Dumbing it down

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Originally Posted by The Saucepan Man

I do think that they would not have been as popular if some of the changes made to the story and the characters, with a view to (necessarily) simplifying the films and broadening their appeal, had not been made.

That's speculation. We have no way of knowing how popular the films may have been if certain changes were made; we just know that in their present form that they were successful. Of course if PJ would have listened to me...

If they are popular and successful, then they must be doing something right (and all the more so if their popularity acquires a lasting quality, although we can only speculate on that at this stage).

Much agreed. Let's see where the films are twenty years from now. Note that (an assumption, as I'm a bit out of her demographic) Britney Spears is wildly popular now, but will she become a true classic such as the Beatles or Led Zeppelin? <shudder>. And unlike LOTR, I have never reread a Wheel of Time book, yet I assume that they too are popular. <more shuddering>

Moreover, almost without exception, the changes that were made were made with the aim of enhancing their success as films. Why else would they make them?

Didn't someone post that certain changes were made to 'shock' the likes of us readers? And my gripe (admittedly I have more than one) is that the EE DVDs progressed from 'made for the Tolkien nut' (FOTR EE) to 'heck, let's try this as it would be so cool/funny/etc' (ROTK EE). I do appreciate PJ's work, as without him we would have nothing.

In addition, given that this thread has, at certain points during its history, become rather a cosy film “hate-in”, I thought it worth pointing out that the majority view here is not the only view, in order to bring a bit of persepctive to the discussion.

And finally, in view of some of the contemptuous terms used to describe these films and the oft prevailing opinion that Jackson and co “messed up big time”, I regard it as appropriate to point out that there are many respects in which they did not “mess up” at all, but rather succeeded wildly.

Agreed. Yet it may be that we are pointing out what we do not like (10%) and have forgotten to mention the other 90% as it's not that fun or interesting. Think that this all was discussed here.