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Since, to my knowledge, no one else at the CT has done this yet, I
figured Id chime in with a couple of quick reviews of what
weve seen in the theaters the past few weeks, namely, "Lord of
the Rings: The Two Towers", and "007: Die Another Day."
"THE TWO TOWERS"
Unless youre terribly isolated right now, youve probably
already read or heard numerous reviews of the second
installment in the "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy. Director
Peter Jackson scores another stunning triumph with the latest
offering, and while youve likely already heard something at least
similar, has given us THE movie of the year.
The Tolkien purist, however, will notice some rather obvious
divergences from the book. The background relationship
between Aragorn and Arwen is examined through some
flashbacks and scenes not found in the original story, though
hinted at and, Im told, discussed some in the appendices of the
books. The battle for Helms Deep is resolved in a slightly
different manner than in the books, though not unsatisfactorily
so. Perhaps the most "glaring" change from the books is that the
encounter with Shelob, which ends the second book on a
"cliffhanger", has been moved to the beginning of the third
movie, rather than being retained as the dramatic "hook" of the
second. One explanation being offered for this is that this scene
would likely have required a minimum of another half hour of
movie time, pushing "The Two Towers" to some three and a half
hours. Whether this was Director Jacksons thinking or not,
suffice it to say that the shifting of the scene does not detract
from the flow of the story, or the feeling of building danger
looming over the continuing story.
The production staff has again given us an awesome view of
the world of Middle Earth, with some of the most fantastic
special effects yet seen in a fantasy movie. With but a few minor
exceptions, the effects are nearly flawless and believable. I
wont mention those that could have been better. If you dont
notice them, Im not going to spoil the enjoyment of the movie
for you by pointing them out. The reality is that the effects are
like a symphony with a couple of minor squeaked notes.
Noticing them doesnt detract from the performance otherwise,
and not noticing them is not missing anything. The technique and
effect used to create the CGI character of "Gollum" offers us the
most lifelike animated character I think Ive ever seen. If you
havent yet done so, watch the "Behind the scenes" footage on
the "Fellowship of the Ring" DVD on how they did this. Its a
fascinating blend of acting and animation. Likewise, the Ents,
the new winged mounts for the Ringwraiths, and the battles for
both Helms Deep and Isengard are wonderfully done.
The most common criticism being leveled at "The Two
Towers" is the comic relief that has been infused into the
character of Gimli, the dwarf. Whether this was a good move
on the part of the cast and crew or not is a highly subjective
matter. Based on the reaction of the audience as they watched
the film, it seemed to work fine with them. The other light-
hearted treatment of a serious moment in the film comes when
Gollum/Smeagol debates with himself in a somewhat
schizophrenic manner. It might be a serious moment of self
appraisal and decision for the character, but Director Jackson
offers it to us in a way that infuses humor into the situation. I
dont know if Tolkien would have wanted this scene to be funny,
but, well, it was a funny scene.
If you have any love or appreciation for fantasy at all, you
wont want to miss "The Two Towers."
"DIE ANOTHER DAY"
Speaking of fantasy, lets move on to the other movie Ive
seen recently, for which I posted the following review on an
internet forum I visit. Its only been looked at 20 times over
there, so I dont feel too bad about copying my own work to a
more visited venue.
Pierce Brosnan has made his appearance in the newest entry
into the James Bond franchise, "Die Another Day". My wife is
convinced that Brosnan makes a great James Bond. Personally,
I thought Timothy Dalton made the most believable "Licensed to
Kill" spy type character. He comes across as ruthless and tough,
but that just isn't James Bond. Bond is suave, smooth,
sophisticated. You can picture Pierce Brosnan seducing a
woman simply by introducing himself. Timothy Dalton doesn't
have that kind of "polish."
Anyway, "Die Another Day" offers more of the same for
the afficionado of the genre. More cool Bond gadgets. More
smooth Bond banter. More bizarre Bond villains. More shapely
women to warm Bond's bed. More plot holes big enough to fly
Moonraker through.
Ah, but we don't go to Bond movies for solid plots and
plausible scenarios. We can get those on the 6 o'clock news.
We go to Bond movies to watch 007 do the impossible, not
only against the bad guys, but with those Bond women. We
want to laugh and have a good time with the impossible
situations and solutions that Bond faces.
For that, "Die Another Day" does not disappoint. We
open the film with 007 surfing some killer waves to a North
Korean beach. He's there to take care of a rogue North Korean
colonel who's selling weapons illegally in order to finance his
ideas for a reunited Korea. Right away, we're introduced to
what a nice guy this colonel is. In his first moments of the film,
he's working out his martial arts moves against a hanging
punching bag. When he's done, he orders his men to open the
bag, and out falls his anger management counselor. The Bond
movie producers always show a rather wicked sense of humor.
Bond shows up in place of the weapons buyer, seeking to
purchase the weapons with a suitcase full of embargoed
diamonds. Unfortunately, someone has sold 007 out on this
mission, and Bond ends up as a "guest" of the North Korean
government for some 14 months. When he's traded for a North
Korean prisoner, he finds out that he is suspected of having
broken under torture and compromised information, and is
relieved of his "Double 'O'" status. He takes it upon himself to
find the elusive mole that not only sold him out on his last
mission, but also set up the rumor that he had leaked information
to the North Koreans.
Halle Berry stars as "Jinx," an American agent whose
mission parallels Bond's. It would be easy to picture the Jinx
character getting her own series of movies, or at the very least, a
recurring appearance in the "Bond" movies. Nice to see a female
character that doesn't always require Bond to come to her
rescue, though it wouldn't be a Bond film if he didn't save her at
least once or twice. Still, she handles herself quite capably in
other scenes without 007's assistance.
Toby Stephens plays Gustav Graves, the primary villain of
this installment, and he does so with a air of cocky arrogance
that fits the character to a 't'.
John Cleese returns in the role 'Q', providing not only the
trademark gadgetry of the Bond world, but also some humorous
"comeuppance" to the Bond mystique.
Rosamund Pike plays Miranda Frost, Graves' publicist
and assitant, a woman who we learn is more than she seems.
Madonna appears in a cameo as a fencing instructor,
probably part of her deal for doing the music video.
All in all, if you can set the brain to "neutral, enjoy," "Die
Another Day" is an entertaining way to spend some time,
provided you don't spend too much time thinking about the
technological impossibilities and problems of the plot. Save that
for the evening news, and just sit back and relax. Bond is out to
save the world again, and we're invited along for the fun ride.
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