Is everyone happy with...

[anduin angel 44]

Is everyone happy with the way the books were represented in the movie?

[Iarwain]

Absolutely Not. Though I'm over my anger now, I think I'll quote what I said about it at first: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Oh, but it is worth it. When you make a film soooo confusing that many people ignore more than half the detail and can barely hang on to the thread of the story, you would think that it was produced exclusively for the fans. Then, in a sequel, PJ (along with others) makes the story soooo corny and far from the original that you could almost call it a cheap remake if it weren't for the effects and scenery. <P>With each blow to the defense of Helm's Deep, and each step Frodo took away from Mordor, I looked ahead in my mind to the RotK, and watched the white tower of Minas Tirith crumble, and the armies of Gondor shrivel and fail. I fear now that Frodo will fail in his quest, and that the Morgul army will get past the second circle. Arwen will set sail, and Faramir will be excecuted by Denethor. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>and<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> I still find it hard to believe that they cut the movie off half way through each Book (by books I mean III and IV). I was looking forward to an amazing scene including Torech Ungol and Sam's fight with Shelob. The issue of the Palantir of Orthanc was never touched because instead of fetching Treebeard to help at Helm's Deep, Gandalf went to Eomer (who was already supposed to be there, and should have been fighting throughout the entire movie)! Merry and Pippin are left waiting at Isengard, when I was SO looking forward to a closing scene with Gandalf and Pippin riding Shadowfax to Minas Tirith at dawn. Oh well, I suppose all we can do is wait and hope that this disaster is fixed, and the third is as good as the first.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Eru]

you know, i absolutely agree with you. they totally screwed up the second movie. it's an outrage! <P>if they get any farther from the books i'm not watching the third one. i refuse.

[The Saucepan Man]

There's an abundance of views on this in the Movie Forum.<P>Methinks this thread might be moved there.<P>Iarwain, we disagree once more!

[Aratlithiel]

Oh, boy is THIS going to be a busy thread!! I was quite disappointed with FotR because Frodo holds a special place in my heart and it truly pained me to see him portrayed as a wimpy victim. Why they had him drop his sword when the Nazgul came I'll never understand. <P>By the time TTT came along I had already reconciled myself to the fact that Frodo's nobility was a casualty of the book-to-movie syndrome and decided to try and enjoy the film as its own entity instead of comparing it to the novel. I'm afraid I failed miserably.<P>Aragorn is afraid to be acknowledged as king? Frodo's some kind of psycho who tries to give the Ring to a Nazgul? A NAZGUL?!?!? Faramir is willing to sacrifice Middle-earth to get into Daddy's good graces? Theoden cowers in a corner until he's forced to defend his people? Treeberd has to be shocked into moving to action?<P>I'm afraid Frodo isn't the only one who's lost all his nobility. Who ARE these people? And why is Jackson so afraid to show their strength of character?<P>I can't say I was expecting the film to be a verbatim play of the novel, but since Jackson made such a point of saying that he was doing these films for the fans and that he himself was a huge fan, I honestly didn't expect these kinds of changes and truly felt betrayed.<P>LOL - Hmmm...did I answer your question?

[Artalwen]

I wasn't that disappointed in FOTR movie....but I was majorly disappointed in TTT...TTT was just awful in my eyes compared to the books...<P>...my friend told me that because she hasn't read the books, she has no clue what's going on now. <P>Also...when Aragorn fell over a cliff...I about died laughing...for I knew what really happened... ...I bet people in the theater were ready to 'shush' me.

[HCIsland]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Is everyone happy with the way the books were represented in the movie? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>I certainly am.<P>H.C.

[Peri]

Happy enough, I suppose. There a few things I don't agree with though. Like the part when Aragorn falls over the edge and floats down the river and is saved(?) by Arwen. There are plenty of other things too, but I don't want to take the time to list them all.

[Duncariel]

TTT was off more than I thought when I first saw it, but it's worth seeing again.

[anduin angel 44]

How could you not be happy? They're incredible!! of course, I'm sure that we each think that we could've improved it somehow, but you try making the greatest book in the world into a movie and then see how easy it is.

[VercingetoriX]

When I think of how difficult the books are to render in a movie, my anger fades a little, but there were some things where it really would have been easier to follow the plot and show the chars how they were depicted in print.

[Iarwain]

Just a warning for everyone here. Don't try to criticize other people's views on this subject! Its dangerous and shows no progress, so before someone like me comes along and tries to do it, DON'T!!! <P>I'm sorry to hear that we disagree, Saucepan. Perhaps this would make for another good debate some time... <P>Iarwain

[doug*platypus]

FOTR: yes, fairly, some parts more than others. The Shire, Gandalf and the Nazgûl - big ups. The Balrog, Rivendell, and Elrond... hissing and booing. I think as time goes by this will be my favourite, at least of the two.<P>TTT: moan, shudder, groan. Excellent movie, but the crappy deviations from the book make it almost unwatchable, and the good deviations are few and far between. I've only seen it two times, I think I could stand maybe once more. <BR> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Is everyone happy with the way the books were represented in the movie? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>All in all I think they haven't been treated with the care and consideration they deserve. Thanks for asking.

[Saint of Killers]

Big Ups to the TFoTR - thought it was a good, decent and thoughtful translation of the book. Furthermore, it was a good movie in and of itself.<P>TTT though is absolutely awful, for a little while I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Mainly because many of the liberties taken with the script seemed totally unnecessary.<P>Even on a visual level, how many wide angles shots can we take of characters madly galloping (or running) in one direction and then the other to 'epic' music against a panoramic backdrop?<P>For a while there thats all the movie seemed to be, interspersed with the occassional light relief in the form of corny dialogue - and ham fisted monologues.<P>*bah*<P>Dont talk to me about Helms Deep either, a great battle and all that but tremendously overhyped - besides I still cant get over the fact that we have elvish dialogue liberally ladled out with an oversized spoon, like so much treacle, while Gimli wasnt allowed to say "Bharuk Khazad! Khazad Aie Menu!" at the Battle of Helms Deep when he saves Aragorn. Even a simple "Khazad! Khazad!" would have sufficed. But no, he had to be the comedic relief and fall over in a puddle or something...<P>Sorry guys this has become something of a rant - apologies and all that. Its just that I cant fathom why so many changes were made -changes which are not for the better, add nothing to the story or the characters, and seem to be, by and large, totally unnecessary.

[Dimannûnien]

I just went to see TTT for the second time, and I still think it is a great movie. I have started to reread the books, having not looked at them in the last twenty years and several things have struck me only 6 chapters in.<P>Firstly, if the films followed everything in the books we would be in the cinema for a very very long time, often watching quite boring stuff.....look at the section of film in FOTR up to crossing the ferry.......far more exciting than in the book, and therefore more appropriate to film. Would we really want 17 years to pass between the party and Frodo setting out? I think not.<P>Secondly, I just watched the Extended DVD of FOTR and realised that so much more of the depth of the saga is there than in the theatrical version.....Aragorn's past and his conflict as heir to the throne, and also the gift giving, which makes it very clear why in TTT Gollum is moaning so much about being led around on a piece of string.<P>Thirdly, I think you can spot the places in TTT where the DVD will fill in gaps and give reasons for character changes and suchlike. Big hole where Pippin and Merry meet the white wizard, through to their next scene marching through the forest again. There will also be explanation of Faramir's character through showing him finding that Boromir is dead....finding the horn of Gondor.....after all, he says that his brother is dead in TTT but we don't know how he knows. <P>yes, I entirely understand the views of everyone who is unhappy with the decisions made about the film, and maybe, when I have finished reading the books I shall be one of those myself, but I never go back to the cinema to see the same film a second time, so there must be something about it.

[akhtene]

Can you guess what I've been doing for the last 3 hours? Just swearing under my breath, cursng the very minute I decided to see the second film (yesterday was the premiere in Russia). <BR>As much as I enjoyed FOTR, so everything in TTT made me cringe and moan. All those close-ups of suffering lip-moving faces, flying parts of bodies and what not, Orcs looking like stale corpses and beasts of unknown spieces... Brrr. Ok, at times it LOOKS spectacular, but it's not the book!!! Not in the least!<P>Frankly speaking, I used to be a bit annoyed when people blamed FOTR of deviations from the text. Somehow that was OK with me But this time things have gone too far!<P>Sorry for such post. But not all my supply of curses has been spent yet.

[Lyra Greenleaf]

I am shocked, not to mention disgusted, that none else cares that they massacred faramir! this is maybe the best 'man' excluding aragorn in the world who can avoid the lure of the ring and what do they do: "take them to my father, tell him faramir sends a kingly gift!" (what the hell is denethor doing in osgilliath anyway, i might add!) i mean seriously!<P>however apart from that which has had me fuming for weeks (i LOVE faramir in the book) its a fantastic film.

[HCIsland]

I think you'll find more then enough company for that opinion. Try reading some of the other threads.<P>H.C.

[The Saucepan Man]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> what the hell is denethor doing in osgilliath anyway, i might add! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I don't think Denethor was actually in Osgiliath in the film (not the safest place for a Steward of Gondor to base himself ). I believe that they were passing through en route to Minas Tirith (mind you, that raises the question of why they chose to go through beseiged Osgiliath, rather than take a more direct route from Henneth Anun - but that is for another thread).<p>[ January 24, 2003: Message edited by: The Saucepan Man ]

[Ardwenna]

Okay, I liked the movie. it was decent. It didn't follow the book as much as I would have liked. But when I went to the movie (I went again on Fri) I managed to enjoy the movie seperate from my knowledge of the book. HOWEVER, there are a couple of things that irked me. <P>First of all, the way Faramir was portrayed. It bugged me that PJ totally twisted and changed this noble charecter. He was a decent chap (in the books) and this portrayed him as a power hungry adolescent looking for daddy's approval.<P>Secondly~When the elves showed up at Helmsdeep. I'm sure there is a gap there that will be filled in when the EE comes out, but you haven't the foggiest who the guy is that Aragorn just walks up to and hugs. You know he's been sent there by Elrond, but Aragorn seems to know him from somewhere, and we don't know where. <P>Thirdly~ Where is Arwen going??? The book makes no refrence to Arwen taking off? <P>I have more, but I'm tired.

[Pookabunny]

I love that people feel so passionately about this discussion, that they argue about it over...<P>and over...<P>and over...<P>and over...<P>There are a *few* threads where this very topic is discussed. Oh well, at least we're over "the movie sucks"..."no it doesn't"..."yea it does"..."yo momma is fat and eats fried ears"....etc...<P>Holy flying dustbunnies! It'll be okay! PJ won't come to our houses and burn all our books! It'll be ok! I hate Briney Spears music, but I'm not gonna stalk her and punch her in the boobs! I just respect that she's rich and famous and I move on.<P>It'll be O-K!

[Ardwenna]

*sobs* You don't understand, it WON'T be okay! It won't!!!! *collapses in a sobbing heap on the floor*<P>

[Ardwenna]

You realize I was joking...don't you?? Well, don't you??? Ah nevermind. *mutters something about people not appreciating sarcasm and exits, stage left*

[The Saucepan Man]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> PJ won't come to our houses and burn all our books! It'll be ok! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P> Well put, Pookabunny!