Lotr

It's a classic good vs evil story with multiple sub-stories going at the same time, I bought the extended version (12 dvds 2 for each movie plus 2 for how they made the movies)
In my opinion these films will be classics, like the Wizard of Oz, most of Cecil B DeMill's works. I guess you just have to be "into" the times when horses was how you quickly got around. War was fought without guns,. and you had to set aside differences for a common goal.

 

If it's not your thing, it isn't.
Don't waste time and energy on it. You don't have to like 'pop culture' or 'classics'.
Just be yourself.

Though, as a LotR fans, I can't pass the opportunity to state: The books (non-movie version) are waaaaaaaay better than the movies.

 

Horses for courses eh.

The appeal? I don't know. My method of watching films tends to involve having it as background noise whilst doing something else so my only recollection of the LOTR trilogy is that they were long and my sister had a huge crush on Gimli. That and there was a magic ring that slowly turned everyone who wore it into obsessive creatures who will kill anyone they assume is trying to part them and the preciousssss.

I preferred the books, but I always prefer books. I like the detail, and I like the fact I can actually take the book anywhere and be that annoying person who walks whilst reading.

I do not have the attention span to pay attention to a movie that long without stopping it 30 minutes in, going for a walk, then coming back to it. Ain't nobody got time for that.

 

For me it`s the gay relationships.

Sure, there really isn`t any gay relationship, although I will in all earnest always claim (it gets more obvious when you read the book) that Sam seriously has some feelings for Frodo. It`s so seriously blatantly there that I don`t even get that there is a discussion on it. God darned that guy puts up with a lot of crap from Frodo, the adoring looks, the carrying him around, the "I`m yours, Frodo" gig. If it wasn`t for the fact that they couldn`t possibly have a gay relationship in such a huge money machine (sarcastic voice) they would have had Sam and Frodo get together, because that`s what realistically should happen. IMO

On a less serious note, my sister and I also joked a lot about the Aragon and Legolas action. Dude, they are looking deep into each others eyes, and doing casual touching, waaay too much for a random elf and a will be king who just met. We kept imagining these two sneaking off into the woods to do the hanky panky, but pretending that there`s nothing there when people are watching. Also the reason why we hate Arwen. She is totally in the way of their relationship, grrr...


Lol. Other than those things, I would actually find the movies over-rated and boring. Pretty scenery though, and some nicely written scenes. Good acting as well, though a little much with the drama.

 

It's totally cool that you're not into it. You don't have to force yourself to like it just because it's popular or famous, not even a little bit. What you find boring or shitty about LOTR, someone else will most likely find exciting or just plain awesome. Vice versa for whatever you're really into, someone else might go "yawn" or "this is stupid." That's what I'm like when anything Twilight related comes up. Thousands of people lose their shit over it and I'm like "alright, next." Just as tons of people went to see The Hobbit, there were tons of peple going "oh fucking hell, this shit again." :lol: That's fine. I couldn't get through the books myself, but I love the movies. I am a LOTR/Tolken fan, but that's my thing. I'm a conlanging fangirl book worm nerd monster...and I love it. haha

But since you said that "oldness" of LOTR times (the way they lived and fought) didn't bother you then might I suggest Game of Thrones? It's like modern LOTR, but still very old, war and politics oriented, medieval, and it takes place in an alternate world of course, but not middle earth. *sing song voice* There's evil witches, brown Vikings, and snow zombiiieesss....

 

And Tyrion the magnificent bastard:

[YOUTUBE]u1RqAwUTCvg[/YOUTUBE]

 

Hmm. I honestly can't explain why I like it. I just...do. If I were to give a list of reasons, they could very well be the same reasons why you hate LOTR, sooo...I guess that breaks it down to feelings and the like. We're both seeing the same thing, I'm feeling good about what I'm seeing and you aren't, even though ideally you thought you would. An idea is almost never the same once executed, so the idea of LOTR seemed to interest you, but the actual finished product you simply don't care for.

Kinda like when girls my age growing up always wanted to watch this really annoying stupid ghetto movie called Baby Boy. I despised this movie, couldn't stand to hear any of their voices, rolled my eyes at every scene. Meanwhile, it's on every TV and every girl and woman watching it is completely engrossed and emotional over it. It touched them in some way that I just would never get. We're watching the same thing, but feeling very different about it for, ironically, the same reasons. It's still stupid to me, this movie. Even today I still don't get the appeal, though of course I wouldn't go so far to call the girls stupid for liking it. Not saying that's what you're saying, I'm only prattling on.

Well if you ever feel another urge to watch Game of Thrones I do hope you follow through. It could be fate keeping you from watching something you'll hate or it could projected resistance forged from negative feelings toward the similar LOTR. Give it a look some time.

 

Or watch Monty Python And the Holy Grail, and be entertained?

 

I am with you in this.
Orlando Bloom has got to be the sexiest elf I have ever seen!

And also with Gandalf, he usually use his sword to fight. Like, "Hey there, I am a wizard but I use my sword to fight instead of magic!"

And who are those guys who keeps on saying "My precious?" Are they lovers or something? I am still baffled.

 

The movies (while visually spectacular I thought) don't tell you much about Middle Earth. Magic has rules, and Gandalf for some reason obviously can't just fireball anything he pleases. The only gaping plot hole that irks me is the giant Eagles.

About the "My precious" guy*, yes there's only one. His name is Smeagol, and he has been corrupted by the power of the ring. Possessing it prolongs life, but also adjusts your personality subtly so you become addicted to it. He calls it "precious" because it is to him. The word is used by others to hint that they have fallen under its effects.

If you really tried to like LOTR, I have a hard time believing you watched it without the "this is stupid" attitude. You have to understand WHY things are how they are. It's not Zelda where anything goes (sorry for the fans but that's my "everyone likes this but me" franchise); Middle Earth lore is more complete than the histories of some real countries.

 

Oh my God! I respect your opinion, but oh my God! I love those movies so much. Yes, they are rather lengthy and take time to get into, but once you do, you're hooked. The books are also rather hard to get through, but they're very rewarding if you do. You should try watching the hobbit. Don't give up on it right away because it also starts out slow, but it has more action and is very good, too.

 

I love LOTR , I have all the extended movies and went and saw the hobbit in 3D and it was amazing very glad they kept their standards. I can't wait for part two : )

 

It's perfectly okay not to like LotR, plenty of people don't. I enjoy the movies, but I can totally understand why someone wouldn't. The story itself is fairly simple, and gets bogged down in tons of subplots, most of which exist largely to expand the picture of Middle-Earth.

The book on which the movies are based (it's not a trilogy, it's either one book commonly divided into three volumes or six books commonly accumulated into three volumes) are not an easy read. They get really bogged down in unnecessary detail and description, the reason being that the books are not primarily about the story.

LotR is essentially a story to go with a worldbuilding exercise. The worldbuilding exercise existed to give a context for a language Tolkien invented. Which means that to fully appreciate the story you have to be really into worldbuilding. And lots of people aren't. I've been known to enjoy books and movies with pretty subpar stories simply because the worldbuilding was good. That's not for everyone.

The major improvement of the movies over the book was to make it far more about the story and less about the worldbuilding. Which is why it gets confusing and hard to understand, in sacrificing the worldbuilding, Peter Jackson had to leave a lot more loose threads dangling than were in the book (which still had plenty of loose threads). There's also more character development in the movies, and way more homoerotic subtext, if that's your thing.

 

I would agree, except that I think that between Frodo and Sam it became almost a bit more obvious in the books. The movie has the deep eye-contact and the "passion", but you get a bit more meat on the bone as far as those two are concerned in the books, IMO, but I would agree it almost drown a little in all the other more uninteresting stuff. Tolkien is a bit overrated in my eyes. In a way, I see him a bit like George Lucas (though T was way more talented, of course), they both created these wonderful "universes", but they could have given the ideas to someone who could better utilize it. For example, how many readers has the patience and interest to read a whole chapter on trees? Or the landscape. Or the history of some random character who hardly even plays a part during the book.

Now, it`s a while since I read it, but I had to force myself through them. There was a lot of interesting stuff there, but also so much that didn`t have to be there, that simply took space. You get the quantity over substance feeling then, and nothing turns my joy over a book off more than that. I really like it when it has a normal plot curve, and doesn`t move forward like you`re a zombie stuck in glue. I get way too impatient, lol.

Another cool thing about the movies is all the pretty hair, lol. Which for some reason has to belong to the guys, only. The women didn`t have half as pretty hair as the guys, I found that a bit unfair :icon_wink Legolas won though, the hair-contest. In my opinion :icon_wink

 

Agreed, but Faramir had some sexy hair also. And in my personal winner's circle, Aragorn is head-and-shoulders above the rest. Mostly for his lifestyle and fighting skills (longsword is the most awesome fighting discipline ) but I think Viggo Mortensen is a very handsome man, especially with his long locks.

About Frodo and Sam's homoeroticism though, I didn't really see any of it. Yeah they are lifelong friends (who risked death on a daily basis and that tends to solidify bonds), but it looked strictly platonic to me. Elijah Wood is just too pretty a guy with those big eyes NOT to look gay.

 

I actually love these books for sooo many reasons, but I think the "gay" relationships really completed my love for it :lol:

I just think of them as "bromances" since J.K. R. would never admit to it Especially Sam and Frodo, they are so freaking adorable!

---------- Post added 30th Jan 2013 at 09:32 PM ----------

Frodo and Sam have a much stronger bromance in the books though, seriously.

 

Lol, funny, I see it the other way, I find Sam to be the one acting the most "smitten", with Frodo being the one who keeps him at an arms length. Sure, Frodo is far too pretty to look straight, but Sam keeps giving him the "master, may I lick your shoes, and follow you foreverandever and never leave your side" looks. Best friend sure, but as soon as Frodo is missing, he goes running after him, even throws himself into deep water when he cannot swim, just so that Frodo won`t leave without him. That`s a little extreme for the best friend thing. If my best friend had run off without me, not even telling me she was leaving, I`d be waving her bye bye with an irritated frown. I wouldn`t throw myself in the water and almost drown :icon_wink

No, my money (in the books too) is on Sam being the one with the mega crush, and Frodo being the air-head who just don`t get it! :icon_bigg

Aragon too has some darned pretty hair, lol. He`s got a nice frame, that`s for sure, I get why he`s a fan favorite, lol. And together, Aragon and Legolas is one pretty couple :icon_wink