Round One: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King vs. Dr. Strangelove

In this final installment of round one movie match-ups, we find ourselves in the midst of an epic battle. Lord of the Rings:  Return of the King, one of the top grossing movies of all time and the culmination of Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, versus one of the greatest comedy/satires of all time, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)

• Directed by: Peter Jackson
• Written by: J.R.R. Tolkien (novels “Lord of the Rings” trilogy), Fran Walsh (screenplay), Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson
• Starring: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Ian Holm, Liv Tyler, Karl Urban, Hugo Weaving
• Rotten Tomatoes
• Critics: 94%
• Audience: 83%

When explaining the storyline of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, you must realize that there exists many differences between the novel, written by J.R.R. Tolkien, and the movie adaptation, directed by Peter Jackson (director of King Kong, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the upcoming The Hobbit adaptation). All arguments aside, we must accept that this adaptation is proficient at best in summarizing and explaining the events surrounding the culmination of Tolkien's trilogy. Many things were left out (as is the case with most movie adaptations of novels), events were jumbled around to help create plot fluidity, and a few things were added. Nonetheless, Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, as a whole, is a theatrical masterpiece that would have made even Tolkien himself smile in his grave. IMDB sums up the storyline with this post:

While Frodo (Elijah Wood) & Sam (Sean Astin) continue to approach Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring, unaware of the path Gollum (Andy Serkis) is leading them, the former Fellowship (Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan, Orlando Bloom and John Rhys-Davies) aid Rohan & Gondor in a great battle in the Pelennor Fields, Minas Tirith and the Black Gates as Sauron wages his last war against Middle-Earth

Ian Holm, Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, Karl Urban, and Hugo Weaving all play major roles in this, the final installment of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

• Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
• Written by: Stanley Kubrick, Terry Southern, Peter George
• Starring: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Slim Pickens, James Earl Jones
• Rotten Tomatoes
• Critics: 100%
• Audience: 94%

In quite possibly my favorite movie in this entire tournament, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, by Stanley Kubrick (director of Full Metal Jacket, The Shining, A Clockwork Orange), we see the epitome of a true American satire. IMDB writer Huggo posts:

Paranoid Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) of Burpelson Air Force Base, he believing that fluoridation of the American water supply is a Soviet plot to poison the U.S. populace, is able to deploy through a back door mechanism a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union without the knowledge of his superiors, including the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott), and President Merkin Muffley (Peter Sellers). Only Ripper knows the code to recall the B-52 bombers and he has shut down communication in and out of Burpelson as a measure to protect this attack. Ripper's executive officer, RAF Group Captain Lionel Mandrake (Sellers), who is being held at Burpelson by Ripper, believes he knows the recall codes if he can only get a message to the outside world. Meanwhile at the Pentagon War Room, key persons including Muffley, Turgidson and nuclear scientist and adviser, a former Nazi named Dr. Strangelove (Sellers), are discussing measures to stop the attack or mitigate its blow-up into an all out nuclear war with the Soviets. Against Turgidson's wishes, Muffley brings Soviet Ambassador Alexi de Sadesky (Peter Bull) into the War Room, and get his boss, Soviet Premier Dimitri Kisov, on the hot line to inform him of what's going on. The Americans in the War Room are dismayed to learn that the Soviets have a yet as unannounced Doomsday Device to detonate if any of their key targets are hit. As Ripper, Mandrake and those in the War Room try and work the situation to their end goal, Major T.J. "King" Kong (Slim Pickens), one of the B-52 bomber pilots, is working on his own agenda of deploying his bomb where ever he can on enemy soil if he can't make it to his intended target.

Also starring James Earl Jones as Lieutenant Lothar Zogg, Dr. Strangelove is one of the greatest films ever made, highlighted by Seller's ability to play 3 main characters almost simultaneously (in an era where the use of green screens was limited), and his comedic, yet serious, lines strewed throughout the film ("Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room.").

Vote now for your favorite movie: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King or Dr. Strangelove

Survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZFYHYS7

Round One: Monty Python and the Holy Grail vs. The Shining

In this match-up, we have a British comedy legend in Monty Python and the Holy Grail going head-to-head with the horror/thriller of the 1980's in The Shining.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

• Directed by: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
• Written by: Monty Python (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Michael Palin)
• Starring: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
• Rotten Tomatoes
• Critics: 95%
• Audience: 94%

Starring, written and directed by Monty Python (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Michael Palin), Monty Python and the Holy Grail ...

...starts out with Arthur (Chapman), King of the Britons, looking for knights to sit with him at Camelot. He finds many knights including Sir Galahad the pure (Palin), Sir Lancelot the brave (Cleese), the quiet Sir Bedevere (Jones), and Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir Lancelot (Idle). They do not travel on horses, but pretend they do and have their servants bang coconuts to make the sound of horse's hooves. Through satire of certain events in history (witch trials, the black plague) they find Camelot, but after literally a quick song and dance they decide that they do not want to go there. While walking away, God (voiced by Chapman) comes to them from a cloud and tells them to find the Holy Grail. They agree and begin their search. While they search for the Grail, scenes of the knight's tales appear and why they have the name they have. Throughout their search they meet interesting people and knights along the way. Most of the characters die; some through a killer rabbit (which they defeat with the holy hand grenade), others from not answering a question right from the bridge of Death, or die some other ridiculous way. In the end, King Arthur and Sir Bedevere are left and find the Castle Arrrghhh where the Holy Grail is. They are met by some French soldiers who taunted them earlier in the film, so they were not able to get into the castle. (From IMDB writer Zucco)

The Shining (1980)

• Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
• Written by: Stephen King (novel), Stanley Kubrick (screenplay)
• Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers.
• Rotten Tomatoes
• Critics: 88%
• Audience: 91%

Based on Stephen King's novel of the same title, The Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick (director of Full Metal Jacket, A Clockwork Orange, Dr. Strangelove), tells the story of Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), the new caretaker of the Overlook Hotel in Colorado, and his family (Shelly Duvall and Danny Lloyd), as they spend the winter at the secluded resort. The son, Danny Torrance (Lloyd), telepathically sees horrific images of the hotel's past through "shining," which he learns about from the hotel's cook, Dick Hallorann (Scatman Crothers). As Jack writes his novel, he slowly succumbs to cabin fever, ultimately goes insane, and attempts to kill his family (as a previous caretaker had done). This thriller will have you at the edge of your seats until the end; but be careful, the horrors displayed in The Shining are not for the weak-of-stomach.

Vote now for your favorite movie: Monty Python and the Holy Grail or The Shining

Survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZFYHYS7

Round One: Sin City vs. Airplane!

In this round one match-up, we have a hard-hitting action flick, Sin City, going up against a comedy legend, Airplane!

Sin City (2005)

• Directed by: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino (guest director)
• Written by: Frank Miller
• Starring: Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Clive Owen, Mickey Rourke, Rosario Dawson, Benicio Del Toro, Michael Clarke Duncan, Josh Hartnett, Michael Madsen, Brittany Murphy, Rutger Hauer, Nick Stahl, Frank Miller
• Rotten Tomatoes
• Critics: 78%
• Audience: 75%

Frank Miller (writer of RoboCop 2, 300, The Spirit) is known more for his Marvel and DC comic book series than his directing, but finally broke through with this 2005 action flick. The storyline of Sin City is very Tarantino-esque (fitting, as good friends Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino both collaborated with Miller in this, his directorial debut), in that the plot revolves around multiple, seemingly intertwined, storylines all occurring simultaneously. IMDB writer Tom Benton put it best:

Four tales of crime adapted from Frank Miller's popular comics, focusing around a muscular brute (Mickey Rourke) who's looking for the person responsible for the death of his beloved Goldie, a man (Clive Owen) fed up with Sin City's corrupt law enforcement (Benicio Del Toro) who takes the law into his own hands after a horrible mistake, [and] a cop (Bruce Willis) who risks his life to protect a girl from a deformed pedophile (Nick Stahl)...

Also, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Brittany Murphy, Michael Clarke Duncan, Josh Hartnett, Michael Madsen, Elijah Wood, and Rutger Hauer all star in this action film.

Airplane! (1980)

• Directed by: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker.
• Written by: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker.
• Starring: Leslie Nielsen, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, Robert Stack, Julie Hagerty, Robert Hays, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
• Rotten Tomatoes 
• Critics: 98%
• Audience: 85%

Starring Leslie Nielsen in the role of a lifetime, Airplane!, written and directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker (the masters of parody responsible for The Naked Gun and Hot Shots series), follows the story of Ted Striker (Robert Hays), a disgraced ex-Navy pilot, who is chasing after the love of his life Elaine (Julie Hagerty), a flight stewardess. After a meal of tainted fish is served, passengers and crew alike start to fall terribly ill. With Striker as their only hope of landing the plane safely, Rex Kramer (Robert Stack) and Steve McCroskey (Lloyd Bridges) must guide the traumatized war veteran to safety. Peter Graves and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also star in this legendary parody.

Vote now for your favorite movie: Sin City or Airplane!

Survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZFYHYS7

Round One: Finding Nemo vs. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

It is rather fitting that the two family-oriented movies face one another in the first round of the tournament, with the beloved, animated Finding Nemo attempting to overthrow the classic musical Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Finding Nemo (2003)

• Directed by: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
• Written by: Andrew Stanton (story and screenplay), Bob Peterson, David Reynolds
• Starring: Albert Brooks, Alexander Gould, Ellen DeGeneres, Willem DaFoe, Brad Garrett, Geoffrey Rush
• Rotten Tomatoes
• Critics: 98%
• Audience: 80%

                In this 2003 Disney film, Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks), a clownfish, is distraught after his son, and only living family member, Nemo (voiced by Alexander Gould), is kidnapped by a scuba diver. With only a street address written on the back of a pair of goggles as his guide, Marlin uses the aid of a forgetful blue tang fish, named Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres), to travel to Sydney and rescue his son. Along the way, Marlin encounters sharks, jellyfish, turtles, and scores of other various mammals and amphibians. Willem DaFoe, Brad Garrett, and Geoffrey Rush also voice characters in this family-friendly film.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

• Directed by: Mel Stuart
• Written by: Roald Dahl (screenplay and book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”)
• Starring: Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum
• Rotten Tomatoes
• Critics: 90%
• Audience: 80%

                Not to be confused with the recent remake (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) starring Johnny Depp), the original film, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, is a classic story about a poor youth, Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum), who is given the opportunity of a lifetime: a tour of the world-famous, and extremely secretive, Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory, given by Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder) himself, and a lifetime supply of chocolate. Once inside, Charlie and the the other four children, and their equally greedy and repugnant parents, experience a myriad of mishaps over the course of their adventure. The deeper they go into the factory, the smaller the group becomes, until finally, only Charlie and Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson) are left. Only those true of heart are worthy of Wonka's ultimate prize; is Charlie the one Wonka has been searching for?

Vote now for your favorite movie: Finding Nemo or Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZFYHYS7

Round One: Terminator 2: Judgement Day vs. Reservoir Dogs

                In a battle of action film juggernauts, we see Terminator 2: Judgement Day taking on Reservoir Dogs in this round one match-up.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) 

• Directed by: James Cameron
• Written by: James Cameron, William Wisher Jr.
• Starring: Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick
• Rotten Tomatoes
• Critics: 98%
• Audience: 88%

In this sequel, James Cameron (director of Aliens, The Abyss, True Lies, Titanic), picks up the story about 10 years after the events of The Terminator (1984). In Terminator 2: Judgement Day, we are introduced to the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzeneggar) whose mission is to travel back in time to protect Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and her son John (Edward Furlong), who will lead the future human revolution against the machines. The Terminator must protect these humans against the T-1000 (Robert Patrick) at all costs.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

• Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
• Written by: Quentin Tarantino
• Starring: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Quentin Tarantino, Lawrence Tierney
• Rotten Tomatoes
• Critics: 96%
• Audience: 93%

Quentin Tarantino (director of Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & 2, Inglourious Basterds) made his directorial debut in 1992 with Reservoir Dogs. Viewed as one of the greatest independent films of all time, if not the greatest, Reservoir Dogs has become a cult film in recent years. Featuring a large cast of well-known actors, like most Tarantino films, Reservoir Dogs tells the story of a botched diamond heist and the events that surround it. Six criminals, all given color-based nicknames, work for professional criminal Joe Cabot (Lawrence Tierney) in planning a robbery. Over the course of the film, you learn a great deal about the character of each criminal, whether it’s Mr. White’s (Harvey Keitel) real name, Mr. Pink’s (Steve Buscemi) tendency to not tip waiters or waitresses, Mr. Blonde’s (Michael Madsen) questionable sanity, or Mr. Orange’s (Tim Roth) involvement with the police. Through all these endeavors, the criminals learn a great deal about themselves, and even more about each other.

Vote now for your favorite movie: Terminator 2: Judgement Day or Reservoir Dogs

Survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZFYHYS7