Textbook case of forgetfulness
Dec. 31st, 2002 07:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
napoleonherselfYesterday when I made the emo post, I knew I had actual content I wanted to post, I just couldn't remember what it was.
The content was this: I saw Two Towers yesterday.
Movie. Kicked. Ass.
I actually rather enjoy coming to the movie without having read the book -- it means I can enjoy the movie for itself rather than judge it on what I think it should and shouldn't've encorporated. There are far too many LotR fans who seem to think that, because they've already read and loved and cherished the books, they somehow own the story -- meaning any alteration from their personal vision becomes a personal affront. You don't own the story, people. I'm sorry. The movie's being different from the book does not make it a bad movie. It might make it a bad adaption -- again, I haven't read the books, I wouldn't know -- but it doesn't change whether the movie, as a movie, was good.
Sorry. Soapboxing there. That attitude of ownership just tends to get to me.
First off, these might actually be issues with book for all I know. "That's how it was in the book" isn't a justification for anything. But.
Sam and Frodo are bastards. I'm sorry, but they are. They deserve whatever they get from Gollum. After they got captured by Faramir and company, there's a nice little scene where Sam comforts Frodo, gives a rousing little speech, etc. Gollum looks on from the unimportant background. Frodo is reassured, and all is happy again. Oh, no, wait. Neither of them bothered to so much as glance at Gollum. He's a non-person. Who cares about him? Sam's happy, Frodo's happy, welp, off we go, then. And then the bit where the two hobbitses speak of the tales of the future, tales of Frodo the Brave and Sam the Brave and whatnot. And not a word of THE GUY WHO JUST HAPPENED TO SAVE FRODO THE BRAVE'S ASS EARLIER. Again -- nonperson. He doesn't count. So, I say again, Frodo and Sam deserve whatever happens to them as a result of his actions. I'm looking forward to this "her", whether I discover who she is in reading the books (I'm going to start on FotR as soon as I finish the book I'm currently on, and see about working my way on from there) or in the theater next year. Nobody spoil it for me, either way I wanna be surprised.
Moving on. The bit where the peoples is defending Helm's Deep (including the elves, DAMN but watching the elves marching in was awesome) gave me some trouble. I don't know if this is explained in the book, or if it's just a standard part of defending-the-castle battles in general, but -- why did they wait so long to fire? They have elven archers on their side. Elven archers. With... elven eyes. If they've got elven archers, with elven eyes, and elven aim, why don't those elves use their elven eyes and their elven aim to start offing the baddies BEFORE the baddies get close enough to be able to do the same to them?! Why hold off? Were they hoping that if everyone just stood there long enough, the baddies would lose their nerve, turn around and go home? Is it considered RUDE to not let your guest have the first shot? What is UP with waiting until the enemy is close enough to begin storming your walls to start knocking them down?
Too many Gimli-is-short jokes. Too. Many. Gimli-is-short jokes. We get the idea. He's short. Ha-ha-ha. He's also, as Becky put it, a badass. If you keep going on about what a silly short bumbling little clown he is, we're going to lose respect for him. That's just how it is. Was it Tolkien's intention for me to start seeing this mighty warrior and trusted member of the Fellowship as a clumsy fool who's managed to survive this long solely due to luck and/or the others constantly saving his ass? If so, then movie gets plus five points for succeeding, but minus five for being obvious about it (BECAUSE MAKING FUN OF SHORT PEOPLE IS SO FUNNY HA HA HA HA HA). If not, movie gets negative ten points.
The ents were pretty. Very, very pretty. And so was the scenery. And Gollum? Not to be out of character or anything, but holy shit, what a gorgeous piece of film fakery. I kept having trouble believing that what I was looking at, what was moving around like that and making those facial expressions and speaking to the filthy tricksy hobbitses, wasn't really there. Becky's words were "Gollum gets an Oscar," and I'd have to agree. He should also have gotten a hug, but since Frodo and Sam were STUPID SELF-CENTERED BASTARDS...
I think that's all I had to say about it.
Placed outside of the cut, so it's less likely to be skipped over... why was it punishable by death to enter that one pool thingy? Are they afraid of contamination getting into their Mid-Evian supplies?
The content was this: I saw Two Towers yesterday.
Movie. Kicked. Ass.
I actually rather enjoy coming to the movie without having read the book -- it means I can enjoy the movie for itself rather than judge it on what I think it should and shouldn't've encorporated. There are far too many LotR fans who seem to think that, because they've already read and loved and cherished the books, they somehow own the story -- meaning any alteration from their personal vision becomes a personal affront. You don't own the story, people. I'm sorry. The movie's being different from the book does not make it a bad movie. It might make it a bad adaption -- again, I haven't read the books, I wouldn't know -- but it doesn't change whether the movie, as a movie, was good.
Sorry. Soapboxing there. That attitude of ownership just tends to get to me.
First off, these might actually be issues with book for all I know. "That's how it was in the book" isn't a justification for anything. But.
Sam and Frodo are bastards. I'm sorry, but they are. They deserve whatever they get from Gollum. After they got captured by Faramir and company, there's a nice little scene where Sam comforts Frodo, gives a rousing little speech, etc. Gollum looks on from the unimportant background. Frodo is reassured, and all is happy again. Oh, no, wait. Neither of them bothered to so much as glance at Gollum. He's a non-person. Who cares about him? Sam's happy, Frodo's happy, welp, off we go, then. And then the bit where the two hobbitses speak of the tales of the future, tales of Frodo the Brave and Sam the Brave and whatnot. And not a word of THE GUY WHO JUST HAPPENED TO SAVE FRODO THE BRAVE'S ASS EARLIER. Again -- nonperson. He doesn't count. So, I say again, Frodo and Sam deserve whatever happens to them as a result of his actions. I'm looking forward to this "her", whether I discover who she is in reading the books (I'm going to start on FotR as soon as I finish the book I'm currently on, and see about working my way on from there) or in the theater next year. Nobody spoil it for me, either way I wanna be surprised.
Moving on. The bit where the peoples is defending Helm's Deep (including the elves, DAMN but watching the elves marching in was awesome) gave me some trouble. I don't know if this is explained in the book, or if it's just a standard part of defending-the-castle battles in general, but -- why did they wait so long to fire? They have elven archers on their side. Elven archers. With... elven eyes. If they've got elven archers, with elven eyes, and elven aim, why don't those elves use their elven eyes and their elven aim to start offing the baddies BEFORE the baddies get close enough to be able to do the same to them?! Why hold off? Were they hoping that if everyone just stood there long enough, the baddies would lose their nerve, turn around and go home? Is it considered RUDE to not let your guest have the first shot? What is UP with waiting until the enemy is close enough to begin storming your walls to start knocking them down?
Too many Gimli-is-short jokes. Too. Many. Gimli-is-short jokes. We get the idea. He's short. Ha-ha-ha. He's also, as Becky put it, a badass. If you keep going on about what a silly short bumbling little clown he is, we're going to lose respect for him. That's just how it is. Was it Tolkien's intention for me to start seeing this mighty warrior and trusted member of the Fellowship as a clumsy fool who's managed to survive this long solely due to luck and/or the others constantly saving his ass? If so, then movie gets plus five points for succeeding, but minus five for being obvious about it (BECAUSE MAKING FUN OF SHORT PEOPLE IS SO FUNNY HA HA HA HA HA). If not, movie gets negative ten points.
The ents were pretty. Very, very pretty. And so was the scenery. And Gollum? Not to be out of character or anything, but holy shit, what a gorgeous piece of film fakery. I kept having trouble believing that what I was looking at, what was moving around like that and making those facial expressions and speaking to the filthy tricksy hobbitses, wasn't really there. Becky's words were "Gollum gets an Oscar," and I'd have to agree. He should also have gotten a hug, but since Frodo and Sam were STUPID SELF-CENTERED BASTARDS...
I think that's all I had to say about it.
Placed outside of the cut, so it's less likely to be skipped over... why was it punishable by death to enter that one pool thingy? Are they afraid of contamination getting into their Mid-Evian supplies?
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I am a fantasy GEEK as is evidenced by the length of this.
Date: 2002-12-31 08:41 pm (UTC)The "she" is going to be terrifying. But very, very cool. Get thee to the end of The Two Towers to find out more.
The Battle of Helm's Deep: I know nothing of military strategy. But that scene where Merry and Pippin saw a river of orcs heading towards Rohan was one of the coolest scenes ever.
Yes, on the Gimli-is-short jokes. Geez, you'd think he was a DWARF or something... Also way too much Arwen.
ENTS! Love ents! Want to ride on an ent! Would never piss off an ent! I love the scene where they clean up Isengard! I nearly got up and cheered when they pulled the dam down.
If Gollum/Smeagol gets an Oscar, I hope Andy Sirkis goes up to the podium and hisses "What hassss it got in itss envelopessssesss, precioussssss?" That would be all the proof I need that there is a god and it loves us all.
*Yes, I see a difference between Gollum and Smeagol. Gollum is the mean, hateful one that wants to kill them all and get the Precious. Smeagol is the pathetic one who wants to please Master and help them get to Mordor. It's in the book too, but I didn't see the difference until I saw the movie.
As a Tolkien Geek and the daughter of a Tolkien Geek, I don't mind the movie "straying" from the book. I think the books and movies are complementary to each other. But then, I am a kind, understanding soul who is in a distinct minority.
Re: I am a fantasy GEEK as is evidenced by the length of this.
Date: 2002-12-31 09:55 pm (UTC)Yes, the difference is that I knew how to spell one but not the other and so decided to avoid the other so as not to come off as any more Jenny-come-lately than I have to. Heh.
> But that scene where Merry and Pippin saw a river of orcs heading towards Rohan was one of the coolest scenes ever.
Agreed. At first my eyes were telling me it actually WAS a river, like, of oddly-dark water...
> If Gollum/Smeagol gets an Oscar, I hope Andy Sirkis goes up to the podium and hisses "What hassss it got in itss envelopessssesss, precioussssss?" That would be all the proof I need that there is a god and it loves us all.
AGREED.
Re: I am a fantasy GEEK as is evidenced by the length of this.
Date: 2003-01-01 06:50 am (UTC)Re: I am a fantasy GEEK as is evidenced by the length of this.
Date: 2003-01-01 01:01 pm (UTC)DEATH
*looks around*
Huh. Well. JUSTICE ALREADY SERVED -- PIE FOR ALL
Re: I am a fantasy GEEK as is evidenced by the length of this.
Date: 2003-01-07 04:53 pm (UTC)Lots of Elven names start to sound like a Cardiff telephone directory after a while. "Your Majesty! Captain Llanyflanwpants has fallen on the field of Symwnddaertaid!"
no subject
Date: 2003-01-01 12:44 pm (UTC)Personally I thought this was a good bit.
You don't have an unlimited number of arrows, so let's wait until we can take two dozen orcs on a ladder down with one, or at least until you really, really, *really* know where you're aiming.
Then again, everyone knows elves have glands on their back that secrete arrows, so it's gotta just be the 'it looks so much more dramatic that way' thing.
no subject
Date: 2003-01-01 01:00 pm (UTC)But, yeah, the drama, definitely the drama.
It must hurt to secrete an arrow.
Re: Just cause I've read them all before birth
Date: 2003-01-01 09:31 pm (UTC)I hope Gimli gets some chance to redeem himself in third movie. Otherwise I must find and eat some scriptwriters.
no subject
Date: 2003-01-04 10:46 pm (UTC)