Has Lord of the Rings spoiled epic movies for you?

Raymond Lin · 24 Apr 2007 at 01:25

I saw all 3 LOTR movies at the cinema, made sure i made the trip to watch it at a decent big screen for each one of them and ever since then all the fantasy adventures i've seen has been a let down.

Story aside, the scenes where the fellowships walks across middle earth (New Zealand) through fields, mountains, snow...etc are all breath taking. Using the overhead helicopter shots that pans across the screen as the characters running or on a horse through different terrains. Lately i've seen a few movies that use the exact same technique (Eragon, Chronicle of Narnia), same with the end of movie battles. Using the same out numbered, waiting for the baddies to attack with the same CGI feel. Even though in Eragon and Narnia they look good and in some ways better than LOTR on the surface (TTT/RoTKs' final scene), it just doesn't stack up. Everytime i see a set up or shot like that i compare it to LOTR and the new film fails miserably.

Clipsey · 24 Apr 2007 at 01:58

I wouldnt say its spoiled other films, in a way its just set the bar mega high and no one I think has yet to make that standard. I dont think no 'epic' film has come close to matching LOTR. 300 was visually stunning and a dam good movie but nothing compared.
I think Transformers will be a good epic movie in a different way (destruction of the earth etc)
Its also similar to Anchorman - I compare all comedies to this and again nothing has come near to matching it

Raymond Lin · 24 Apr 2007 at 02:03

I supposed spoiled is the wrong choice of word and setting the bar mega high is closer. It's just even a scene of helicopter shot of the some characters in any fantasy movie now I immediately think of Aragon/Gimli/Legolas running across middle earth to save the hobbits.

Clipsey · 24 Apr 2007 at 02:07

I know what you mean - instantly comparing.
Trouble is that LOTR was so beautifully shot in my eyes that anything else will either be copying/CGI or just not as good.

I made sure when I went to NZ that I visited as much of the places as possible - even walked up and across Mordor (took all day!)

Raymond Lin · 24 Apr 2007 at 02:12

Clipsey said:
I know what you mean - instantly comparing.
Trouble is that LOTR was so beautifully shot in my eyes that anything else will either be copying/CGI or just not as good.

I made sure when I went to NZ that I visited as much of the places as possible - even walked up and across Mordor (took all day!)

There are so many shots in eragon that is almost copycat of LOTR, I know the script is rubbish but it was actually not quite well. But it's not original anymore, and if it doesn't raises the bar it falls shot miserably. Good cinematography now is just not good enough, it needs to be brilliant.

TriedandTested · 24 Apr 2007 at 12:38

The standard has been set SO high that a lot, if not all, films will struggle to compare. No question, it's Peter Jackson's masterpiece.

Thing i miss the most about it is looking forward to the next installment each year!..was so exciting!

Johnnytoxic · 24 Apr 2007 at 12:56

Lord of the rings is the most overrated boring piece of cinema I have ever witnessed. How people can watch these so called epics more than once is beyond belief.

BloodWolf · 24 Apr 2007 at 13:07

johnnyfive said:
Lord of the rings is the most overrated boring piece of cinema I have ever witnessed. How people can watch these so called epics more than once is beyond belief.

so wrong. 3 of my best movies.

Lunatic Dreyfus · 24 Apr 2007 at 13:32

Raymond Lin said:
I saw all 3 LOTR movies at the cinema, made sure i made the trip to watch it at a decent big screen for each one of them and ever since then all the fantasy adventures i've seen has been a let down.

Story aside, the scenes where the fellowships walks across middle earth (New Zealand) through fields, mountains, snow...etc are all breath taking. Using the overhead helicopter shots that pans across the screen as the characters running or on a horse through different terrains. Lately i've seen a few movies that use the exact same technique (Eragon, Chronicle of Narnia), same with the end of movie battles. Using the same out numbered, waiting for the baddies to attack with the same CGI feel. Even though in Eragon and Narnia they look good and in some ways better than LOTR on the surface (TTT/RoTKs' final scene), it just doesn't stack up. Everytime i see a set up or shot like that i compare it to LOTR and the new film fails miserably.

Strangely enough it was all those damned tracking shots that really annoyed me. And I don't think it's a new thing either, it's just the bog standard method of showing characters traveling about.

And when push comes to shove the reason why those other movies feel so similar is because most fantasy novels/screenplays are a rip off of Lord of the Rings anyway, right down to the desperately outnumbered 'forces of good thing'. Wouldn't be a lot of fun if the good guys outnumbered the baddies would it?

And remember film execs are 'dead-eyed money grabbers' and so they simply look at Lord of the Rings profits and produce their own blatant rip off. If it worked once, it should work again.

Chris1712 · 24 Apr 2007 at 13:35

johnnyfive said:
Lord of the rings is the most overrated boring piece of cinema I have ever witnessed. How people can watch these so called epics more than once is beyond belief.

I concurr, i actually left the cinema in ROTK (after the battle

) because i was so bored!

Theres only one trilogy, and thats star wars :cool:

.

krooton · 24 Apr 2007 at 13:42

Those tracking shots were done first by The Never Ending Story

shifty_uk · 24 Apr 2007 at 14:00

I think the fact that Frodo was in 'Green Street' pretty much ruined the whole trilogy for me, and maybe his reputation too. Such a terrible film.

Flibster · 24 Apr 2007 at 14:18

Chris1712 said:
I concurr, i actually left the cinema in ROTK (after the battle ) because i was so bored!

Theres only one trilogy, and thats star wars .

Damn right.

LOTR is 18 hours of people walking! Even the trees walked in those movies!

LOTR did nothing for me. Switched brain off and half enjoyed them. Could have been watching anything though.

Simon/~Flibster

Welshy · 24 Apr 2007 at 14:27

shifty_uk said:
I think the fact that Frodo was in 'Green Street' pretty much ruined the whole trilogy for me, and maybe his reputation too. Such a terrible film.

You can bloody well say that again

sist_si · 24 Apr 2007 at 15:30

nope.

BloodWolf · 24 Apr 2007 at 15:52

shifty_uk said:
I think the fact that Frodo was in 'Green Street' pretty much ruined the whole trilogy for me, and maybe his reputation too. Such a terrible film.

Hows that.. O_o Wasnt this film released like ages after LOTR :eek:

Clipsey · 24 Apr 2007 at 18:20

I think the fact that Frodo was in 'Green Street' pretty much ruined the whole trilogy for me, and maybe his reputation too. Such a terrible film.

.....but he was also in Sin City - and in my eyes that was an awesome filme. So they kind of cancel one another out making LOTR brilliant again!!

TriedandTested · 24 Apr 2007 at 18:22

The only people that seem to hate the LoTR films are Star Wars fans. I think they're a little worried their crown has been taken.

Christo · 24 Apr 2007 at 18:38

Lotr was pretty dull in places and the ending of the 3rd part was ridiculous to the point it pretty much ruined it for me.

Master_X · 24 Apr 2007 at 20:39

You could argue that films like the matrix (the first one that is) has made all other action movies looks rubbish. Name me one that has been on par or even better then Matrix?? (and No Matrix 2+3 dont count

)

LOTR is just a fantasticly made trilogy! FACT! Its just that all other movies havent had the amount of time and money invested to make them even come close.