Subject: [OT] LotR: Worst Film of the Year Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2001 14:03:13 -0600 From: "Chuck, Lord of the Dance" Newsgroups: alt.startrek.vs.starwars I cannot tell you how psyched I was to see this movie, to have Tolkien's vision take shape on the screen in a way that, until now, could only be done through the collective imaginations of his readers. I must say though, having seen the film, I am thoroughly, thoroughly disappointed. First I must take issue with the casting. Who in their right mind would cast Brad Pitt as Gandalf, George Clooney as Aragorn, and Matt Damon as Frodo?! What a terrible choice! And Andy Garcia as Sauron? He wasn't menacing in the least. This choice of producers choosing their big money Hollywood friends rather than looking at the roles' requirements drained the budget as well as sucked the heart out of the story (and the refusal of the actors to wear make-up to appear more like their fictional counterpart was disgraceful. Like Aragorn would be caught dead in a tuxedo anyway.). Second, I felt the fantasy element was severely played down, instead going for flashy scenery that had nothing to do with true Middle Earth. The part where Legolas (who, by the way, was played by this Chinese acrobat of all choices) has to do backflips in the caves of Mordor was pathetic, as the place looked nothing like the depths of the novel. And the fact that Aragorn builds the cave replica to practice taking the ring to Mount Doom was just a complete hack job. Awful. Finally, the romantic elements between Aragorn and Arwen (Julia Roberts) was completely unnecessary and served only as a distraction when we should have been tensing for the final conflict. And replacing the Balrog with a big bald guy?! What an awful choice! It led, in the end, to a very anti-climactic ending for an epic fantasy tale. Lord of the Rings: 0/10. Too much money towards inappropriate casting and poor sets stripped the film of any shred of Tolkien's vision. -- Chuck http://www.sfdebris.com