| Overall Grade: |
C+ |
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| Story: |
A+ |
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| Acting: |
C |
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| Direction: |
B |
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| Visuals: |
A |
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Brilliant animation, but not as good overall.
by Robert C (movies profile)
Apr 17, 2007
1
of
1 people found this review helpful
I watched this movie when I was a kid, and instantly fell in love with it and the book, when I read it. I've recently re-watched it on VHS, and had a slightly different opinion. I guess my opinion when I first watched it was a bit different than what it would have been if I had read the book, or maybe I liked it because little kids don't have a sense of what's corny and what isn't.
Although the visual effects in this movie deserve no less than a standing ovation, the way the characters act certainly doesn't. The hobbits seem very campy, and those who have not read the book may find it difficult to place Pippin's gender in the film. Not to mention that Gandalf seems to feel the need to move his hands more than his mouth to talk. Aside from that, there are several ways in which the characters look than they do in the book. I have no clue where that Viking helmet that Boromir wears comes from. It is also weird that the white wizard wears red. And, Legolas looks like he needs to see an orthodontist.
To focus on the positive for a bit, the animation in this film is some of the best that I've ever seen. The enemies feel so real--not realistic, but real--that I frequently forgot that it was a cartoon. They used a technique called roto-scoping, in which they record the scene live action, and then paint over the actors to make animation cels. The result was fantastic.
As a last thought, it was a bit too abridged. To split a book like The Lord of the Rings into 2 (intended) parts, and have one of them be less than 3 hours long is ridiculous. If you've read The Lord of the Rings, I wouldn't recommend seeing this movie, unless you do it just to see the animation. However, this movie is good for kids. If you have kids and want to inroduce them to The Lord of the Rings, show them this movie, they'll love it, and will want to read the book. |
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