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Return Of The King Footage From E3
Arathorn writes "TheOneRing.net has a Quicktime movie up of just over a minute's worth of live footage from Return of The King , as shown at E3. The quality's pretty abysmal, but it gives a much-needed taster of what RoTK's going to look like. The soundtrack (such as it is) is from the final act of The Two Towers." Update: 05/21 18:47 GMT by T : Reader Adam Roben has set up a BitTorrent session as well.
For the novelization!!! I hope it's as good as the movie.
Okay. Why is 'T' capitalized, but not 'o'? Don't capitalization rules stipulate that both short prepositions and articles begin with lowercase letters in titles? Normally I wouldn't gripe about this, but we're trying to make a new acronym here. Let't not screw it up!
The goatse guy for president. Win one for the gaper!
Subject says it all...
lot of good THAT did us!
It might look like I'm standing motionless, but I'm actively waiting for my problems to go away
I've read the novel and watched both movies, and while I agree with you that the novel offers more than the movies from a general perspective, both offer great entertainment. Your attitude towards the movies seems unneccessarily hostile.
Not neccessarily. If you recall the original story, the closer to Mordor the ring got, the more its power increased. Surely from that point of view, taking it to Mordor, which is basically what they did, would be worse? (And as we all know, that is the basis of the quest - they are going to take the ring to Mordor). My point is, just because the movie had a detour to Osgiliath, I fail to see what you're getting your knickers in a knot about. Yes, it does change the original story's details, but it isn't as terrible as you're making it out to be.
You walked out? Because a detail of the story was changed in leui of the movie adaptation? Ok, I'm not going to comment on that. Let's examine the rest of what you said, anyway.
If you read the original story closely, Faramir was NOT entirely pleasant while holding the Hobbits hostage. He was thinking about taking the ring to Gondor and interrogated the Hobbits pretty efficiently. Now, I agree that he was less hot-headed and far wiser than his brother, and during the section of the story where he and his men hold the hobbits hostage, he did have a change of heart and allow them to proceed with their quest unhindered. However, to say that they "weren't molested" is cutting it thin. They were blindfolded, tied up, and held against their will for a long time, interrogated, and not all that Faramir had to say to them was pleasant (in the beginning, it's hard to miss the threatening undertones of what he was saying, unless you are very unperceptive). Yes - the movie changed the details of this part of the story. Did it remain true to the spirit of the story, though? I believe so. Re-read this part of the story if you don't believe me. Crucially important departure from the story? Not really. The outcome is going to be exactly the same. I didn't like some parts of this departure either, but you're really making a mountain out of a molehill.
Sorry to tell you this, but Elves are "magical" in nature, and therefore can cast spells, and create magical items, to greater or lesser degree depending on the individuals themselves. Arwen is the daughter of Elrond, who has not only great Elf, but also Ainur heritage. To believe that she would be an Elf with little power is, well, shockingly ignorant on your part, to be brutally honest. If you don't understand this, read the Silmarillion, which deals with the nature of
We hang the petty thieves, but appoint the great ones to public office. - Aesop
One of the more important rules for storytelling in a visual medium such as film is that it is (almost) always better and more effective to show than it is to tell.
As LotR has quite a fair bit of characters sitting around telling each other things, this is a bit of a problem.
So, lets examine possible reasons for having the ring be taken part way to Gondor in the film, shall we?
One of the most important plot points in RotK, if not the most important, is Aragorn's leading what remains of the hosts of Gondor against the black gate, in an attempt to fool Sauron into thinking he is in possession of the ring, thus taking his attention away from the ring's real possition. There is all sorts of supporting evidence for Sauron to leap to this conclusion, but its a pretty complex and subtle point to get across. In a movie even more so.
By having the ring seen by an agent of Sauron, escorted by the troops of Gondor, selling to the audience that Sauron is convinced beyond all doubt that Aragorn has the ring is going to be far easier - One shortish speach from Gandalf about how He could never concieve of anyone willingly giving up the power of the ring, and Bam. Instant set up.
Compared to the (admitably more subtle and interesting) evidence presented in the book - Pippin and Aragorn's palantir experience, the film's evidence is far more easily grasped.
The films aren't messing with the mythology in any dire mannor - quite the opposite. They have gone to the trouble of setting up major plot elements, in the nature demanded of the different medium, well in advance, when they were needed.
Shawn Poulsen (Fruan)
"On Slashdot, many obvious things are insightful." - Annonymous Coward, 2000/7/9
Also while you are at it, tell him that Saddam is not tying up with Sauron to kill the infidels
Hm. Saddam. Sauron. Saddam. Sauron.
"The Evil One's power is again rising", Secretary of State Colin Powell told a stunned press conference Monday. "Saddam was defeated, but he is not dead." As the Secretary mentioned the name "Saddam", an ice cold wind seemed to enter the room, and an unexpected, brief solar eclipse occurred.
"Could someone close the windows please? Anyway, to finally defeat him, the Fellowship must go to Mount Doom just outside of Tikrit and throw the One Ring into the hellish fire that burns eternal there, vanquishing Saddam forever."
"The Fellowship being the Ringbearer-President George Bush, his trusty aide Dick Cheney, the mighty warrior Donald Rumsfeld who will give his life to defend the Ringbearer, and myself, who shall never be King. Probably never."
"And, oh, Paul Wolfowitz listened in at our briefing so he gets to tag along to."
"It will be a long, hard, perillous journey, on foot, but it is the only way."
A strange, crouching shadow bearing an uncanny resemblance to Attorney General John Ashcroft was seen crawling in the shadows behind the Secretary, muttering "My Precious"...