December 24, 2003

The King Returneth
Annatar

The Return Of The King, I've seen it twice so far (there will be many more) and I gotta say that it does get better with repeated viewing. One anticipates greater things to come with the extended DVD, including:
1) Saurman scenes (as promised)
2) The Crossroad scene (orc head on statue of the king)
3) Gandalf/Witchking faceoff
4) Extended Frodo/Sam scenes in Mordor, including them getting drafted into the marching Orcs (where there's a whip there's a will my slugs)
5) Mouth of Sauron
These are just a few that springs to mind. Of course some may not have been filmed ("why not?" I cry in desperation). The film is pretty good in all fairness, the Pippin singing scene... wow, the advancing 6000... amazing. Some of the dialog was a little, erm, off, but like I have said aforetime, I'm picky. Unlike TTT I have no major gripes, the only one that comes close is the use of the Army Of The Dead on the Pelennor, and I grudingly accept that it had to be done because of time restraints. Tiny annoyances: why was it so bright on the Pelennor fields? My worries months ago were well founded, we here in Ireland suffer from darker days than any Mordor can produce seemingly. So much for the Great Darkness. Denethors demise/plunge was uncalled for, as was the omission of the existence of the Minas Tirith Palantir. Oh that reminds me, what of Aragorn looking into and challenging Sauron?

The ending was also a bit, odd. It could have been trimmed just a little, one or two seconds would have made the world of difference so as not to make it feel dragged out.

While I love the film and will see it repeatedly (Aye and treasure it) I can't help but think that the script writers wandered a tad a little too far from the book when it was not necessary. Book to movie, requires change, but did really require so much?

Give me time and all my gripes will fade.
I still figure the Fellowship to be the best (mind you ROTK may supplant it in time, I'll never understand how some people think TTT is the best, oh well no pleasing some people ;) )

Anyways, to all a happy and peacefull Christmas. Santa Annatar will put a Ring in all your stockings. May the blessings of Nazgul, Orcs and all free(ish) folk go with you all :) Ash Nazg...