The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

By

⭐ 10.0/10

(Originally written by Tim)

I saw this movie a couple weeks ago and realized I have never reviewed it here! This was a special viewing since it was with a live symphony, and it was amazing. These movies are perfect, and I think Gollum is the MVP. Always incredible to me how well these movies hold up. Even when the CGI can look dated it is so well stylized that it doesn't matter. With Dune 2 coming out it makes me think back to these movies, as so many things do, cherishing their timelessness and longing for more incredible stories on screen.

However... since the soundtrack was the star of this latest viewing, it had me thinking about how I would feel about the movies if I had seen them for the first time at the age I am now. There are plenty of things to complain about story wise, and I give these movies way more grace then I do, say, Wheel of Time or Rings of Power. The Treebeard sections are so slow and boring until they storm the tower. I know, I am being hasty, but if those scenes were done now they would give us something more interesting to look at while he drones on. Speaking of boring, Arwen! They shoehorn in this love story and it is painful and really makes the movie drag. One of the scenes is her reviving Aragorn with a kiss after he is dragged off a cliff by a warg. This is an addition I am not fond of, and just adds an unnecessary love triangle that isn't going anywhere anyways.

There are some odd battle strategies that I would for sure complain about in anything modern, and I am not talking about Legolas shield-surfing. The end of this epic battle is them riding their horses out of the center of Helms Deep, through hordes of orcs? What? It has never made sense and has always bothered me, and it puts a damper on Gandalf's arrival.

Anyways, I don't want to be negative, this is 10/10 for the craft alone. I found myself missing the extended version, especially Faramir's speech about the young dead boy far from home fighting in a battle he doesn't understand. Also Eowyn's song is always a nice mournful touch leading into that heartbreaking Theoden crying scene.

One other thing - memes have ruined our culture. The loudest applause from the crowd were when Legolas says "They're taking the Hobbits to Isengard" and when Sam says "Poe-Tay-Toes". It was actually driving me nuts, hearing this beautiful score and then people shrieking at these random lines. Also, watching with a rowdy crowds sucks, because they would cheer at the epic moments when the music is at its best, drowning it out. It was very frustrating, and it made me wish they had all just gone to the theatre. This is a symphony people! Show some respect to the musicians!

Great time, great movie, I am complaining just to complain. They can't ever remake these.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

By
⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) Watched this for the first time because we wanted a comedy, and it was fine. I laughed a couple times, mostly at Paul Rudd, whose character was amazing. Otherwise its just a 2000s raunchy comedy. These Apatow movies are way too long for comedies, and the feel-good endings take too long to get to. I liked the idea of a fake NBC show that Kristen Bell stars in, and those clips made me laugh. Jason Segel is fine, and he fits the depressed guy thing they are going for here. I will never understand why the two women in this movie are so beautiful and the two guys are pudgy idiots. I guess I do understand, given the target audience for these movies. Another thing, they clearly were in Hawaii for filming a bunch of this, but then there are a couple scenes that are clearly using a green screen for the background. Pretty weird, since I assume they were in Hawaii, so maybe reshoots? Felt kinda cheap. Anyways, good for a couple laughs, don't ever nee...
Read more

July Reading Favourites

By
Image
Look at that cover! This is a YA horror book written by a trans Canadian author that knocked my socks off. A small town has secrets it's trying to hide, and after the death of a boy and a newcomer arriving, things start slipping out of control. It's a book about being trans or queer and living in a small town, and how a community creating a facade of a perfect town can backfire. Also maybe closing your eyes to anything that's "not your business" is not good actually! It's violent and full of rage, and I loved the way it played with time and perspective. Check the triggers, but if you're interested in reading it, I'd recommend going in blind without looking at reviews or a longer description! This is a short book of essays about ableism and disability justice, specifically relating to technological advances for disabled people. Most of the essays focus on a different type of technology for different disabilities (prosthetics, hearing aids, cures for aut...
Read more

Magdalene's Favourite Books of 2024

By
Image
In 2024 I read another ABSURD amount of books, and I will not be commenting on what that says about me, my decisions, or the state of my mental health. So I'm just going to go straight into my favourite books of the year! I've posted about a lot of these in my monthly faves, but now you get to see which ones made it to my favourites of the year list! They're in no particular order. A Pacific Islander-inspired fantasy with unique, refreshing vibes. Hanalei returns to her home island, Her childhood best friend is looking for a dragonfruit to heal his mother, and Hanalei will use her connection with the seadragons to help. Lucier has a pretty simple way of writing, but the story was fun and beautiful, and it really took me on an adventure. Sid is a Korean adoptee living in a very white town that is over a crack where magic can get through. One day a Guardian falls, releasing magic and zombies, and it becomes a fight to survive. This is such an interesting blend of fantasy and ...
Read more