White Ajah Middle Earth Event - Mashi’s Movie Rewatch: The Two Towers

[Mashiara Sedai]

Okay, I’m going to get started on the next film today, about 6pm EST.

 

My recollection of this movie is so much less than The Fellowship. We’ll see how it goes!

[Mashiara Sedai]

I’m starting The Two Towers. Extended edition runs about three and a half hours.

 

Let’s do this thing!

[Mashiara Sedai]

Just finished the first disc.

 

I loved the opening with Gandalf battling the balrag as they plummet down the hole. It was so intense!

 

Other than that, I’m enjoying the way the idea evil isn’t so clear cut. Frodo sees something redeemable in Gollum, and that small faith is what helps Gollum remember who he once was. The evil inside him from the ring isn’t permenant. Even the scene where Frodo and Adam are captured shows the depth of the concept of evil. The man (it hasn’t said his name yet) wonders about one of the Wild Men, was he fighting based on misinformation, or was he reallly evil? That complexity is so interesting to me!

[Mashiara Sedai]

Overall, this one was less enjoyable. The battle scenes seemed to go on and on forever.

 

The plot line was still interesting, and it kept me interested throughout the whole thing (except the battle scenes). I like the desperation Frodo is showing, how he’s clearly faking under the power of the Ring.

 

It’s very similar to Rand once the madness begins to fester inside him. I love the parallel!

[Gentled Ben]

I thought this was the worst of the three books in the series, and I thought it was the worst of the three movies, too. I'll probably watch it Friday night. It's the one with the battle at Helm's Deep though, isn't it? That part was great, especially in the theater when the Riders showed and and came thundering down the hillside. That was really loud and intense in the theater, and I liked it a lot. I guess elves will show up to bail out humans, but not dwarves. Poor dwarves, nobody really likes them; they're just tolerated.

[Sooh]

I also thought this movie was the weakest of the series.

[JamesBrown]

I was annoyed with the Warg attack. It wasn't in the book, and I don't know what it added to the plot. Something attacks, no one is affected, except that Aragorn is MIA. Of course, we all know he'll be fine, so who cares?

The whole thing seems invented so that Liv Tyler can get five minutes of screen time, looking sad and weepy.

[Sooh]

  On 10/12/2017 at 7:20 PM, JamesBrown said:

I was annoyed with the Warg attack. It wasn't in the book, and I don't know what it added to the plot. Something attacks, no one is affected, except that Aragorn is MIA. Of course, we all know he'll be fine, so who cares?

 

The whole thing seems invented so that Liv Tyler can get five minutes of screen time, looking sad and weepy.

So much of the movies was invented so that Liv Tyler could get more screen time, and it ALL annoyed me!

[Lessa Nikia]

I would like to point out that even the writers (Peter, Fran and Phillipa) found it the weaker of the scripts as there was no real "beginning" which is why Peter choose to use the scene with Gandalf vs the Balrog in a sort of James Bond kinda of thing. They also admitted that the ending was a little weaker than Fellowship because no one died.

 

Sorry, I'm a little obsessed with the behind the scenes extras and have watched them like a million times  

[Mashiara Sedai]

I’ve never read the series, so I didn’t pick up on the differences. But I did hate the forced love triangle between Aragorn and the other girl. That’s another trope that’s hard to do correctly, which makes me dread it so much!

[Lessa Nikia]

  On 10/12/2017 at 7:52 PM, Sooh said:

 

  On 10/12/2017 at 7:20 PM, JamesBrown said:

I was annoyed with the Warg attack. It wasn't in the book, and I don't know what it added to the plot. Something attacks, no one is affected, except that Aragorn is MIA. Of course, we all know he'll be fine, so who cares?

 

The whole thing seems invented so that Liv Tyler can get five minutes of screen time, looking sad and weepy.

So much of the movies was invented so that Liv Tyler could get more screen time, and it ALL annoyed me!

 

It was more when Peter Jackson was trying to get a studio to fund the films, Arwen was much more heavily involved. You can't pitch the idea of the main character and his love interest as having a telepathic connection, so to speak, to a studio. You won't get funding, you'll get laughed out of the room. It wasn't until later on that they re-evaluted Arwen's story and how she affects Aragorn. Most of her was scenes were flashbacks to the time during Fellowship. It's part of adapting a book or series that has to be contended with, some scenes are taken away like Tom Bombadil (we don't know that ever happened it's just not mentioned) and some are added (Frodo and Sam taken to Osgiliath). For a lot of their story telling, the main story is Frodo taking the Ring to Mordor. They spent so much time saying the Ring is evil and is turning Frodo slowly, which is why Faramir was changed, and it makes sense for the story the film makers were trying to tell.

 

Again, I'm sorry

[Lessa Nikia]

  On 10/13/2017 at 2:24 AM, Mashiara Sedai said:

I’ve never read the series, so I didn’t pick up on the differences. But I did hate the forced love triangle between Aragorn and the other girl. That’s another trope that’s hard to do correctly, which makes me dread it so much!

I don't think it was much of a triangle. Aragorn always loved Arwen and vise versa. Eoywn loved Aragorn because he was the first person to treat her the way he did, as an equal. It's been a while since I read the books but I don't recall Tolkien making it come across that way. I could be wrong

[Gentled Ben]

  On 10/13/2017 at 2:28 AM, Lessa Nikia said:

 

  On 10/13/2017 at 2:24 AM, Mashiara Sedai said:

I’ve never read the series, so I didn’t pick up on the differences. But I did hate the forced love triangle between Aragorn and the other girl. That’s another trope that’s hard to do correctly, which makes me dread it so much!

I don't think it was much of a triangle. Aragorn always loved Arwen and vise versa. Eoywn loved Aragorn because he was the first person to treat her the way he did, as an equal. It's been a while since I read the books but I don't recall Tolkien making it come across that way. I could be wrong

 

Yeah, it was always Aragorn and Arwen, with Eowyn being the odd girl out.

 

Myself. I resent Liv Tyler none of her screen time.

[Sooh]

I spent hours upon hours looking at the extended versions and behind the scenes stuff when the movies came out as well, especially on The Fellowship, so I understand, Lessa.

[Turin Turambar]

In the books Faramir was never tempted to take Frodo and the ring to Minas Tirith. I can see they wanted an epiphany for the end scene but it felt cheap and was a disservice to Faramir. Possibly the second worst disservice in all the films. (my first place here occurs in Return of the King so will mention in that thread maybe)