New LOTR trailer (1 Viewer)

[Matt_Stevens]

I am amazed how people don't seem to understand that turning a book into a film REQUIRES changes. It is impossible to translate it all to the screen. We cannot have three 10 hours movies. Look at SHOGUN. The mini-series is 10 hours long and yet it leaves out about half the book, if not more (yet it's a perfect adaptation. One of the best mini-series' of all time).
Changes will and MUST be made and it is up to the filmmaker to do his best to tell the story of the book on film and thankfully, it looks like Peter Jackson loves these books and will stay close to them, where as most filmmakers simply throw them out and turn them into bastardizations that do not even resemble the author's work.
(Phillip Noyce and the pathetic PATRIOT GAMES and the even worse off CLEAR & PRESENT DANGER, which ranks as one of the most disappointing film adaptations in history.)
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[Keith Yatsuhashi]

I absolutely know some things must be changed if for no other reason than for the sake of time. However, from the preview, some of the changes don't make sense to me. Be that as it may, I fully understand that it is unfair to judge the entire film based on previews. The film must work as a whole. My main complaint is with the FX. Some look great. But again, the Fellowship in the boats on the Anduin looked really, really bad to me. I was actually shocked at how bad it looked. Didn't anyone notice it?

 

[Rob Gillespie]

I noticed the scene alright, but I can't honestly say it looked 'really really bad' to me.

 

[TheLongshot]

But again, the Fellowship in the boats on the Anduin looked really, really bad to me.

It looked fine to me on the video copy I've been watching over and over again.
The CG will probably fail minorly in some parts of the film (It does in most films I've seen), but it won't ruin my enjoyment of it.
Jason
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My DVD Collection

 

[Keith Yatsuhashi]

I guess I need to watch it again. But at first glance I didn't like it. I've heard people complaining about cheesy dialog, but I doubt LOTR will sink to the level of cliche. That already makes it better than 95% of what's out there.

 

[Eric Bass]

I really don't mean to nitpick but I have to agree with some of the above posts. Obviously no one in their right mind expected the movie to follow the books exactly. However, as mentioned above, there are a decent number of changes being made that I don't understand entirely. I don't want to judge this film before I see it, but it also causes me no small concern that a so-called Tolkien purist such as the director is claimed to be would change so much that would work fine as is. Action scenes are changed, diologue is different, characters are changing roles. Maybe it'll all work out for the best in the end, but I have a hard time believing that all these changes that will be made are really necessary.

 

[Michael Dueppen]

WOW! Oh my god
I will so be there.
In fact, I put up my tent in front of the only local cinema, that shows movies in their original language, already

(I hope they won't put subs on this here).
Wow, excuse me, I gotta go watch the trailer again
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- Michael
My DVD collection
[Edited last by Michael Dueppen on September 28, 2001 at 12:32 PM]
[Edited last by Michael Dueppen on September 28, 2001 at 03:13 PM]

 

[Dominik Droscher]

Michael, I also hope to see the movie as fast as possible in the english version. I would hate it to hear Gandalf (I am so glad they choose Gandalf himself to play his role and not some Shakespearian actor ) dubbed. The German trailers are not so bad but it is not the real deal!
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-Dominik Dröscher ICQ: 25318265
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes."

 

[Joshua Moran]

What is the new music in this trailer it rocks. I am trying to figure out the choral parts and which music piece that is. Was it created specifically for the LOTR trailers and Movie or is it from another film? please help me out. Also I had to prepurchase the LOTR DVD player. Can't pass the 17 makeing of up.

 

[Kami]

Can't say I agree with your opinion on the Aduin scene. I thought it looked great. Overall the effects and cinematography are superb.

 

[Jason Hughes]

Does anybody know if they have settled on a running time for this? There have been rumors (in EW, I believe) that the running time may approach three hours. The longer, the better IMO.

 

[Kami]

FOTR will be 2 hours, 45 minutes as far as I know. Wasn't this confirmed a while ago?
The original cut was something like 3 hours, 30 minutes. The director's cuts will be released on DVD, so I assume that's how long they would be (or close to it).
[Edited last by Kami on September 29, 2001 at 10:51 PM]

 

[Phil Florian]

I need to find a cool quote by Ian McKellan about adapting great works of fiction. It was a nifty piece that compared his adaptation of "Richard III" (which I loved, btw) and LOTR. He noted that a novel/play adapted for the screen will lose some of it's density, but in the end, the original source remains. The point, I think, is that nothing is really "changed" as you can always go back to the book and read it the way it was intended originally. The movies are merely interpretations. He said it a lot better, but if anyone can find it, it would be a nice read for this discussion. I will look again. Saw it on one of the many sites where I was searchin for a cool wallpaper (went with French movie poster as it has cool pic of Bilbo...first I have seen).
Watching this trailer has gotten me as excited as the original Star Wars: Episode One trailer...which of course was a lot of promise followed by a let down. Don't think it will happen again, but here's hoping. I am rereading all the books for this season's movies (LOTR, Harry Potter, From Hell, etc.) and I think the interpretations look good.
I disagree about the previous poster's interpretation of Frodo's stance at the Ford...if I remember, he passed out in fear as the waves overtook the Black Riders. He freaks out a lot in the book and it is of course the ending where we see the real Frodo come forth.
As for the trailer giving anything away...only if you haven't read the book...and if you hadn't, it doesn't make a lot of sense (since characters aren't known to them).
I like the line changes that I have heard. They succinctly say what the same character said in three paragraphs in the book ("We must turn back" cries Aragorn "No!" cries Gandalf...which in the book was a debate that raged for a couple of pages).
For all of it's wonder, Tolkien needs to be shortened. Cut the first half of the book and nothing would be missed (cut after them heading out from the Shire). Some of it is creepy good, but much of it is descriptions of the terrain and grumbling of the Hobbits for more food. The last half is wonderful and he keeps up the pace until the end. Glad to see some of that cut.
Character I am most worried about in translation is, of all people, Sam. Frodo and the rest of the Fellowship, while hip, don't seem to have as many layers as Sam does in the book. Merry and Pippin play the same tune as do some of the others (not a bad thing, just not deep). But Sam really has a lot of neat character moments that I am hoping that actor can pull off.
Ah, who am I kidding. Worried or not, I am there opening minute of the show. What a great looking film. Jackson has yet to disappoint (though I haven't seen much of his older films, only his more recent "HEavenly Creatures" and "Frighteners," both widely overlooked yet amazing).
Phil
[Edited last by Phil Florian on September 29, 2001 at 11:15 PM]

 

[Andy Sheets]

For all of it's wonder, Tolkien needs to be shortened. Cut the first half of the book and nothing would be missed (cut after them heading out from the Shire). Some of it is creepy good, but much of it is descriptions of the terrain and grumbling of the Hobbits for more food. The last half is wonderful and he keeps up the pace until the end. Glad to see some of that cut.

From what I've read of Jackson's comments on the project, this is pretty much the main reasoning behind most of the changes that are being made. When he talked about making changes, the first thing he mentioned was trying to find ways to get the hobbits to Rivendell as quickly as possible since Tolkien is very leisurely with that and the film would be something like 4 1/2 hours long if they really stayed true to it. So Tom Bombadil (who'd be hard to do onscreen anyway) and the barrow wights get cut out. And the council scene is very long, so that has to be shortened. And skimming back over the book again last night, I looked over the scene with Pippin and the well. In the book, a fair amount of time passes between that event and the attack of the orcs. It's a few pages and it's the kind of time that might drag in a film. It appears in the film that they went something that's a bit more emphatic and gets the action going much quicker, so again, it's a change that has to be made for the sake of keeping the film moving.

 

[JohnE]

Some look great. But again, the Fellowship in the boats on the Anduin looked really, really bad to me. I was actually shocked at how bad it looked. Didn't anyone notice it?

Hmm, I thought it looked pretty amazing. To each their own, I guess. Anyway, I am as excited over this movie as anything I can remember in the last ten years. I think the trailer is perfect. Got me excited as hell. Come on 12/19.

 

[Phil Florian]

Andy, I agree totally about the Merry scene. In the book, all that responds to the dropping stone is some hammer taps that are ominous, but again, wouldn't be nearly as exciting as the scenes that follow. Man, I just got through that part of the book and by golly the trailer hit it again. I just finished the book and want to watch the trailer again to see all the bits and how they compare to the book. So far, Jackson is hitting a home run. What was it about Anduin that bugged some people?
I know this isn't necessarily the place, but comparisons can be made, right? I am comparing this trailer to the other highly anticipated film about that Harry Potter kid. This book excites me almost as much but I gotta admit, it's latest trailer looked lousey compared to the nice character shots from the teaser trailer. While my LOTR expectations go up, my Potter ones are shrinking. People complaining about the CGI in LOTR needs to see some BAD CGI in Potter. Yeesh. Maybe they should have waited and let Jackson get that movie, too (or, duh, Gilliam).
Phil
PS Isn't a lot of the special effects still old fashioned guys in suits for LOTR? I saw that first teaser trailer with making-of stuff and I remember seeing a lot of folks in giant stilts walking around, etc. I am still in favor or more puppets/costumes vs. too much CGI.
PPS I saw a cast list and saw that Brad Dourif is playing Wormtongue?? Is PJ doing the Bakshi thing and overlapping the books somewhat? Or is this just a cast list of all the movies? Hmmm...

 

[William G. Lipe]

Did anyone else notice the theme music from Braveheart playing starting when "Fate Has Chosen Him" appears and then ending when Frodo escapes the Dark Rider on the Brandywine?(at least I think that's where they are)
I haven't seen anybody mention it yet. Just thought it was an interesting little tidbit. No big deal.
WiGgLe

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My DVD List

 

[Joel Mack]

Saw the trailer on the big screen last night, before a preview screening of "Training Day".
Awesome.
("Training Day" wasn't bad, either)

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