Are the movies a good or bad thing?

[Zoe]

<BR>I'm sure this has been done before, but do you think the LotR movies coming out over the next few years are a good thing?<br> <br> Potential benefits:<br> -More people will hear about the LotR, and possibly read it (and become rabid Tolkien fans like we all are...)<br> -There will be more interest in Tolkien-related sites, such as the barrowdowns, and so, boards such as this could end up with a lot more members (this could also be a bad thing, it depends on what sort of people sign up, and whether they have anything worth saying).<br> -The movie could turn out to be a really good interpretation of the book, and you have to agree, good movies are Good Things.<br> <br> Potential problems:<br> -Depending on how accurate the movie is, a lot of people coud see the movie and come out with all sorts of strange notions about the ME.<br> -Perhaps it's impossible to make a good movie version of the LotR, anyway. Perhaps too many scenes rely on the nuances of text, and they just won't come accross well.<br> -If a bad movie is made, people may be put off from reading the texts, presuming that they're as poor as the movie.<br> <br> So. Should there be a LotR movie? Are there any benefits/problems I've missed. (I'm sure there are, that was just off the top of my head.) Comments, anyone? <p></p>