[Jessica Jade]

I don't think it was ALL overdone either. PJ did the best job he could on that part. It was a good contrast, and it really showed what would have happened if she were to become a dark queen. I still think it looked sort of plastic (as someone said before) and a bit cartoonish, but the effect was achieved.To be totally honest, i thought that was one of the scary parts of the movie...but mind you, i did see the movie before i read any of the books,so i didn't know who was good and who was really evil and what to expect. <P>I do think that Cate Blanchett did a good job. I think her voice, espeically, was perfect for the role.Tolkien's description of Galadriel's voice: "Her voice was clear and musical, but deeper than a woman's wont."(p. 346) As for her being "not pretty enough," o think that maybe elves are not beautiful in the same way humans are. A different type of beauty perhaps. Tolkien describes Galadriel, when the Frodo first sees her, as "grave and beautiful."(p.345). I think Cate did a good job of that...she's definitly grave. I don't think she is that pretty either, but the beauty of elves is not like the beauty of humans...they don't have the "hot blonde", that hot- girl -you- see -in -the-street, the girl next door, or the beauty-pageant -contestant kind of appeal. They're beauty, based on Tolkien's description and the way i imagined it, is <I>ethereal</I>, or heavenly and otherwordly. It's a whole different level of beauty. <P>So i think, in the end, that Cate Blanchett WAS right for the role...she's not TOO beautiful, but she is very ethereal and mysterious. At first, i thought that Gwyneth Paltrow would have been great for the role too, but then i thought she was too pretty and too, i don't know, too much of a female sex symbol? (think of all her other movies...Shakespeare in love, Great Expectations, etc...) i don't know, she still would be great for the role,but I think Cate still did the best she could. I can think of others who would have made good Galadriel's, but i'm still not complaining about Cate Blanchett's performance. It's not her fault thatthe movie didn't show the gentle side of Galadriel. <P>As for the Scouring...i'm 99% sure that it's not going to be included. Yes, it is a shame, but i can understand how they won't have enough time for it. It sure will be interesting how PJ will end it, and how he will tie it all together without Scouring. I've heard a lot about the 2 and 3rd movies and how they're changing a lot lot of stuff...i was really disappointed, but then...they made a lot of changes to Fellowship and that still turned out awesome, so you never know how good the next 2 are going to be. I'll be waiting in anticipation until December.