[Child of the 7th Age]

OK, I admit it. I was positively overawed.<P>I'd boned up on all the plot changes before I went to make sure there was nothing totally unexpected. And, based on the spoilers, I already had a lengthy list of complaints filed away in the back of my brain. And yes, there were things that I would have done differently, both in this movie and the series as a whole. But I filed my list away and went into the theater vowing that I would forget probing analysis while I was actually there. Instead, I promised myself to respond to the movie as a tale about Middle-earth that was worth telling, and not worry so much about whether or not this or that deviated from the books that I've loved so deeply all these years. <BR> <BR>Far more than the other films, RotK hooked me in on the level of feeling, rather than simply intellect. There were half a dozen scenes where I was crying and others where I had chills or sat on the edge of my seat. I can't remember the last time that happened to me in a movie. I stared mesmerized at the credits and when I finally wandered into the parking lot, it was as if I was ripped from one world to another, and not altogether willingly. I looked around and began asking myself what the cars and pavement were doing there. Very strange.<BR> <BR>So either I'm going looney, or somehow this movie struck an emotional cord that was far more compelling than either of the earlier ones (although I do like Fellowship a lot for very different reasons).<P>Tomorrow, I will sit back and drag out my list of "he should have dones", think about them some more, and post again. There were definitely things that could have been better in this movie and the series as a whole and which I still have deep feelings about. <P>But tonight, I just wanted to say thanks. When I first read these tales so long ago, I kept hoping that someone would do a movie that would capture some of the feeling of Tolkien's tale. Years went by and that didn't happen, at least in my opinion. Jackson is not the master Tolkien is. He's emphasis is different. He's long on action and a bit short on poetry and wonder. But I think he's given it an honest shot and, particularly in RotK, left us images and hints of Middle-earth that are worth remembering. So thanks to Peter Jackson for having the gumption to envision this project some seven years ago and actually carry it out. Thanks for getting a lot of things right, especially in RotK, which hammered away at basic themes like sacrifice and friendship and hope.