[Rose Cotton]

I entered the theater very depressed because I had been having trouble. I exited the theater with the with the biggest smile known to man-kind. <P>When the movie first starts and we're swinging around the Misty Mountains I'm just thinking. "Oh, wonderfull scenery PJ. Now how about our heros?" I almost freaked out when I heard Gandalf and Frodo in the distance. It was a great way to begin the movie. It reminds us that Gandalf is supposed to be dead and shows us what was happening to him after he fell.<P>When we get to Frodo and Sam the magic is still working. I felt their performances were great. However, as we progressed through the begining and switched to the different parts I felt the scenes were being rushed. This is not bad, as it is the only problem I have with the movie and I probably felt it was rushed because I hadn't had time to get a foothold in the world. It is a difficult thing to bring an audience in, in this kind of movie. In the Fellowhship we were able to adjust with the hobbits up unitil Rivendell. In TTT we have to be thrown right in. Considering this I don't let the rushed feeling get in the way of how I think about the movie. <P>During this movie PJ gives the audience little suprises. There are two kinds of suprises he puts in. There are suprises were he changes the story to fit the movie and there are suprises that are when something happens in this movie that didn't happen in the first. <P>In the begining scenes we get our first suprise. ORCS CAN TALK! After all the grunting Lurtz did in the Fellowship even I forgot about the unplesent language of the orcs.<P>Another suprise that happens later on is that we relize MERRY AND PIPPIN ARE SMART! Gandalf will never beable to call Pippin a fool again (Well, maybe a few more times).<P>Yet another suprise and the last one I will talk about here is LEGOLAS HAS AN ACTIVE ROLE! During the Fellowship of the ring he felt like just another companion, just there to yell out a couple of bad guy's names. In this movie he really stands on his own and I think Orlando does a great job bringing out his part. You really felt like you were with an elf.<P>And while Merry and Pippin were growing up Gimli seemed to be taking over the comic relief. It wasn't a burdon on his character at all for me. I enjoyed his parts and thought they were a great way of keeping the audience's hopes up. (toss me...but don't tell the elf) And like an answer to our prayers Legolas and Gimli did have their compatition at Helms Deep.<P>All of Rohan went past my expitations. It was set up with a brilliant background of a wonderfull Rohan musical theme. All the new Rohan charicters (Eowyn, Eomer, Theoden) were wonderfully introduce. Instead of throwing them in the story line out of nowhere they were brought in so you know who they were and what perspective they had. And while everyone was so worried about a sword duel between Eowyn and Aragorn Eowyn only wields a sword for a few brief moments. Her character was very well done. It will almost be no suprise when we see her in a soldier's outfit next year.<P>Another worry people had was with Aragorn and Arwen. However, PJ brought her and Elrond in at very apropriate times and made it a nice addition to the story.<P>Speaking of additions, when the elves showed up at Helms Deep all I cared about was there was more hope of winning. It also made me forgive Elrond for going on about having to leave Middle Earth. GO ELVES!<P>Helms Deep was a wonderfull battle. It had wonderfull meaning hanging all around it. And without fail, PJ's children make an apperance (what are hobbit children doing in Rohan?) <P>Aragorn was played wonderfully by Viggo. He really felt like a king. When he was there, you knew everything would be alright.<P>Elijah as Frodo managed to get me on the edge of my seat countless times. I thought it was great. We all understood what the ring was doing to him. Very Cool.<P>Gollum and Treebeard were great. Andy was a wonderfull Gollum. His spit personalities were absalutly believable.<P>Sean's performance was beyond words. Check out the Sam thread to see what I said about him.<P>Overall this film satisfied me and went beyond that. It's deffinatly better the the fellowship and if Rotk wants to be better then this it will have to be beyond ALL expectations. <P>Gotta go to school now GREAT MOVIE PJ!