Have you ever had something once, or even a few times, and thought…wow, this is the greatest experience in my life! Now this doesn’t happen all the time, but I bet there must have been a time or two where you’ve felt like this. Like having an amazing breakfast, with the perfect bacon and eggs, and maybe a sweet and savory pancake or two. Okay, so I lied, this is a little about food, but let’s continue. Then you felt like if you had it again soon, you’d love it even more. So you have it again. It’s great, but somehow it’s not as great as the last time. Then, you wait awhile more…and again…not as good as the last time. Still good. Just not AS good. Hmm. This is nothing like watching Lord of the Rings. You see the entire trilogy at once, and you need at least a year off to recouperate. Because when you watch the Fellowship, it’s like you’re there, every step of the way. Which is why I don’t know how hobbits could eat so many times in a single morning, because…yeah…that’s a lot of breakfast. Now that I’ve thoroughly confused you…
I had the “opportunity” to go to the theater last weekend and watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy with a bunch of my fellow nerds and endulge in the amazing world of Middle Earth. It would be great to see this epic movie again on the big screen, and I think back to the time when I first saw these films. I was enthralled for every minute it played, watching as the fantasy world unfolded and was swept away when that iconic music filled my ears. I was lost in the this universe, from the Shire all the way to Amon Armoth. I cared what happened to Mr. Frodo and his lover Samwise. “More bread Mr. Frodo?” I felt the tension of the battles as I was gripping my seat when Gimli, Aragorn, and Legolas fought the Horde army. I thought I could never get tired of this film. And that was the problem with my first, awesome experience with the Lord of the Rings. Each movie was like a work out, because you’re sitting for 3 hours of an epic fantasy adventure and you need a break. A year long break. And so I watched each movie once. Then, the DVDs came out. At first I would watch them in small portions, and I would get lost in the world all over again. But that would not be enough. Oh no. I decided to do a marathon.
Do you want to experience uncomfort like you you’ve never experienced before? My own fault for being a selective completionist. (I don’t complete everything I do) If you want to feel antsy for hours and walk around like your brain went through a blender, do a marathon of the EXTENDED versions of this film. I’m a huge fan, but it’s like trying to have that awesome breakfast three times, back to back to back, with no rest in between. Sure there were bathroom breaks, and yes I had to swap out DVDs, but holy crap. That’s like pointy ear overload!
I realize I’ve done the Marvel Marathon before the big Avengers premiere and I did the Batman movies back to back before the midnight showing of the Dark Knight Rises, but for some reason, they weren’t as taxing. As much gravitas as the Batman movies had, and how deep, dark, and thoughtful as they were, they did not have the same impact as LoTR. More power to you if you can make it through the entire trilogy without flinching, because I can’t do it. Not like the first time. That first marathon of the Rings was fine, because I hadn’t done it before, but I knew after that, I would not be able to do it again, not for a long time. So when this chance to see the Lord of the Rings again on the big screen came up, I had to pass. Which is only weird because I normally don’t pass these things up. And I am a huge fan, don’t get me wrong, but I probably lost my fandom card by not going.
There’s an understandable love/hate relationship with Tolkien’s story, turned movie. Not everyone can handle the high fantasy and the “drama” of this film experience. I mean, there are even these cuts of the Fellowship walking and walking and walking that are meant to look grand in scale, and it works. But even then there’s a lot, or maybe very little, going on here. So I can appreciate that this is not everyone’s game, but it is mine, and I feel ashamed that I can’t stomach more than…uhh…two marathons of this film. I’ve ridden the roller coaster known as this trilogy twice, and got progressively sicker each time. Now, individually, I think can do it, but not as a whole. Not for…9, 10, 11 hours of beautiful landscapes and talking trees.
Again, I love these films, but there’s only so much I can take. Like Star Wars, the original trilogy was all fine and good and should live happily in your memories or rewatchings of it, but then…they had to push their luck with a prequel and that’s the fear I have about these new films. With the Hobbit split into a new trilogy, there’s this chance that it will be too much and of lesser quality, much like the very debated Star Wars Episodes 1 – 3. I think Peter Jackson is getting greedy (which I guess should be no surprise in Hollywood) and he should have stuck with at least the two parter, which was the original plan for this film. The guy is testing the patience of the fans, and he may end up on the losing end of this experiment. Then, there’s the thought of having to watch six, truly epic, movies all together to get the entire story of the One Ring. It may be too much for even a hardcore fan to handle. Though I know there will be people to prove me wrong.
There’s also a lot of criticism that has come with the Hobbit, and I think this will be it’s Acheille’s heel. It’s not in the story telling, which has it’s own flaws according to reviewers, but it’s in the way it was filmed. I can appreciate innovation, don’t get me wrong, but if it causes a viewer to step out of the fantasy world and into reality due to the images of the movie looking too real and moving too realistically, then maybe we, as an audience, are not ready for it yet. People are getting sick, feeling nausea, and I believe I read some places where people had to walk out. Again, not due to story telling, but to the way it was filmed. That’s worrisome, because I’ll be watching it this weekend, as I am a fan, but will I too come out of the theater, close to vomiting?
Then there’s the story itself being drawn out for three films. Critics, and schmuck reviewers like myself, are not to be trusted in such matters, but so far, people are split down the middle. I have read and listened to people love and hate this film. Of course it doesn’t matter what we think, it will matter what you think as a viewer and a fan. Still, I get a feel for the film from these reviews, and I think that I’ll like it, because they already had me from the original trilogy. Newcomers or people watching the film for the hype, may not be so happy with it overall. It’s not fast paced. The films and the books, take their time, and I think people forget that.
Well, time to connect the title with this post. The first breakfast was The Lord of the Rings trilogy. An amazing set of films that are brilliant in moderation. But then…as the hobbits like to do…there’s second breakfast a.k.a. The Hobbit. I believe it won’t live up to the hype and most people, from what I’ve read and heard, may probably not like it. But for us fans, I think we’ll be happy with the expansion of this fantasty world, but a bit wary of how long it will take us to see it all. Who knows? Only time will tell ifs this new trilogy will stand the test of time, or just be another regret we nerds write off, like it never existed.
