The Two Towers Extend Edition Review.

If you have not read my review for The Fellowship of the Ring Extend Edition. Please Click here to check it out.

Thoughts: I was really excited to watch The Two Towers since it had more extra footage than The Fellowship and it did not disappoint. The added 43 minutes really changed The Two Towers; it almost felt like a different movie with the addedscenes. Although it did slow the pace, which is fine for fan, and there were not near as many scenes with The Hobbits that added or extended. There were many scenes with Aragorn and company and there were a lot of loose ends that were tied up nicely. The character Faramir was given much more screen time and I really liked the character. He was really given the shaft in the theatrical version of the movie. There was again some really funny humor that was added, most of which was with Gimli. There is a lot more information about the characters included in this version and Aragorn's quest was much more interesting and made you feel more invested in the story. Especially the scene were Aragorn tells Eowyn that he is 85 years old! The Two Towers is my second favorite Lord of the Rings movie after The Return of the King but I like them all and the Extend Edition is a must buy for any fan of the movies. Just as in my previous review of The Fellowship of the Ring below are all of the scenes that were added and my comments are highlighted in red below each description of the extra scenes that I think are worth noting.

 The Two Towers Extended Scenes.

Sam uses his Elvish rope to help him and Frodo get down from a cliff and another clip in which it is raining on them.

There was a scene in The Fellowship of the Ring that was cut were Lady Galadriel gave each of the Fellowship something to help them in their quest and she gave Sam some Elvish rope, which was used in this scene.

Pippin believes that Merry is wounded and asks the orcs to give him some water. Instead they give him orc draught to drink.

Some extra stuff with Sauron building his armies and gathering allies, and plotting etc.

Éomer finds his cousin mortally wounded and brings him to Edoras. Later Gríma exiling Éomer is extended.

The encounter between orcs and Uruk-hai extended.

The funeral of Théodred.

The encounter between the hobbits Merry and Pippin and Treebeard is extended; There is also a scene in which Merry and Pippin stay drunk only to hear the powerful voice of the Ent, almost falling off Treebeard's body.

Merry and Pippin drink Ent Draught (Which makes them grow a few inches taller and they get attacked by Old Man Willow and Treebeard saves them.

This scene actually explains how the Ents can talk and I wish this was in the original cut.

Gandalf and Aragorn talk about Frodo's fate on their way to Rohan.

Some humorous scenes, such as one in which Eowyn (who is an awful cook) serves a plate of terrible stew to Aragorn (In which Aragorn reveals his age to be 87)
Now this was a shock. Aragorn was 87 years old! That information should have been included.

Faramir finds the boat carrying the body of his brother Boromir, which brings him many memories that help to explain in detail his relationship with his father Denethor and Denethor's unsympathetic attitude towards his Faramir.
Faramir really got the shaft in the original cut. I like him much more as a character after watching the extended editions.

Faramir and Boromir at Osgiliath and Denethor sends Boromir to Rivendell to find out about the One Ring.
More character development of Farmir, which is good.

Flotsam and Jetsom is a new scene where Merry and Pippin find food and Longbottom Leaf in Isengard
Something that I noticed in the extended editions is that the smoking of weed was mostly removed other than a seeing the characters smoke.

Extended Scene of Sam's Speech at Osgiliath

Faramir shows the hobbits the way out of Osgiliath
More scenes that Faramir was cut out of and it explains how they left Osgliath better.

Fan End Credits

The Movie: 10/10- Before watching the extended edition I was not sure if I liked The Two Towers or The Fellowship of the Ring more but after watching the extended editions I definitely like The Tow Towers more and it is also one of the best movies ever made.

Video: 9.9/10- The video quality was better than the Fellowship and definitely enhances the experience.

Audio: 9.7/10- The only real problem with the audio is that in some scenes the sound effects and music over power the voices of the characters but it does really immerse you into the movie.

Overall 10/10- The Tow Towers is almost like a different movie with the added scenes and is definitely a better movie.

If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

New Avengers Clip: Iron Man and Loki!

Wow! This clip is awesome! This is the actual clip from the most popular part of all The Avengers Trailers.

Loki: "I have an army."  

Tony: "We have a Hulk"

Here is The Avengers featurette.

If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

The Fellowship of the Ring Extend Edition Review.

As I said in my earlier post I bought The Lord of the Ring Extended Edition Blu-Ray. I will be reviewing each part of the Blu-Ray collection separately starting with the movies and then the special features. I watched The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition in consecutive days to get the full experience. If you have not seen The Lord of the Rings Trilogy you need to watch it! They are must see movies. The only reasons any could not like it is if: they have attention of a six year old kid (but my six year bother old loved it when he watched), or they are scared easily by the Orcs and other somewhat thing scary things.

Thoughts: I have seen The Fellowship of the Ring before when I borrowed it from a friend so watching it this time was not an new experience but it was still fantastic! As I said in earlier posts I love The Lord of the Rings movies. They are my favorite after Star Wars. There is 30 minutes of extended footage in this version and it does enhance experience. I doubt I will ever go back to watch the theatrical edition again. While the extra 30 minutes does not change The Fellowship of the Ring as much as the extra scenes change the other two Lord of the Rings movies, it does make The Fellowship of the Ring feels like a more complete movie. There are a few lose ends that are explained and some that are relevant in the next two movies. I have not read any of the Lord of the Rings books (sue me) I assume that some of the added were in the book but were cut from the theatrical version. There were a few entirely new scenes and many that were extended. The only thing I do not like about this Extended Edition was the extra in the special features is a very inappropriate MTV award parody. Do not watch it.  Also there was some humor that was added. There was also a lot more character development I would not recommend watching the Extend Editions for a first time viewing of the trilogy because the pace is slower except in The Return of the King and it might be boring to some viewers. But for Lord of the Rings fans it is perfect. My comments are highlighted in red below each description of the extra scenes that I think are worth noting.

The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Scenes

Isildur's death.
This better explains how the ring was lost much better than the original Prologue scene.

Bilbo's opening narration "Concerning Hobbits".
This scene told you more about the Hobbits and had some humor but was not as important to the story as some of the additions.

Bilbo at the party scene avoiding the Sackville-Bagginses.
Bilbo and Frodo dialogue at the party scene, while avoiding the Sackville-Bagginses.
This another scene that gave a little more back story about Bilbo.


The Hobbits at the Green Dragon.
The humor in this scene was good.

A conversation between Ted Sandyman, Hamfast Gamgee, Old Noakes, Samwise Gamgee and Frodo Baggins.

Frodo and Sam seeing Wood Elves making their way to the Grey Havens on their first day of their journey across the Shire.

The crossing of the Midgewater.

Aragorn singing "The Lay of Lúthien".

Sam shows Frodo the trolls when they are at Trollshaws.
The trolls that will be included in the up coming Hobbit movie. This really conects the two movies well.

Gandalf reciting Black Speech at the Council of Elrond.

Aragorn visiting his mother's grave.

The Fellowship given a goodbye at Rivendell.

Gandalf warning Frodo about Boromir near Moria.

Lothlórien panorama added.

Sam's poem about Gandalf's fireworks.

The Fellowship members have flashbacks from when they were given their gifts from Galadriel.
This is the scene that explains how The Felloship gained some of their weapons and equipment like the camouflage cloaks and Legolas' new bow.

Celeborn and Aragorn have a conversation in a flashback.

Aragorn and Boromir seeing Gollum on a log.

More of Merry and Pippin defending Boromir at Amon Hen
More action always makes thing better.

Fan Club credits.

Since this is a review of the Blu-Ray and not the movie it's self I am judging mostly on the quality of the video and audio.

The Movie: 10/10- The Fellowship of the Ring is the near perfect movie one of the best movies ever made and Extend Edition makes it even better than the original. While I like the next two Lord of the Rings movies better this still ranks 7th on my all time favorite movies list.

Video: 9.8/10- The Fellowship of the Ring has never looked better in full 1080p HD. Some people have complained about some of the scene having a green tint but I did not see any.

Audio: 9.8/10- I do not have a surround sound system but Howard Shore's score sounded fantastic and the sound effects were also great.

Overall 10/10- This is a must buy for any Lord of the Rings fan. You can also buy this on DVD if you do not have a Blu-Ray player.

Come back here tomorrow for the review of The Two Towers Extend Edition.

If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Guest Post By Rebecca: Star Wars vs Star Trek

Here is another guest post by my friend Rebecca at Just me... . You may have already seen the post on her blog but I am re-posting here. Check back here tomorrow for The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Reviews.

Have you ever noticed the similarities...and differences between these two epic space sagas? And no I'm not just talking about the title cards--even thought they are almost identical. If so then this post is made for you! Today we will be comparing two of America's greatest Science Fiction franchises! So all you Star Wars fans and Star Trek fans sit back relax and let the judging begin!

1) Which series has the best plot?

Okay, right off the bat I'd have to say that Star Wars wins this one. Sorry Trek fans...but the complexities of the Star Wars Saga's plot makes it one heck of a ride for it's viewers. Star Trek, though an interesting ride itself...doesn't provide the long lasting, interconnecting twists that Star Wars does. And this doesn't just extend to the Star Wars and Star Trek movies...but also to the T.V. series as well. Granted Next Generation and so on were pretty good too...they just don't have the magic that Star Wars has. So sorry guys, but Star Wars trumps Star Trek on this one.

2) Which series has the best heroes?

Okay, granted I used the Captain Kirk picture from the original series...but it's all I had on such short notice. Anyway, heroes on this one are hard to call. All the Star Trek heroes to some degree or another remained true to there cause....while Anakin infamously betrayed all that he loved to become a sith. So on a scale of loyalty Star Trek wins out. But there are many MANY other loyal heroes in the Star Wars saga...most of them are pretty neat. So on a scale of I guess Awesomeness, Star Wars wins. I mean after all, a hero must not only be loyal, brave and true...they must also be really REALLY cool so as to win the fans over.

In short: Loyalty wise Star Trek wins due to Anakin's betrayal, but coolness wise Star Wars wins with the most awesome characters.

3) Which series had the best villians?

Ahhh villains...my favorite part of a film. I mean, everyone likes a good hero and all...but everyone LOVES a good villain. They are what adds suspense and spice to a story line...which therefore makes them extremely important. So out of these two sagas...who had the best villains? And yea I used Khan from the OS but again...all I could snag at the moment.

TNG had some pretty awesome bad guys...and Nero from the Star Trek 2009 movie was pretty nasty too. But honestly, how could they win out over such memorable villains as Darth Vader (now a house hold name) Asajj Ventress, the evil Night Sister, or Grievous...the blood thirsty general? Sorry but they just can't. So sorry Star Trek but Star Wars beats you once again. :(

4) Which series had the best side kick?

The loyal companion of the hero can sometimes be even more awesome than the heroes. Often they are the ones who get the most fans...strange right? Well, seeing how sidekicks are so important to a story...it is important that they be included in this contest.

Now, both Star Wars and Star Trek have some pretty cool secondary characters. The most memorable of Star Wars being Obi-wan Kenobi, and the most memorable of Star Trek being Spock. But out of these sagas who would win?

Well, I'd have to say that it's a tie. Yes a tie. Star Wars and Star Trek both have such a wide array of amazing secondary characters that it's impossible to choose who is the best. So overall both Star Wars and Star Trek win this round! :D

5) Which series had the best love story?

You can't make a saga without having some sort of love story interwoven in it. But with these two who wins? Well, I'd have to say that Star Wars does. Sorry, but it's true. Star Wars has two extremely romantic pairings that cannot be underrated. Who could forget the touching romance of Leia and Han? Or the tragic forbidden love of Anakin and Padme`? No one can and that's why Star Wars wins this one.

6) Which series had the best weapons?

Ok, this one isn't even a real contest. Lightsaber vs. Phaser? Lightsaber SO wins!! Come on, it's a laser sword! Those kick Phaser butt!

Sorry once again but Star Wars wins out.

7) Which series had the best alien species

Well, while I have to say that the Twi`leks were pretty neat (they're one of my all time favorite Star Wars species) The Vulcans, with there whole non emotion thing win out.

And that's pretty much it. What did you think? Please comment and let know! :D

Your busy and loyal blogger,

Rebecca

 

 

 

 

Check back here tomorrow for The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Reviews.

 

 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Review.

Starting Wedsday I will be posting some Lord of the Rings posts.

Thoughts: This is the sequel to the first Harry Potter and I was expecting it to be better than the first and it was a lot better than the first one. The acting was better, better plot, faster pace, and more action. Although a few of the same flaws that hindered the first movie is still present here. The opening of the movie with his adopted family, again do not make sense why they would care that he goes to the Hogwarts School since he would not have to live with them except in the summer. It was still cheesy and actually really dumb. But that part only last around ten minutes were as it lasted about 20-30 minutes in the first movie, therefore it was much more tolerable. The movie it's self was very good and solidly entertaining. It was also a little darker, which I thought was a good thing since the first movie was much more like a kid's movie than this one. It was basically better than the first movie in just about every way but it is not a real major improvement to say that it is a great movie but it is a good movie.

Directed by: Chris Columbus
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Release Date: 15 November 2002 (2002-11-15)
Running Time: 161 minutes
MMPA rating: PG

The Good: Better than the first Harry Potter movie,

The Bad: Still had a few of the same flaws as the first movie,

Plot: The following plot summery is copied from Wikipedia.com.
Preparing for a visit from a potential client of Uncle Vernon Dursley's, the Dursleys send Harry to his room. Harry finds Dobby the house elf, who warns against returning to Hogwarts. When Harry refuses, Dobby causes havoc in the house and frames Harry for ruining Vernon's meeting. Vernon locks Harry in his room to prevent his return to Hogwarts. Ron, Fred, and George Weasley arrive in their flying car to rescue Harry and take him to The Burrow, their home. Harry meets Ron's younger sister, Ginny, who is about to begin at Hogwarts and has a crush on Harry. Harry also meets Ron's father, Arthur Weasley; he had met Mrs. Weasley the previous year. Harry and the Weasleys travel to Diagon Alley by Floo Powder. While shopping, Harry meets Gilderoy Lockhart, a famous wizard and author, and later Draco Malfoy and his father, Lucius, who praise Voldemort and deride Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys.
At King's Cross Station, though the rest of the Weasleys reach Platform 9 3/4 without trouble, Harry and Ron find the magical barrier blocked; as a result, they miss the Hogwarts Express. Harry and Ron take the flying car and reach Hogwarts, but accidentally land in the school's Whomping Willow. Ron's wand is broken and the car behaves erratically, ejecting the boys and driving itself into the Forbidden Forest. When Harry and Ron enter Hogwarts they are seen by Snape, who scolds them for flying the car to Hogwarts and nearly expels them. Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore arrive and McGonagall defends the boys and tells them they will receive detention only. Watch the movie to what happens next.

Plot: 7.1/10- The plot had a mystery component and the pace was much better than the first movie.
  Action: 6.0/10- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets actually had a few action scenes.

Acting: 6.0/10- The acting is much improved from the previous movie especially the three main characters Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Special effects: 6.0/10- The effects are still a little dated but effective enough. Also the CGI character Dobby looked about the quality of Jar Jar from The Phantom Mencius.


Soundtrack: 9.0/10- The soundtrack was basically the same great John Williams soundtrack was in the first movie. I also noticed during one scene of the movie that soundtrack sounded just like a soundtrack from Star Wars.

Comedy: 7.5/10- There was a good deal of humor in the movie.

Overall: 6.8/10- Overall is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a good movie that is better than the previous Harry Potter movie.

Closing comments: I plan to continue watching the Harry Potter movies since the first two movies in the series are considered to be the worst in the series.

Recommended for: Fantasy fans, Adventure fans.

If you have not read my reviews for the other Harry Potter movies please click on the links below.
Harry Potter Series
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's (Philosopher's) Stone Review
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Review.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Review.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Review.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Review.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Review.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Review
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Review

Click here to check out more of our movie reviews.

If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.