In 7 words or less: The best fantasy film ever?
What's it all About? I'm assuming everyone has come across these gems at some point or another. The Lord Of The Rings as a book was not written like a story book, but much more as a history book, as Tolkien had created a world for his languages, and so somewhere between starting this story (and having no idea where he was going) and his death, he created an entire world. So I can forgive his book feeling pretty odd and not very novel-esque (the pace is SOO slow at first, before totally SPRINTING at the end). His achievement is creating the most in depth and fully realised world mythology had ever seen at that time (piss off JK Rowling with your made up words). Peter Jackson's achievement is turning this amazing world/unwieldy story into a rocking film with a filmable story that makes me want to live in a castle and marry an elf.
Best bits? Oh god where to start... Ok, well, the mood is unbelivable. It's a real world. Even when some of the acting gets a bit off (not MUCH in my opinion), the world is just so immersive, it's amazing. All the models/cg/scenery are so well done that even 11 years on it looks as good as, if not better than, many films that are out today. Ian McKellan is just rocking as Gandalf. Viggo Mortensen, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood, SEAN BEAN! All so good in this. Even the actors that got some flack - Orloomo Bland et al - are really not that bad - cos he's an elf. They're all a bit weird/wooden. Sean Bean's death scene at the end (spoiler alert, oh that was it) is amazing, still totally moving and... just.... yes!!! And the giant statues at the end that they boat through.... All that ancient world stuff just lying around is so amazing.
Did it make you think thoughts? Tons. The making of makes me wish I could be involved in some monster 10 year project like this that's creative and exciting all the way, while being hard work. It's exhilarating. It also made me wish Alan Lee and John Howe (the conceptual artists) could do commentaries on every film - then sleep would be instantaneous, with their relaxing quiet artists voices - "Hobbiton was based on my village near Bodmin...." zzzzzzz.
Would you watch it again? I do, several times a year, EVERY year.
Rating (out of 100%): This is my favourite of the trilogy, so I'm saying 93%
