[Diamond18]

*Hands Bill a polished red apple*<P>I do agree with you, good sir! I myself did enjoy SWII quite a bit, but that was only becaue I went in expecting cheesey action and humor, and nothing more, and therefore had not much to be disappointed by. But I have not run out to buy the DVD and I'm not waiting for ep.III in tortured anticipation. I also think that Return of the Jedi could have been so much better than it was.<P>Doug, let me re-quote your GL quote:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> In the first act you introduce the characters. In the second act you put them in the worst possible situation they could be in. In the third act they get out. That's drama.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>And then your remark:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>When I first heard that I thought he was simple and egotistical to say something like that. But know I recognise that he was a much better storyteller than PJ and co. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I really think that you should stick with your initial opinion. Lucas does really oversimplify matters. It would be terrible indeed if PJ and Co. were to reduce RotK to a simple "they get out".<P>The ending of TTT the book was pure genius, but I don't fault the movie for not ending there. Simply because Helm's Deep was so huge that everyone was ready for it to be over after that climax was "maxed". I'm not sure that after three hours of a movie people are ready for the other hour it would take to pass by Minas Morgul, climb the Stairs of Cirith Ungol, pass through Shelob's Lair, fight Gollum and Shelob, have an <I>extremely</I> emotional scene where Sam must agonize over leaving Frodo for dead and continuing the Quest, then learn that no! Frodo isn't dead after all!<P>I think these scenes really do need another movie to do them justice. To tack it onto the end of Helm's Deep would be trying to do too much, I think. Tolkien had the luxury of isolating the two narratives; that wouldn't have worked in a movie. Especially since PJ wouldn't want us to forget about the other half of the Fellowship, and so he'd have to include a good deal of RotK. That would make the movie five hours. It would make a great DVD, but I probably would have killed the popcorn munching chatterboxes behind me by hour four.<P>I want to return to the point about RotK deserving more than George Lucas's simple formula. It's true that Frodo and co. exited the screen rather peacefully and hopefully, but PJ did have the brains to hint at the horror that is to come. Audiences will be waiting all year to see "her", whether they're Tolkien fans or not.<P>Tolkien saved the best for last when it came to the other half of the Fellowship, what with the Pelennor Fields and Denethor's madness and all. He didn't look at RotK as a simple resolution, he looked at it as the last hurrah, the knock down, all out battle for the world; a wonderful, poetic, heartbreaking...eh...what I mean to say is, it won't hurt to have the stellar drama of the Choices of Master Samwise juxtaposed with the lead up to the Pelennor, as it seems that all hope is lost....<P>I did not intend for this post to be this long. Honest! I just find so much to pick on with TTT, that I might as well defend what I think is a good move on PJ's part. You don't mind if I take a bite from that apple, do ya Bill? <p>[ January 03, 2003: Message edited by: Diamond18 ]