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LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING


Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King will be showing at theaters December of this year. Will you watch this movie?  

92 members have voted

  1. 1. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King will be showing at theaters December of this year. Will you watch this movie?

    • Yes!
      81
    • No, it's just a waste of my money!
      5
    • I'll just wait for the August '04 DVD release, then I'll see.
      2


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I'm there already "and no mistake". I was at the midnight opening sessions for both movies so far and I've not been dissapointed.

I'm a huge fan of the books and I hated the way the second movie deviated (seriously) from the book.... but it's STILL an excellent movie.

"Return of the King" will likely stray even FURTHER from the book (those that may not know: There is an episode AFTER the saga of the ring that brings closure to all of the characters that still live.... it likely will NOT make it to the movie), but what little preview was on the DVD makes it look too good to miss!

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I'm there already "and no mistake". I was at the midnight opening sessions for both movies so far and I've not been dissapointed.

I'm a huge fan of the books and I hated the way the second movie deviated (seriously) from the book.... but it's STILL an excellent movie.

"Return of the King" will likely stray even FURTHER from the book (those that may not know: There is an episode AFTER the saga of the ring that brings closure to all of the characters that still live.... it likely will NOT make it to the movie), but what little preview was on the DVD makes it look too good to miss!

I'm not sure if I'm right on this, but is it by any chance, the scene in the animated version of The Return of the King by Rankin Bass in which the old Frodo Baggins tells the tale of what happens to the survivers of the great Battle for Middle Earth?

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I'm there already "and no mistake". I was at the midnight opening sessions for both movies so far and I've not been dissapointed.

I'm a huge fan of the books and I hated the way the second movie deviated (seriously) from the book.... but it's STILL an excellent movie.

"Return of the King" will likely stray even FURTHER from the book (those that may not know: There is an episode AFTER the saga of the ring that brings closure to all of the characters that still live.... it likely will NOT make it to the movie), but what little preview was on the DVD makes it look too good to miss!

well remembet that nice little narative bout how the ring was lost and found at the beginning of fellowship? they may do something like that to tell the aftertale of the survivors.

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Definately seeing it at the midnight showing, will definately be kick-ass. I'm a big fan of the books as well, and though dissapointed with some changes in Two Towers (ahem, Faramir) thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Though changes have been made, I love how Peter Jackson and Co kept some of the more subtle details from the books in the films (good old Bill).

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yepp. ill go see it at the midnight showing here. ive been to the other 2 movies so why miss out on the third? , im also a huge fan of the books and i also hated the way the 2nd movie deviated from the story of the 2nd book. i still like the movies. and this movie will kick "Matrix - Whatchamacallit"´s ass.

/Dan..

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;)

Yep,

Im gonna go see this movie on opening day. I avoided seeing The Two Towers on opening day (and Im glad I did....I might have heckled the screen). I hated how much they changed the motivations of Faramir (he's one of my favorite characters in the novels) and the Ents. I guess I might be somewhat mollified when the Extended DVD comes out.....but not by much Im sure.

I will say that I think PJ and his people has done a bang up job on getting the look and feel of Middle-Earth (with a few exceptions like the use of Full Plate armor...which didnt exist....they had mail with some plate as exemplified by the Knights of Dol Amroth and Prince Imrahil).

I know the Grey Company wont be in the movie, which makes absolutely NO SENSE. So, no Halbarad and the Dunedain of Arnor to grace the screen for the Paths of the Dead scenes. The only thing that I think will make this movie bad is if they frag with Eowyn's and Faramir's destinies. Other than that, there shouldnt be too much that they could mess up. Im looking forward to the Torech Ungol scenes with Shelob....which is weird cause Im arachnaphobic....

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Of coarse I'll see it maybe not opening day but i'll see it. The one thing I am wondering is if they are going to put in the Shire part at the end or if they are just going to make Saruman dissapear. I also wonder if they are going to show the very end of the book where Gandalf and frodo ummm well not to spoil it for anyone but leave :D .

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I'm not sure if I'm right on this, but is it by any chance, the scene in the animated version of The Return of the King by Rankin Bass in which the old Frodo Baggins tells the tale of what happens to the survivers of the great Battle for Middle Earth?

Naw, that was made up and wasn't in the books.

I think he's referring to either the Scouring of the Shire, where the Hobbits return and find that Saruman and Wormtongue have set up shop in their homeland upon returning home and make a big mess of things, or ...

... the VERY end of RotK where Frodo hops on the ships bound for Valinor along with Gandalf, Elrond, and the rest of the Elves as they finally abandon Middle Earth, and the Age of Man truly begins.

My guess is that for time's sake, neither part will be in the movie, and if they are, it will only be briefly. I'm kind of torn about this along with some other people here - I love these movies for what they are, but I'm still more than a little miffed by some of the "creative licensing" changes Jackson and crew have taken with this story. How can you leave Bombadil, Glorfindel, Halbarad and the Grey Company (the Dunedain returning to Gondor from exile - this is a HUGE and unforgiveable omission!! ), and other crucial parts of the story out? Why are we making Arwen such a major player in these movies when she was barely featured at all in the books? I understand it has to fit within the length a movie, but these are MAJOR deviations from the original narrative. I mean, it's a CLASSIC fer 'crissake! You don't re-write the script if you do an adaptation of the Illiad, or Macbeth, do you?!?

I mean if something has to be left out, just skip it already, and just pretend we took a nap and missed it. The way the Old Forest and Bombadil, and the Barrow Downs were just skipped was fine - if you don't have the time to fit it in, just leave it out. DON'T make stuff up, and DON'T fit Arwen in places she never was because it allows you to sell more action figures!!!

That said, I really do love these movies and will be there to see this within the first week or two of release. It's just that it bugs me that these aren't all the could have been than if they had stuck a little closer to Tolkein's original narrative.

Edited by Batou
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I was referring to both actually (I was trying to not give too much away for those who might be waiting to read the books, I suppose it's just as well)

I think both the war for the shire and the exodus into the west are two key points in the story... and given how much they have to tell (since they idiotically left the Shelob scene to the last movie) there is NO WAY they can be faithful to the story and tell everything there is to tell in 3 hours. They probably will end up doing like the animated version and just basically recap what happens afterwords (something to the effect of "The rise of the halflings") and leave it at that.

I was pretty upset that Tom Bombadill got left out of the first one, although he's more important to the middle-earth realm altogether than he is to LOTR... so I let that one slide. Then ELVES at Helms Deep??? Faramir all of a sudden becomes an a-hole (in the book he was pretty fly for a white guy)? He let Frodo and Sam go in the woods in the book, they never even set foot near Osgiliath.

I do believe Halbarad and the Grey Company will recieve, AT BEST, a brief mentioning... something in me wonders if Peter Jackson will not set the 3 companions through the paths of the dead alone.

No, my friends.... something important, indeed MANY things important will be left out of this story. Somehow Aragorn and Arwen will recieve a "happy ending" no doubt (for those that may not realize, in the books, what Elrond foretold is daughter in the second movie DOES come to pass)... I just shudder to think what damage could be done... let us hope that Peter Jackson doesn't hack it up too bad.

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For the most part, the movies are good. I can understand needing to make changes to the plot to adapt it to the different medium. What I don't get is the need to change the characters' personalities. Not just Faramir, but Elrond, Gimli, Merry, and Pippin all pretty much get the shaft in the films, being mischaracterized and/or reduced to comedy relief. The problem with the change to Faramir is that it not only screwed over a good character, it left a plot hole big enough to drive a Mac truck through.

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For the most part, the movies are good. I can understand needing to make changes to the plot to adapt it to the different medium. What I don't get is the need to change the characters' personalities. Not just Faramir, but Elrond, Gimli, Merry, and Pippin all pretty much get the shaft in the films, being mischaracterized and/or reduced to comedy relief. The problem with the change to Faramir is that it not only screwed over a good character, it left a plot hole big enough to drive a Mac truck through.

I have to really agree with Faramir. IIRC, didn't he refuse the ring in the Two Towers to avoid his brother's fate?

However....

I still enjoy the movies immensely. Part of me was very satisfied with the elves got off their pompous rears and helped out at Helm's deep. It'll be interesting to see what changes are in store for The Return of the King....

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Well the reason the story of arwin and aragorn is played up in the movies is because some people just feel movies won't sell unless it is a female lead of sorts., whether this is peter jackson's doing or the people of mirimax's doing shall forever remain a mystery.

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Well the reason the story of arwin and aragorn is played up in the movies is because some people just feel movies won't sell unless it is a female lead of sorts., whether this is peter jackson's doing or the people of mirimax's doing shall forever remain a mystery.

A mystery? I thought I saw an interview where Peter Jackson't wife, the screenwriter (name?) admits to proposing the change to Peter Jackson... :huh:

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Definately. Midnight showing on an IMAX screen (though not in IMAX format, it must be said).

I'm not as miffed about Shelob being absent from the Two Towers movie as I am about Gandalf (and company) returning to Isengard (and the whole lacking of any hint of Saruman's betrayal of Sauron, but that's a larger issue). I'm really not expecting the Paths of the Dead to be on screen at all. The rest of the Dunedain of Arnor... I don't believe there's been a single reference to Arnor in the movies. It's always been "just" Gondor. So I don't expect to see Halbarad at all.

RotK is really a much shorter book if you don't count the appendices. Most of the Arwen/Aragorn tale seems to be inspired from there. Replacing Glorfindel with Arwen was atrocious IMO, but unfortunately understandable.

Just as bad was the deception of the Ents instead of their conscious decision to enter the conflict... and the replacement of the huorns with the elves. But I won't even get started on the fact that Aragorn STILL has not reforged the sword!

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Of course I had to vote 'yes'. Probably not a midnight showing...perhaps not even opening day...but most likely within the first opening weekend.

The Return of the King was actually my first Tolkien book...I was too young at the time to realize it was the end of a trilogy and perhaps even a little young to climb around his particular writing style. Still, I worked through it and thoroughly enjoyed it (surprisingly, it would take another five years or so for me to get around to reading the rest of it...probably because I rememder the difficulty with the style).

Heck, I'd probably pay full price just to see a short featuring the Dernhelm/Witchking scene. :D

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YES!!! A bunch of my coworkers and I already took the day off, we already have the day planned.

We are going to start early in the morning. My partner is buying both Extended DVD versions.

Watch Fellowship of the Ring, drink beer,

Watch The Two Towers, drink more beer,

grab some fast food on the drive to the theater then

Watch The Return of the King, then go back to his house and drink more beer!

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How could a fan not wanna see this in a theater?!?

The DVDs are awesome, but you haveta experience the grandeur of this films on the big screen. Whether or not you dig Tolkien... regardless of wheter or not you think Peter Jackson has done a worth adaptation of the story... you gotta give the folks at WETA props for nailing the visual aesthetic of Middle Earth. It lives, breathes, and looks alive. Middle Earth is a real place. Just see the movies on the big screen and you won't doubt that!

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