I have read LOTR once, twenty years ago, when I was at school. For me, the aspects of the books that I remember from then were all there in both movies, especially in terms of the characters I related to the most. What seeing the films, and especially TTT , has done to me is to want to see the films again, and more importantly to reread not just LOTR but even tackle other texts by Tolkien,as well as learn Elvish. Who knows, I might even take up traditional archery, as well as the Olympic style I already take part in.<P>Peter Jackson had an immense budget at his disposal. Consequently he had to make films that would recoup that money. I suspect that some of the literal aspects of the texts may have been less effective than PJ's version and resulted in less accessible films. As it is, I suspect that for many viewers who had waited the year between FOTR and TTT there were still some things that puzzled them, in spite of the reduction of characters and plot alterations. <P>I wonder too, whether some of the 'ommissions' from TTT will appear in ROTK. It can be really effective to use such techniques as flashback, dream sequences and so on, and what better way to gel the three films into a whole.<P>Every film that is adapted from a well-known literary work is subject to criticism, and the director knows that his interpretation is going to be subject to probable criticism by somebody. Must be fine line to tread to keep everybody happy! <P>
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