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Ruminations on ROTK

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In Reply to: Best DVD picks of the year: posted by Audiophilander on December 26, 2004 at 10:12:38:

AuPh,
While I loved the first two extended eds. of LOTRs I was pretty disappointed with the ROTK....
* I got the feeling that Peter Jackson didn't have enough live footage towards the very end of the movie and tried to compensate with digital fx
* ROTK is the most "interperative" of the three movies, with the most changes from Tolkien's book
* The climax of the movie -- when Gollum fight Frodo for the ring -- was unintentionally funny (works in print, looks silly when seen). Some of the audience in the theater laughed as well so it's not just me. And Gollum should have been consumed instantly in the lava...
* This is surely heresy for LOTR fanatics but I hate.. hate... HATE digital Gollum. There's just nothing there when you look at him. If PJ can use camera trickery to make a full-grown man look like a 3 foot dwarf, he could make a real actor (Gary Oldman would be my choice) look like Gollum.
Keep in mind that I've read the Hobbit, LOTR trilogy and Silmarillion more than 100 times since I first picked it up in 1969.....
Anyway nice to see you posting again, happy new year.

Follow Ups:

While I differ with you, I compliment your fair and reasonable appraisal. - Audiophilander 13:01:48 12/27/04 (0)
I felt like the re-edited footage transformed the film in subtle ways, improving many of the niggling issues you mentioned. I was actually glad to see more CGI footage in the battle scenes (i.e., especially Legolas slaying the Mumakil) and there was plenty of live action material as well. Also, the fight scene between Frodo & Gollum over the lava 'seemed' shortened from the film release, making it a little less chuckle-worthy than I recall, but that just may be my impressions; I haven't compared the two versions.
BTW, Gollum's slow disolve into the fires seems logical in view of his connection with the magic of the ring; it, too, took awhile to disolve in the molten lava. BTW, I kind of like the digital Gollum because of the fact that he's been changed from a human-like Hobbit to something less than human, slight digital incongruities notwithstanding, but that's just my opinion; YMMV.
As for the live action footage, there was plenty of additional material filmed and present in the Extended Cut, from the openning scenes where Saruman was confronted to the confrontation between Gandalf and the Lord of the Nazgul, etc., etc.
> > > "Anyway, nice to see you posting again, happy new year." < < <
Thanks! Some folks may see my occasional contributions here in the guise of a bad penny turning up to spoil certain poster's X-mas pudding, but what goes around comes around. At any rate, your kind thoughts are greatly appreciated and reciprocated! Yule tidings too you and have a prosperous Happy New Year! :o)
Cheers,
AuPh
Re: Ruminations on ROTK - PCL 11:54:36 12/27/04 (0)
Re: " * The climax of the movie -- when Gollum fight Frodo for the ring -- was unintentionally funny (works in print, looks silly when seen). Some of the audience in the theater laughed as well so it's not just me."
Actually, this was another one of those " interperative"(sic) moments you mentioned not liking. The struggle between Frodo and Gollum was another attempt by the Jackson, Walsh and Boyens team to add "drama" ( as per their commentary).

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