Hey folks, Harry here... normally you see Frosty here in those Jedi Council things that Moriarty does... this time he's leaving that geekverse and traveling in another. Film really seemed to knock him for a loop. MUST SEE MOVIE NOW! Beware of spoilers (for those that haven't read the books) here ya go...

Hey Harry,

So yesterday got to see the new LOTR flick at the DGA, usually I see a lot of screenings with Mr. Beaks, and not to inflate his ego, but one of the main reasons I stopped writing is I think he does at least an average job....okay he can review flicks pretty well. But with Beaks currently traveling the country on a secret mission....otherwise known as Thansgiving, I decided to take a crack at what I just saw. Except rather than a full fledged review, I guess it turned into something else.

Frosty Skywalker    

The journey has ended. As happy as I was to voyage back to the land of middle earth this morning, all I have left is sadness. Gone is my wonder and excitement of how this story will end. How is Frodo going to do this task? What will happen to Gandalf? Or the bigger issue in my mind, who will die? In case you cannot tell, I have not read the books. After watching The Fellowship of the Ring I knew I would read them, but after watching the films. Hearing my friends complain about what has been changed or left out, I decided to give Peter Jackson a chance to let him tell the story as a movie, and not let the books get in the way of my enjoyment. No film can do a book justice, and the inability for fans and critics who sometimes forget this basic fact is always quite frustrating. Now about me not reading ! the books, well this was quite possibly the best decision I have ever made. Over the past few winters I have entered a world that I did not know existed, outside of some friends who used to tell me what I was missing, I cared not for the land of Middle Earth, or for the plight of Frodo and his quest to destroy the ring. Now I feel like I was a simple Shire folk who never ventured out to see what was beyond my door.   

I really want to thank Peter Jackson. No film as an adult has brought me back to the sense of wonder and enchantment that I remember feeling as a child. No film has made me forget about my troubles and worries, or really made me feel like I had traveled to a place that I could touch or feel. When I was a kid I had Star Wars, and while those films and the new prequels have an extremely special place in my heart, I now have a new favorite land. While watching Frodo finish his quest, I forgot about time, I forgot about hunger and I forgot about everything else based in reality. The great thing is I was not alone. Not a soul moved in the theater around me. No cell phone went off, no one was fidgeting in their seat. In fact in a three hour and twenty minute film I did not see one person stand up to use the bathroom. That fact alone should tell you how captivated everyone was.  

How does a director manage to create a brilliant commercial vehicle that pleases your average filmgoer, yet to someone knowledgeable about how film really works, someone who knows that films are sometimes just happy accidents, how can they show the same film and please the critics and hard core fans? No matter if you cherish or despise the world of The Lord of the Rings, you have to take a moment and congratulate Peter Jackson and the work of all the people who clearly gave the blood and soul to a project that might never be equaled in our lifetime. If the Boston Red Sox cannot win a world series in over 80 years, how can we assume that in our modern age of big business and bottom line decisions, we will be able to recreate another story that can cause everyone, from the young and old, and all around the world, to fall in love in a fantasy universe.   

I feel like I have traveled with Frodo on the quest, like I was the other member of the fellowship, and while my friend who watched the movie with me tonight felt that the ending carried on, I knew what I needed to see. When you become close to characters, when you have spent over 10 hours watching an epic unfold, you cannot just accomplish the mission and expect to close the curtains and get up and walk out of the theater. When the journey began we found Frodo and the Shire, we were painted a slow picture of Middle Earth and the surroundings, and at the end, we slowly leave our old friends to begin anew.

Things that really stood out today were of course a new Legolas drop your jaw I just did not see that moment. Legolas thought it would be a good idea to climb an elephant, with people riding in that top piece, and just go to town on the poor beast as it attacked. If you thought that moment of him climbing onto the moving horse with Gimli was coolÖ.you have seen nothing yet. The whole elephant attack was unreal, with people flying to and fro as the tusks dug into everyone. The attack on Gondor was an hour or so (lost track of all time) of blistering action and amazing effects that we have all come to expect from these films. Something I found unintentionally amusing was the Orc leader might have been Slothís brother from The Goonies, something to look for when watching. I really do not want to give away anything more, almost everyone who reads this s! ite is planning on visiting a movie theater opening weekend, and this is honestly a journey that everyone should take. While talking to someone tonight at dinner I told him how the film ends and he said that it is really close to the same as the book, outside of a few things, most notably Sauraman having control of the Shire.  

I usually can see a film and immediately tell you what was wrong, or what could be better. In fact I know most of us can. With the film today I just do not know. Could things have been done better? Was the pacing at the beginning a little off? Did it take about forty five minutes or so to find the groove? Or were my expectations so high that I would need to see god in the theater to be happy. Probably. The truth is this is a movie, and a great one at that. I guess there is a lot of buildup with everyone, including myself, who really want to see the film win Best Picture, and get all the mainstream recognition that the trilogy truly deserves. Is this film Best Picture material? I think that is the one question I was asked at dinner more than anything else. My unbiased answer is yes, especially the way the first film was robbed by A Garbage Mind. But the academy is a weird bunch, and while this ! might be the best film of the year (who really can say what is the best picture), with the previous two and the fact that this is a really great movie, it will probably win based on the combination of the three. I really cannot say until I see the other big guns in the next few weeks. As it stands right now, Best Picture is New Lines, but I am still a little nervous.  

Passion. True passion comes from the heart. When we see art from a painting to a sculpture, from an actor working for the work, or a volunteer giving because they want to, passion in what you do shines like the sun breaking through a rainy day. The Lord of the Rings displays a passion that I have not seen in possibly my entire life of watching films. Mind you there are many brilliant directors who each have a passion to share, but this is quite different. The passion that I see from the smallest detail to the largest miniature might never be reached again. Hatís off to everyone who made these movies. I love them, and I want to thank you for making them as good as they are.  

Frosty