[Boromir88]

I like how Jackson handled the narration in the beginning. I think it's good to get everyone introduced and into the story, but I don't think it should have been used much more. I wanted to hear Galadriel narrate at the end and sort of close up the storyline of the Fellowship members. I'm reminded back to Troy, where Sean Bean does the narration in the beginning and then he closes the story in the end. I think that's all the narration that would have worked with LOTR. Get us introduced, and get us a closure (though the narration is not at the end )

You exaggerate, of course. But, in a sense, yes. It seems clear to me that Jackson deliberately chose to style the film as an action/adventure blockbuster, albeit one that is (in my opinion) of superior quality to most examples of the genre. It's all about "bums on seats", luvvie.~Sauce

I agree, and when it comes to movies a lot of people (teens especially) want to be brought right into it from the start. They want it to start off with a bang to get everyone's eyes on the screen and keep them there. It's like a rock concert, you start out with something that'll get the audiences attention and keep them there.

Seabiscuit, slowly progresses into the movie. Now, it's a great movie, well made, good acting, and I loved it. But the story starts out super super slow, and it drags on, once we get to the last half it's a wonderful movie. But, as far as I know Seabiscuit isn't an action/adventure and Jackson needed to do something to start off with a bang. I think this small battle in the beginning, and Sauron's destruction does this quite effectively.

Now we already have this built up tension when we find out Bilbo's ring is the One Ring.

1. The ring wraith killing the hobbit. While we didn't see that it bothered me because it never happened and didn't need to here. I understand that PJ is attempting to make them out to be evil but seeing them exit Mordor and knowing that they are after the ring should establish that to all but the most dim-witted individual. Tolkien explained rather well that they were not 'warriors' but their main weapon was fear. We see that rather well in the wraith's first encounter with the hobbit so why kill the next one. There is no barrier in the road. All this would serve is to raise an alarm in Hobbiton.

I agree. The first Hobbit encountered was actually Farmer Maggot (as creditted) the Second one I don't know. It does set up an inconsistancy in the movies....Kill or not to Kill? The movie has already set up the Ringwraiths effectively. Jackson portrayed them as terrifying (which they should be), and the best so far that we see of this "Ringwraith Terror" is the encounter with Farmer Maggot.

Also, later on when we see the Ringwraiths, it gets this sense of quiet, and you'll hear a horse neigh, or you'll here it's feet clunking on the ground. I know that subtelty works real well in movies, or suggestion. It's so much different from the slasher horror movies of the day (which catch your eye but are all the same and are quite boring). A lot of the past horror movies would only suggest things, you would see that it's scary and terrifying, but you wouldn't have to see any blood and gore because of it.

I think of the old House on the Haunted Hill. You never see any of the ghosts, you will only here a door slam, the building would shake, you might hear scraping, you'll se a door bend and sway like they are trying to push through, but again you never see the ghosts. This is quite terrifying, and very subtle, creating a lot of tension in the audience despite not seeing the actual ghosts.

I think Jackson does set up the Ringwraiths well, as explained above, but he seems to have to like to pound ideas into our heads. The killing of the 2nd hobbit is useless.

I'll make one more point before I have to go here. I wated to mention Frodo when finding out it was the One Ring, he first wants to hide it, then he tries to give it to Gandalf, but then he says "What must I do?" I love this line, and I think it fits perfectly with Frodo's character (and I can't say that through the whole movie). It shows that Frodo is willing to step up and take the burden of the Ring, he is willing to do his part for the whole life/death of middle-earth. It sets up Frodo as we come to see him, taking up the burden upon himself, knowing something has to be done and he's gotta do it.