![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beansideWent to see LoTR: TTT yesterday, so hopefully, we'll have a review up on Two Dykes in the next day or so, but in the meantime, I have a few words, which are cut-lined to prevent spoilers.
Holy fuck.
Damn, can I be Peter Jackson when I grow up?
I loved "Fellowship of the Ring." I loved it for it's intimacy, for the sweetness of the hobbits, the untouchable elves, and the valiant humans. I fell in love with resolute little Frodo, loyal Sam, the beautiful and dangerous Galadriel, and especially the tormented Boromir. To this day, the memory of his choked out "They took the little ones," just kills me. (And might I add, the scene that was added in the Special Addition between Boromir and Frodo is just heartrending. "You carry the weight of all of us, little one. Don't carry the weight of the dead as well.") And if I was sad that Legolas and Gimli were reduced to near scenery, I could deal with it.
So, like so many movies this year, I went into the theater with elevated expectations (see prior rants on "Men In Black 2," "Queen of the Damned," the "Time Machine," and really, anything that wasn't "Spider-man," James Bond, or Harry Potter.) I've been disappointed a lot this year. It was partially redeemed by the surprise of the year, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," but overall, movies sucked this year. For every Spider-man, there was a Reign of Fire (humanity was so fucking stupid, I was rooting for the dragons).
And now, we came to "The Two Towers."
Holy hell.
I forgive New Line Cinema for every piece of shit they've put out over the last 10 years. I forgive them for "Dungeons & Dragons," for "Little Nicky," even for the neverending "Nightmare On Elm Street" movies. (If the next one is as good as this one, I'll be forgiving them for "Gone With the Wind")
I say this mainly because for them to have the balls to let Peter Jackson do this the way it should be done is unprecedented. $310 million dollars. In the hands of a lesser director, it could have been a disaster. Instead, it's a beautiful celebration of what movies can be.
Peter Jackson loves his job. And it shows in every frame, whether it's the aching realization of Frodo that Gollum is his mirror--twisted by the Ring, or the black wave that is Saruman's army, or the quiet beauty of the Elves, it touches you.
Legolas and Gimli are given more screen time in this movie, and the effect is amazing. By the end of the movie, I think I was more invested in them than almost any other characters. They managed to convey more emotion in a glance, or a quirked smile than most actors do with volumes of lines. Plus, goddamn, badass central, hello!
Between the axe o' doom and the Amazing Surfing Elf, why do we need an army? To shamelessly rip off Buffy, "Now that is who you want to party with."
I love Sir Ian. Nuff said. If we weren't both gay as the day is long, I'd stalk him. (Plus, anyone who's seen the Special Edition commentary will know why any slasher will have a soft spot for the man. Paraphrasing horribly, "I made sure Elijah and Sean A. touched like lovers for my entertainment. It's in the book, dammit, and I owed it to all the gay guys who like to see young men pet each other.") Oh, and Gandalf? Serious kick-ass, especially the scene with Theoden. "You have no power here, Gandalf the Grey." I'd have paid for a cut away to Christopher Lee when the grey robe hit the floor. "Oh...shit."
Helm's Deep was just...damn. Children being suited up for war, standing resolute in the face of danger--it just drove home the terrible cost of this war. The cost, and the stakes. Before the battle, when the Elven army marches up to the gate, Haldir in the lead, I was nearly in tears. "A long time ago, there was an alliance between the worlds of Elves and Men. We come today to honor that alliance." Simple words, but an unmistakable power behind them.
And when all is lost, and our heroes have ridden out, proud and true, into certain death, Aragorn looks to the east, to the rising sun. And as he promised, Gandalf is there. When Eomer rides up beside him, his army streaming behind, again, I'm nearly in tears.
At the end, when Sam is musing over whether one day Frodo will be a story that people tell their children, a heroic bedtime story to lull them to sleep, Frodo comes back to himself for a moment, and we see the gentle natured hobbit we met at the beginning. "You're forgetting an important character, though. Sam the Brave. Frodo wouldn't have made it without his Sam." God, I could have bawled.
So, now that I've rambled, let me finish by saying, "Is it next year yet? Dammit, Peter! I want more!" Which, afterall, is the best compliment I could possibly give a movie.
Holy fuck.
Damn, can I be Peter Jackson when I grow up?
I loved "Fellowship of the Ring." I loved it for it's intimacy, for the sweetness of the hobbits, the untouchable elves, and the valiant humans. I fell in love with resolute little Frodo, loyal Sam, the beautiful and dangerous Galadriel, and especially the tormented Boromir. To this day, the memory of his choked out "They took the little ones," just kills me. (And might I add, the scene that was added in the Special Addition between Boromir and Frodo is just heartrending. "You carry the weight of all of us, little one. Don't carry the weight of the dead as well.") And if I was sad that Legolas and Gimli were reduced to near scenery, I could deal with it.
So, like so many movies this year, I went into the theater with elevated expectations (see prior rants on "Men In Black 2," "Queen of the Damned," the "Time Machine," and really, anything that wasn't "Spider-man," James Bond, or Harry Potter.) I've been disappointed a lot this year. It was partially redeemed by the surprise of the year, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," but overall, movies sucked this year. For every Spider-man, there was a Reign of Fire (humanity was so fucking stupid, I was rooting for the dragons).
And now, we came to "The Two Towers."
Holy hell.
I forgive New Line Cinema for every piece of shit they've put out over the last 10 years. I forgive them for "Dungeons & Dragons," for "Little Nicky," even for the neverending "Nightmare On Elm Street" movies. (If the next one is as good as this one, I'll be forgiving them for "Gone With the Wind")
I say this mainly because for them to have the balls to let Peter Jackson do this the way it should be done is unprecedented. $310 million dollars. In the hands of a lesser director, it could have been a disaster. Instead, it's a beautiful celebration of what movies can be.
Peter Jackson loves his job. And it shows in every frame, whether it's the aching realization of Frodo that Gollum is his mirror--twisted by the Ring, or the black wave that is Saruman's army, or the quiet beauty of the Elves, it touches you.
Legolas and Gimli are given more screen time in this movie, and the effect is amazing. By the end of the movie, I think I was more invested in them than almost any other characters. They managed to convey more emotion in a glance, or a quirked smile than most actors do with volumes of lines. Plus, goddamn, badass central, hello!
Between the axe o' doom and the Amazing Surfing Elf, why do we need an army? To shamelessly rip off Buffy, "Now that is who you want to party with."
I love Sir Ian. Nuff said. If we weren't both gay as the day is long, I'd stalk him. (Plus, anyone who's seen the Special Edition commentary will know why any slasher will have a soft spot for the man. Paraphrasing horribly, "I made sure Elijah and Sean A. touched like lovers for my entertainment. It's in the book, dammit, and I owed it to all the gay guys who like to see young men pet each other.") Oh, and Gandalf? Serious kick-ass, especially the scene with Theoden. "You have no power here, Gandalf the Grey." I'd have paid for a cut away to Christopher Lee when the grey robe hit the floor. "Oh...shit."
Helm's Deep was just...damn. Children being suited up for war, standing resolute in the face of danger--it just drove home the terrible cost of this war. The cost, and the stakes. Before the battle, when the Elven army marches up to the gate, Haldir in the lead, I was nearly in tears. "A long time ago, there was an alliance between the worlds of Elves and Men. We come today to honor that alliance." Simple words, but an unmistakable power behind them.
And when all is lost, and our heroes have ridden out, proud and true, into certain death, Aragorn looks to the east, to the rising sun. And as he promised, Gandalf is there. When Eomer rides up beside him, his army streaming behind, again, I'm nearly in tears.
At the end, when Sam is musing over whether one day Frodo will be a story that people tell their children, a heroic bedtime story to lull them to sleep, Frodo comes back to himself for a moment, and we see the gentle natured hobbit we met at the beginning. "You're forgetting an important character, though. Sam the Brave. Frodo wouldn't have made it without his Sam." God, I could have bawled.
So, now that I've rambled, let me finish by saying, "Is it next year yet? Dammit, Peter! I want more!" Which, afterall, is the best compliment I could possibly give a movie.
