Went to see it last night. Thought is was fantastic when I left the cinema, but today the resonance is all but gone: my usual response to "Special Effects" films.

Interested to read what other people think.

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

Answers

AP

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

I went to see it yesterday lunchtime so I saw it before ya ;))

My favourite book of all time, read is dozens of times....I left the film totally uncertain as to what I thought......I think they've done a damn good job on it and of keeping the storyline fairly close to the book but I was looking for something else....something that would make me walk out and say that was fantastic and sadly I didn't get that....

I think some people are gonna love it, some people aren't gonna be certain and some people will be bored by the amount of detail...ie the missus complained about all the names that were mentioned that weren't needed in the storyline and also about the amount of running around countryside....

I thought they did a good job with the little Gandalf/Saruman tussles and a good job with the dark riders, Uruk Hai (Sarumans half men/half orc creations), Galadriel and the watcher in the lake....a bad job with Elrond, the Balrog, Pippin and Merry.....

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

I'm going to see it on Friday night, so I'll be able to give a report on the dubbed French version. I haven't read the book for about 15 years, so I'd have trouble remembering all the names in English. And having seen the adds for it in French it might be tough going. Even Frodo has a different name in French!

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

I'm waiting for the book to come out, oh I see. I am going to read the book first then.

What are the three books called and in what order should I read them?

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

The fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and Return of the King. As regards order, I always find it makes more sense from left to right, top to bottom.

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

Damn, I always get my tfel and thgir wrong!

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

actually, you should start with the Hobbit and thus you get the history of the ring....

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

Ok so it is

1. The hotbit.

2. That fellow, the ship of the thing.

3. Twin Peaks.

4. Return of the Mack.

Start at the top and from the left.

What else do I have to remember? God, now I remember why I never got around to reading it at school.

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

Or you could even start with The Silmarillion for a proper history of everything ;)

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

DON'T start with the Silmarillion, it'll put you off reading the others!

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

And why would that be Steph? it's by far and away the best of his books....although not properly completed....

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

Gav, it's coz the Silmarilion is a right old slog for all but the saddest amongst us.

I love it.

But it's not for the 'casual fan'. I saw the film last night and thought that the Balrog was outstanding but Galadriel very poorly handled. Just goes to show - you can't please all the people etc.

In general though, it was fantastic. Brought back long-banished memories of Sundays spent with 10-sided dice and little metal figures...

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

I don't have to read Marillion, I saw them play live once, that "Fish" is a card!

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

I have a Marillion single, does that count? ;-)

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

I'd love to see it, although I have made a concerted effort to avoid reading any of the books. I was reading the Lone Wolf adventuring books in my formative years, and David Gemmel's Legend series - probably lightweight for the Tolkienites among you, but worthy of a read.

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

I'll see it at some stage over the next few days. Can't exactly say I'm looking forward to it, just intrigued to imagine what they've done with it. It's a book I believe which is extremely difficult to film. Basically too much happens. I recall the earlier cartoon version, (now suddenly appearing on video in the shops - what a remarkable coincidence!) It was quite well done but they only got one third of the way through, same as this movie, and I had the impression that much had to be crammed in to stay faithful to the book (tho Tom Bombadil was omitted completely).

A book like LotR leaves vivid images in the mind and it might be disturbing to have these challenged by someone else's visions made celluloid. And it's a shame that many will see the film without reading the book and will thus never be able to conjure up that magic for themselves.

I'll be taking Tara - I had hoped to have read her the book by now but that has not been possible yet. I did read her The Hobbit which she loved, so she does have her own images of some of those wonderful characters.

My understanding is that the whole story has already been shot and the other two movies are bound to follow. I suppose they had to do it that way to keep all the cast together.

As an aside here, I read on some anti-Microsoft web-site the other day that if you put your Windows XP disc into the microwave for a few minutes and then remove it, you will find it is stone cold but a few characters of hex appear around the central hole. Translating these it reads :- One OS to rule them all
One OS to find them
One OS to bring them all
And in the darkness bind them ....
Made me smile anyway. :-)

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001