5th Anniversary of TTT release

[Meneltarmacil]

Well, today is December 18th, 2007, and five years to the day since TTT was released in theaters.

I regret not doing this with FOTR, but how have your thoughts toward the movie changed?

Personally, I actually feel better about it than I did when I watched it five years ago, my reactions then being "What? Going to Osgiliath? NOOOOOOOOO!" and "What? No Shelob or confrontation with Saruman? NOOOOOOOOO!"

Now, though, I've still got bad feelings about the first change I mentioned, but not as many due to the essay mentioned on here that makes a case for Frodo and Sam being the ones who had really changed, but the EE of ROTK corrected the second one enough for me.

[Sauron the White]

It seems that others have not forgotten that anniversary as well. TTT did give us our first look at the Ents.

http://www.gocomics.com/foxtrot/

[MatthewM]

Happy 5th for TTT! Well, I love TTT, although it is my least favorite out of the trilogy. I saw it so many times in theatres I honestly forgot the number. When I started getting really nitpicky about what PJ didn't put in from the books a year or two later, I was a bit disgruntled at the film for quite a long time because it is in my opinion the film that deviated the most from the book.

However, now I'm kind of neutral on it. I accept it for what it is. It is a great film, and we see the first appearance of Theoden, of the Ents, and although it was streched out longer than it should have been, the battle of Helm's Deep.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

I love TTT... you could see me watching TTT and TTT only for a very long time! I didn't even watch FotR or RotK!

And to think when It came out I said I hated it and would never like it!(But of course I was only 8 or 9)

[Gwathagor]

Well...TTT is my favorite film artistically, but is my least favorite as an adaptation. There are a number of silly things: Aragorn floating down a river, the Ents being old and backwards, Eowyn/Aragorn flirting, etc.
I think TTT definitely benefited the most from the extended scenes. While I didn't feel any better about Faramir behaving like an idiot, at least the extended version motivates his idiocy. That, and the Huorns at Helm's Deep appeased my righteous indignation somewhat.
Like I said, I do really like the artistic elements of TTT. The color scheme and the soundtrack and the cinematography all complement each other splendidly.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

Well, as I said TTT was my favourite movie, but now I can't decide, they are all good movies! But Gwathagor, my friend said that TTT was her favourite movie too, not because of the adaptation, but because how ot was put together!

[TheLostRanger]

When I'm not in the mood for a movie marathon of all 3 (which I haven't done in a long time) I find myself watching either Fellowship or RotK. Obvious reasons being that they are the beggining and end of the saga. Immediately after seeing TTT all I could think about was how great RotK was going to be and not really appreciating TTT as much as I should have. Like Gwathagor said it was the worst adaption, though it does have a great feel to it. Overall a great movie... the 3rd best movie ever made...

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

What's the second and first best made?

[Mithalwen]

Nope - it is still teh film in which Aragorn appears struggles to distinguish being snogged by a horse with being kissed by Arwen (but then in a poll I conducted at the time 90% thought that the horse was probably the better kisser)

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

(Warning: the content of this post is a personal opinion and it may seem offensive to someone who likes the Two Towers movie. If you strongly like the movie, rather don't read it.)

Maybe I should watch the TT once more, for I did not do so for a long time (the movie I've been watching the most times since seeing it for the first time was FotR, I even saw it once in the last year, in January - and TT I haven't seen for who knows how long). Yet I still don't have any good reasons to watch that movie, as I can't think of anything that would please me. We were on the premiere with two of my friends. The beginning was interesting, then it went in the scheme of anticipation followed by disappointment, and from the scene when Gandalf called Shadowfax to him, the horror unfolded. I remember me and my friends gave looks to each other as if we gave condolences to each other, and after the movie ended, we spent more than an hour standing on the Wenceslas Square (it was about 1 AM) and discussing all terrible things we saw, starting with Legolas' quotes (as always) through Gimli's joke scenes and ending with Aragorn's death. And the Orc who arrives to Helm's Deep carrying the Olympic Fire, you know what I mean? Gandalf's almost vertical descent with the reinforcements to Helm's Deep. Not to mention that Éomer was there. Osgiliath, of course. Faramir's desire to take the Ring, oh my. Shadowfax and his slow motion appearance (that was the breaking moment, and we all agreed with my friends that we were all close to vomit at that place). Treebeard and his phlegmatism. No visit of Isengard. "Exorcism" of Théoden and the kung-fu film scene that preceded (Gandalf proceeding through the hall and his bodyguards kick the Rohirrim soldiers). The ride of the Rohirrim out of the gate of Helm's Deep over the bridge, literally pushing down the Orcs. Some 300 Rohirrim reinforcements victorious over what still had to be thousands of Orcs down there (not to mention that the cavalry rode directly on the spears). Théoden who remains coward even when healed and escapes to Helm's Deep(!!!). The things they called Wargs. Legolas and his skateboard. The "count of frags" between Gimli and Legolas degraded to several shouts in the end. "Haleth, son of Háma, my lord" and these horrible children, what a silliness!!!
And was it also in this one when Arwen wanted to leave Middle-Earth? Resp. Elrond wanted her to leave?

Now that I think of it, I have to say there were several good things. The flashes and rain at Helm's Deep when the Orcs come - it was a nice picture. Erm... and... that's it, probably.

Hm, haven't I already posted such a rant here somewhere? I got the feeling I've done that before.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

I hear ya, Legate.

For a really, really intelligent and perceptive evisceration of Two Towers: Peter Jackson's Version, by a pragmatic Purist who also happens to know his cinematic art, check this out:

http://oddlots.digitalspace.net/arth..._promises.html

I can recall about three good things about TT/PJV. Arwen at Aragorn's tomb with Elrond's voiceover (Genuine Tolkien Text(tm); Wormtongue's observations about and to Eowyn (GTT(tm) again, even if 'borrowed'); and Theoden's arming scene (remarkably, GTT(tm) again).

[Morwen]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hickli

I hear ya, Legate.


I can recall about three good things about TT/PJV. Arwen at Aragorn's tomb with Elrond's voiceover (Genuine Tolkien Text(tm); Wormtongue's observations about and to Eowyn (GTT(tm) again, even if 'borrowed'); and Theoden's arming scene (remarkably, GTT(tm) again).

I liked the scene showing Arwen looking down on the dead Aragorn, especially since Tolkien's own words are used in Elrond's voiceover. It's a good example of material from the Appendices being used to enrich the main story.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Well, I do remember saying "You're darn right!" when Sam says "By all rights we shouldn't be here" in Osgiliath. I just last week rewatched my EE DVDs, and this evening TTT was on German TV. There's one good thing about that - an LotR movie showing on Tolkien's birthday!

I do agree with William on the three good things; I might come up with one or two more if I stop to think, but it's late in the evening here, so I can only follow Legolas' example and state the obvious!

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

Well, I do remember saying "You're darn right!" when Sam says "By all rights we shouldn't be here" in Osgiliath. I just last week rewatched my EE DVDs, and this evening TTT was on German TV. There's one good thing about that - an LotR movie showing on Tolkien's birthday!

I do agree with William on the three good things; I might come up with one or two more if I stop to think, but it's late in the evening here, so I can only follow Legolas' example and state the obvious!

Oh yes, I said that too! But rights (book rights), they shouldn't even be there!