty much it for my hates… My favourite scenes are, in no particlar order:
– Helm’s Deep: Just way too much to take in, must see it again!
– The Ents DESTROY Isengard: The BEST part of all!
– Samwise and his speeches: Go SAM!
– Gollum: particularly his monologue and the very end of the film!
– The Ringwraiths: Fell Beats rock! I want one!
Overall I cried in a bout ten different scenes in this film, and I suspect that when I see it again that I will be more comfortable with what I did not like about the film. I mean the Faramir stuff is growing on me right now. I think I will have to say that it won’t win best picture, simply because you have to see it more than once to take it all in! I am sure I have missed so much and I even think that some scenes I have forgotten about because I was so overwhelmed!!! Anyway this review was longer than I intended it to be so I will stop now…
All you fans – rest assured this film rocks!!!
Regards,
Mouldy
B Rock Longbottom writes: Peter Jackson was interviewed by Matt Lauer this morning which started off with an extended video clip of Saruman giving his speech to the Uruk Hai on the balcony of Orthanc. [More]
Peter Jackson was interviewed by Matt Lauer this morning which started off with an extended video clip of Saruman giving his speech to the Uruk Hai on the balcony of Orthanc.
Matt started off with a joke, reading a piece from a press clipping written before the opening of “Fellowship.” He read, “Peter Jackson is the guy that may ruin New Line Cinema if this movie sucks.” Matt went on to say the movie proved the critics wrong by getting 13 Academy Award nominations and winning 4, and going on to earn $890MM. Matt then asked if now that the studio pressure is off, is it much easier this time around. Peter said he is in the fortunate position – “that ship has already sailed.” Over the course of a year and a half, the film has already been shot. Then Peter said he must remain faithful to the movie, even more so than the book, because he views the films as one long story, broken in to three 3-hour pieces. He said he took some license with the film as he did with Fellowship, in order to tell the story the best way on film.
Peter said The Two Towers literally picks up where Fellowship leaves off. Matt asks if this version is darker and more violent. Peter explained that the second chapter of a trilogy is inherently darker. He said the first piece sets up the characters and sees them set off on their Quest. Now, things get more difficult. At this point, we hear Peter’s voice as we see some of the filming of TTT. There are shots of orcs falling off the ladders scaling the walls of Helms Deep. There are some beautiful shots of Edoras, Helms Deep, and of Theoden walking out of what looks to be an opening of the rocky wall at Helms Deep and Theoden turns around stopping Aragorn in his tracks and places his hand on Aragorn’s chest. He speaks to Aragorn very enthusiastically and has the power of the healed Theoden.
Then Matt asks him about the work ahead for ROTK. Peter just smiles and says next week he begins cutting the film together and that they have about 800 effects shots to work on, so they will be busy.
Peter was actually wearing shoes this time, his black sneakers and a regular short sleeved polo shirt. Brave clothes, since it is 30 degrees Fahrenheit here in NYC today! Peter seemed quite calm and with his understated sense of humor.
Viggo Mortensen certainly got what he wished for, people talking politics and war as opposed to his role in TTT, this from his visit to the Charlie Rose show last night. TORN fans have certainly been vocal, both pro and con Viggo in regards to his statements last night. [More]
Please Note: All opinions, including those of Viggo Mortensen, may not be the opinions of this website or any of the geeks who work on it
Viggo Mortensen certainly got what he wished for, people talking politics and war as opposed to his role in TTT, this from his visit to the Charlie Rose show last night. TORN fans have certainly been vocal, both pro and con Viggo in regards to his statements last night. Take a sampling here:
–I must say that the best part of the show was the clips from the film….there was some talk about making the film, and other projects that PJ, Elijah, and Viggo were working on, but, I’m sorry to say, Viggo spent the first 10 minutes talking about his political views. He was wearing a t-shirt that said No Blood For Oil. I did not feel that this was the time or place for making a political statement. I was very disappointed that Viggo chose to do just that. PJ and Elijah were not included in this discussion, and the host tried to turn the subject away more than once. As a fan of the films, I wanted to hear about TTT, but instead, I got to hear Viggo’s position on Iraq. I hope that future shows about TTT are actually about TTT. Nikki
-I was hoping for some scoop on the movie, maybe a little insight from the director and actors about the filming of the movies, what to expect next, etc. What’s up with Viggo Mortensen hijacking half the segment with a monologue on US foreign policy? I can’t believe I stayed up late on a school night to watch it…
– I’m sure you’ve gotten a ton of emails about this already about Peter Jackson, Elijah Wood, and Viggo Mortensen being on the show Charlie Rose last night. They showed three clips from TTT. One being the scene when they first meet with Eomer where Legolas almost takes him out for threatening Gimli. Another was when Frodo
and Sam are wandering around and realize that they just went in a circle and that they are being followed. And the last is where Frodo and Sam are in some kind of storage room (perhaps after being taken by Faramir?) and they want to escape. Here Sam urges Frodo to put on the ring so that they may escape. Basically, Peter said the same things you heard everywhere else. Elijah didn’t get to say much. The majority of the show was about Viggo (who was wearing that “no more blood for oil” shirt) and his political standpoint on the US war. Charlie tried to blow Viggo off like he was one of those misinformed idiotic actors trying to sound smart. But he eventually shut up and let Viggo talk. Viggo made a lot of good points. It was fun to watch because Viggo didn’t care if Charlie agreed with him or not. haha. -Fozzer
-Viggo had a shirt on that said, No blood for Oil. He questioned the U.S. on attacking and bombing innocent people. He said the U.S. is the bad guy and that Bush is Saruman. He said we should question what’s going on. He also said it’s wrong how the news turns into a countdown to war, like it’s a countdown to New Years. Which I agree with, but I don’t think the U.S. is seeking out to kill innocent people. Sadly they’re in the way and the real bad guys, the terrorist use them as shields. The difference between the U.S. and the terrorist and sadam is that their intentions are to kill innocent people. We’re trying to fight an enemy amongst an innocent people. It’s not easy to get to these devils. Sadly innocent people die. Anyway, I don’t want to turn this into a political debate. It just surprised me how out spoken Viggo is on the subject. Charlie Rose asked him back, just so they could continue the discussion. Viggo said he’d like that. Viggo sort of reminds me of Harrison Ford. Soft speaker and he seems shy, but on screen he’s an intense actor. Anyway, that left 10 minutes to talk to Peter and Elijah. -Orionsaint
–I could not resist reacting to your comments about Viggo’s appearance with Charlie Rose. First of all, I thought it was selfish and arrogant of Viggo to wear his political views on the program. The purpose of the program was to discuss and promote the movie. His shirt and comments took time away from Peter and Elijah and a further discussion of the movie. Secondly, for him to equate the U.S. with the evil Saruman shows an extreme absence of moral clarity. Perhaps he should live in a totalitarian country such as Irag, N. Korea, Sudan, etc. and experience what is truly evil. Maybe then he’ll appreciate the United States. Sorry, but I don’t see where his comments are “brave” or “knowledgeable”. He came across as a naive, moral idiot (and he is certainly no “Aragorn”!) Thanks for listening! Kirk
-Maybe it’s the Canadian in me, but I agree wholeheartedly with the comments of your reporter “Richard” re: Viggo Mortensen on The Charlie Rose Show.
I’d read some condemnation on the web this morning about what Mortensen said, then anxiously, nervously watched the program this afternoon — when the PBS affiliate in Buffalo broadcasts it — because I’ve seen some movie stars (hello Barbra Streisand) make complete mugs of themself when they tip-toe into the political arena.
Bravo! For Viggo!! Not only did he come out alive, my admiration for him just went up a hundred-fold. He was informed and opinionated, without being aloof or confrontational, and acquitted himself wonderfully. He knew his stuff. He bravely went out on a limb, and will likely be condemned in many quarters as a traitor, but in my mind he was a genuine American patriot, asking serious questions that needed to be asked. It was telling that Rose invited him back to address the issue some other time — Rose knows a smart guy when he sees and hears one. (I’m not sure if you are aware, but Justin Raimondo, the brains behind antiwar.com, wrote an excellent review of FOTR that ran last December (“Sauron in Washington” – http://www.antiwar.com/justin/j122401.html ) that
hits many of the same points that Mortensen was expressing and runs counter to many of interpretations FOTR has received in the mainstream American press over the past year.) I thought the conversation might become a total distraction, but Elijah and Peter didn’t seem put-out, and listened patiently and attentively. Later, I was most fascinated about Peter’s comments regarding the uncomfortable political campaign of The Academy Awards. He said he’ll never be a part of such a campaign ever again. Take care, and thanks for the accurate, balanced view. T. B
–I’m not f**king interested in you’re motherf**king opinion about politics. Stick to the movies!!! Viggo is an a$$hole for attacking the very country that gives him the right to spew his bullshit. F**K you and him!!!! (kindly edited by me -Xo)
-Xoanon — Thanks for posting Richard’s note.
I saw Viggo and Charlie rumble on PBS too, and boy it was the best thing I’ve seen on color TV in a long time. Charlie said he would actually like to have Viggo back to discuss the issues with some right-wingers.
It took me a while to explain to my husband the connection Viggo was making between the mechanized war-machine of Saruman and the bombing-from-30,000-feet war-machine that is the USA armed forces.
BUT, I feel that the point must be driven home that Viggo was NOT SUPPORTING ANY COMPARISON between current events and either Jackson’s or Tolkien’s work. He was merely stating, if you’re going to make that UNJUST comparison, get it right who is defending their homeland and who the war-machine is.
I just wanted to put another letter of support for Viggo in, there are plenty of the younger generation who are seeking to oppose the war, but who are struggling to find organized anti-war efforts. Oh look, here comes the Dec 8 deadline… off I go to the frontline. PEACE JLPE