Getcher first-day reviews heah!

[lagilman]

And lo, we did get tickets for the first day. And lo, we did purge our bladders and carb-load beforehand. And lo, we did sit...

And the verdict is...


As an adaption? It was (probably unavoidably) flawed.

As a movie in its own right? Duuuuude.

Not perfect, no, and dark and grim (as was the book) and slow in places in ways people with less patience waiting for the payoff might find annoying, but still. Wow.

(side note: other people have found fault with the music. All I can say is that I usually don't notice the soundtrack and here I did. I'd rather not be aware of it, yeah. But when I did notice it was to note that it was working.)

And I love the fact that they take it all the way to the end of the book. People kept trying to applaud at what they thought was the ending, to the point of laughter. But they were appluading, and rightfully so.

So, summation -- not perfect but still fabulous. And when taken three-as-one? Magic. Sheer, bladder-torturing magic. *grin*

(And yes, damn it, I did stage-whisper "King!" at the coronation scene. And my friend counterposted with "He washed his hair!)

Damn right I'm going again. And lord, oh lord I already cannot wait for the exteeeeeended version!

Comments

[kathlaw.livejournal.com]

(And yes, damn it, I did stage-whisper "King!" at the coronation scene. And my friend counterposted with "He washed his hair!)

LOL! I'm really looking forward to this. After my revisions are turned in. And I sleep. I'll probably see it early Friday afternoon, since I don't want to pay evening prices.

I confess I'm seeing it solo in part to avoid hearing more complaints about the music. I just want to savor the whole experience. Besides, sometimes it's nice to see movies solo with the only comments occurring inside my own head. :-)

[vampry.livejournal.com]

I agree with everything.

I would love to see all three of them, extended versions, together. And I plan to...right after the DVD for this one comes out.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

And yes, damn it, I did stage-whisper "King!" at the coronation scene


I almost disgraced myself by shouting "See! He tried something and Sam killed him!" at the tower. The Diaries have warped my mind.

Am also looking towards the extended version. And I liked the music. Didn't like the 17 endings, though, particularly the very last one. He should have stopped with the boat sailing into the sun, if he couldn't stop earlier.

[lagilman]

Ah, but if he had left out any of the endings, TruFen would have been up in arms.

Besides, I like the bit with Sam coming home. Rounded the telling out nicely. Could have done without the shot of the ship into sunset, myself, because that felt like overkill.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I have a feeling fans will be arguing about which ending was the "right" one for the rest of time... Actually, I didn't mind all the scattershot concluding scenes, but I really wish he hadn't put those 3-second blackouts between them. That's what really made it feel less like a conclusion and more like "The End." "The End." "Fooled you! The End." "Another End." "Son of the End Strikes Back." "The End. Really. I mean it." "The Realio Trulio End of Ends (until the extended DVD, anyway)."

I will also say that although the Cleansing of the Shire was one of my favorite parts from the book, I also rather like the idea that the Shire didn't need cleansing.