george just aint as hip as he used to be,hey it happens.

DarthAbdul-Jabbar

I would love to hear your suggestion as to how Lucas would pull off creating a CLONE ARMY without CGI. Pretty please? With sugar on top?

 

You know something there is one criticism I could never fathom from some people and that was that in TPM & now in AOTC things were too cartoonish.

I still can't see what they mean. Everything to me looks real when I see them both, when i see the action scenes or a CGI character I see something real. Computer games and cartoons are alot worse than the CGI stuff you see in the prequels.

This kind of criticism is from someone who can't widen their mind and suspend their disbelief.

 

I think it makes more sense for Sam's combat skills to grow over time; a gardener doesn't become a warrior without a little practice along the way. (And don't forget who fought hardest against the Nazgul.)

As for the journey to Rivendell, I agree with what was cut. If we'd gotten the book filmed verbatim, that one leg of the journey would have lasted a good four hours, most of which would have been uneventful walking (with occasional songs along the way). Tom Bombadil would have appeared, lingered for fifteen minutes or so, then vanished with no significant bearing on the rest of the plot. Ditto for Farmer Maggot and the elves. Meanwhile, the audience slips into a coma.

Some books are written in such a way that they translate to film without a hitch. Fellowship is not such a book. Adaptation isn't about keeping every detail from the book intact; it's about keeping the ones that count.

 

I think Lucas put his heart and soul into the prequels. Times change, so do his movies.

 

fair enough, durwood - you have my apologies.
i'm glad to see that you have elaborated on your opinions this time. i now understand your point of view, and agree to an extent.

my biggest gripe is the huge leap from the shire to bree. i will be sorely disappointed if tom bombadil does not sing his way into the extended edition.

on-topic post: really, i don't think lucas has changed much at all. in the seventies he liked making movies about chases and races and sarcastic wit.

THX 1138
American Graffiti
Star Wars
More American Graffiti
Empire Strikes Back
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Return of the Jedi
The Temple of Doom
Willow
The Last Crusade
The Phantom Menace
Attack of the Clones

watch him progress as a storyteller, from one style to the same style over the years.

 

"i will be sorely disappointed if tom bombadil does not sing his way into the extended edition."

He won't. I don't think he exists anymore.

 

...but didn't "LOTR" WIN Best Cinematography?

Last time I checked, AOTC hadn't even finished principal photography when LOTR was nominated for the Oscars. Duh!

If you find endless interior forest sequences for 75% of the movie great cinematography, good for you.

Can you Tolkein geeks please take it outside? Your endless drivel is beginning to give me a headache.

 

did he die about the same time as my father?

 

"If you find endless interior forest sequences for 75% of the movie great cinematography, good for you."

You're talking about art direction, not cinematography. Not that I've got any complaints about the art direction either; I loved the look of the Shire, Barad-dur and Minas Tirith, to name just a few.

"did he die about the same time as my father?"

I told you to forget it.

 

@ darth geist

how unfortunate that people can't enjoy the beauty of our own planet - not only is cinematography the art of moving photography, which has nothing to do with choosing locations, 75% of lotr was not filmed in the forest - there were snow-capped mountains, hobbit holes, a medieval-looking village, an underground skirmish, and that's just the first installment - wait till #2 - when they go through the swamps and oh wait, there's going to be some trees.

 

The fact that Lucas isn't worried about being "hip" is the reason the prequels will stand the test of time, IMO.

 

I'm just glad Lucas was generous enough to give us the complete saga.

I mean, we are very lucky to be getting the rest of the episodes.

 

Yeah. What's really cool and hip now will be considered incredibly dated and cheesy in a couple of years.

 

George Lucas has a lot to
learn from Peter Jackson!

 

Lucas has a lot to learn from Peter Jackson?

Like what?

 

Its his opinion but I totally disagree.

 

Well, let's look at Christopher Lee in both movies. Which performance do you think was better? His Saruman in LOTR or his Count Dooku in AOTC? I like his more casual under-played type of evil as Dooku. "As you see my Jedi powers are far beyond yours. Now back down."

 

By the way, I found the "magic" shot in Episode II:

When the galactic hologram map appears and the subtle choir kicks in. That part really hit me.

 

yeah, i found it funny that dooku was not only the exact same character as sauruman, but also played by the same actor!

Brilliant!

 

I think it makes more sense for Sam's combat skills to grow over time; a gardener doesn't become a warrior without a little practice along the way.

But in Tolkien's tale, Sam was a warrior at heart if not in deed, a brave lad who could hold his own in the face of extreme danger. In the book, he was in fact the first hobbit to kill an orc. Jackson threw out this characterization in favor of his cliche bumbling clown cowering in the corner and getting a few lucky shots in.

As for the journey to Rivendell, I agree with what was cut. If we'd gotten the book filmed verbatim, that one leg of the journey would have lasted a good four hours...

I'm not asking for such a film as you are correct in saying that it would be virtually unwatchable. But I'm also not asking for one that covers huge chunks of narrative with a couple helicopter shots either. The journey could have been made more eventful, more epic in scope if Jackson had shown the characters interacting (and I'm talking meaningful interaction as opposed to things like the "What about second breakfast?" routine. That had more relation to Abott and Costello reciting "Who's on first?" than it did to actual dialogue and character interaction.) The journey should have been about getting to know the characters as opposed to a mere transition from one story location to the next.

I describe the film verion of The Fellowship Of The Ring as a few brief highlights of the story, the Cliff Notes version if you will, rather than a faithful retelling of the epic tale.

Now don't get me wrong, the movie wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to seeing the extended cut on DVD (I may even rent the theatrical version in the mean time). However, having read the books countless times over the years, I can't help but feel that Jackson's interpretation felt a bit hollow at times.

And I'm sorry if I'm talking too much Lord Of The Rings for some of you, but this is the best Rings discussion I've had yet. The folks over at TheOneRing.net won't stand for any criticism of the film! You think we Star Wars gushers are bad? We don't hold a candle to the Ringers!

As for Lucas, he's not trying to be hip, he's just trying to tell a story. It's what makes his movies timeless classics.

 

perhaps you are right about your cliff notes statement, durwood. maybe the reason it felt so good was because i already knew the characters from the books. can't wait for the at the end of part 2.

 

Yes, I envy those folks who don't know the story as the ending of The Two Towers is going to slap them silly like it did the first time I read it!

 

Are you referencing the part where Frodo eats the cake and becomes a giant? Oops!

 

you're thinking of alice, obehave.

 

Sam attacking orcs with pots and pans?

For some reason I find that hilarious. Pippin and Merry are my biggest complaint about FOTR. The whole sequence between leaving Hobbiton, encountering Maggot and the Elves does much in introducing us to Merry and Pippin. What we get in the film is totally different. Instead Peter Jackson just cut all that out and introduces them by having them leap out of bushes and acting like Jack the Lads. Oh and setting off fireworks at Bilbos party (Where the hell is that in the book?).