Dumbing it down

[Nimrodel_9]

Welcome to the Barrow-Downs, Beleg!

I'm not quite sure where you are going with this, but ok.

You'd better hope we don't have one of those on our tail

I didn't like that line. It sounded to modern, and my brother noticed it too. It's the same with the "game over" part.
As for the part where Lego slides down the oliphaunts trunk, it reminded me of Tarzan.

Nim

[Beleg Cuthalion]

Originally Posted by Nimrodel_9

As for the part where Lego slides down the oliphaunts trunk, it reminded me of Tarzan.

Nim

Whoah! That's freaky. Here I was writing this and I'm thinking, "Legolas swing! Angry Oliphaunt take Jane!! Jane!!".

[Nimrodel_9]

Whoah! That's freaky. Here I was writing this and I'm thinking, "Legolas swing! Angry Oliphaunt take Jane!! Jane!!".

Heh heh. Great minds think alike? That or LotR obsessed minds are connected.

[Encaitare]

You'd better hope we don't have one of those on our tail

Well, horses have tails... and they were on a horse...

[Beleg Cuthalion]

Originally Posted by Encaitare

Well, horses have tails... and they were on a horse...

Indeed. But that particular turn of phrase wasn't originated until recently. A much more accurate (and I think, more pleasing to the ear) line would have been "And you had better hope we do not have one of those at our heels".

[Kitanna]

Mmmmm, are we really that dumb? Well, Tolkien fans would have no problem understanding the movies without those kind of lines thrown in. But the LOTR movies are for everyone and not everyone can understand Tolkien's works. (like myself, I can't read the Silm without stopping and rereading, trying to get a grasp on what the heck is going on) Personally I think PJ and team threw those lines in to help/ add a modern feel for the casual movie goer. Kinda of like the whole Aragorn and Arwen thing. Don't you think that would confuse people if at the end of ROTK Aragorn just married some random elf instead of Eowyn if you hadn't read the books? Things had to be added to help people who hadn't read the books. It just helps to understand things. I didn't read FOTR until after the movie and I found understanding a lot of the history easier because of those dumbed down parts from the movie. But to each his own.

Though a lot of those lines are even more dumbed down then they should be. Like Gimli at the Black Gate "well that concludes negoations (sp? oh whatever)". Well duh. That kind of thing is really not needed. It takes away from the dramtic scene with some mindless line. And from Gimli of all people (and dwarves). Gimli is way to cool for something like that.

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Beleg Cuthalion

My point is that I feel that the writers, despite their stellar work on much of the films seem to, in my opinion at least, attempt lower the bar far enough that even the most witless theatre-goer will not fail to have the message pounded into his brain.

I suspect that it has more to do with making the film relevant and accessible to film audiences than with patronising them.