Which Movie was best overall?

[Precioussss]

I liked the Fellowship best. I don't think the others were all they could have been. Those were great books; they didn't need a whole lot of rearranging. I was turned off of them when I saw Elves at Helm's Deep. I know, it's artistic license, and they have to make movies that appeal to the most people, and therefore make the most money. It's too bad, really. They are all good movies, and I suppose they are the closest anyone will ever get to recreating the books.

I vote the Fellowship, because it was closest to the events in the book.

[ninja91]

I like FOTR just a tad bit more than the others. It has more of a Tolkienesque feeling to it all, and the Shire scenes and all the places they go are just fantastic.

[Boo Radley]

I have to echo those who refused to choose.
To me, it was one grand movie... split by two very, very long intermissions.

[Snowdog]

Fellowship, because it was a new and exciting glimpse of how P.J. saw Middle Earth. It started to go south about the time Arwen "caught a ranger in the wild off his guard" The other two movies, while having their moments of brilliance in scenery and acting of specific scenes, really just amplified the digressions. TTT was a big attempt to band-aid it all together, and RotK was too hurried where it shouldn't be, while time was wasted on too many anti-climatic false endings.

[the phantom]

Fellowship was the best. Hands down.

Fellowship was more focused on the variety of landscapes, peoples, and locations found in Middle Earth. It's more about danger and adventure. TTT and ROTK on the other hand seem to be driven more by huge battles, plot, and characters.

And frankly, PJ (with help from the art team and tech team) is far better at shooting amazing landscape shots and bringing to life different cities/environments than he is at story telling and character creation. Not that he didn't have his moments, of course. There were times that he did a great job. The end of FOTR, for instance, is spectacular. Though it isn't an exact reproduction of the book, the spirit is perfectly in line.

But for the most part, when it comes to creating enjoyable, Middle-Earthian, coherent storylines and beautiful dialogue PJ falls far short of the source material.

When it comes to bringing Middle Earth to life, however, PJ is amazing. Fellowship plays more to this strength.

I think that none of the movies were any good at all. I actually found myself getting sick. I mean physically ill!
The first perversion was horrible, and they became steadily worse from there. Like a mistake in degree, small at first, but the error progresses at a geometric rate and soon is completely unredeemable.
Like building a house, small little quarter inch mistakes in the beginnig progressively increase until nothing is square, or level, the window frames must be planned, doorframes shimmed, and finally, the trusses must be wrenched, bent, and secured to make a fit. Very poor.
Take the first.
Right out of the gate Frodo gives Gandalf A big hug.
Their relationship was not of that sort, it wasn't in the book, and fundamentally colors the textual relationship that was one of honour, respect, discipline, wherein the love between them contained and governed by control, was subtle, translucent beneath the surface, and yet more powerfully present, a constant undercurrent that provided the source for the emotional feelings that the interaction between Gandalf and Frodo throughout the story provided. Small error in the beginning.
Next: The book clearly communicates that not a squib or cracker was forth coming. Such was Gandalfs character. Firm. Controlled. Disciplined. Not easy going and liberal. The error progresses.
At the party, the movie chose to portray Pippin and Merry as thieves, successful at that, and then rewards them. Their motive was not as their motive was in the books, for spying and eavesdropping, one of love, care and concern, but outright mischieviousness. showing no fear or respect for the old quack Gandalf, easy push over that he was. The gap widens futher...
What is lost by these little changes? Character. The classic, old english character of the novels. The character of the characters. Thier personalities were bland and altered and modernized, and when I saw Arwen sneak up on Aragorn and hold a knife to his neck, I felt righteous bile in my throat and I raged at the telly (I like the way you brits tolk). ughhh-........ohhh.......
I can't go on......waves of nausea......oohhhughhh! I'm gonna be sick........

[Boo Radley]

Neithan,

I see it like this. Sure the movies aren't on the same scale as the books. No way they ever could be, but it's a bit like how I became interested in classical music.
Back in the 70's, I really like Emerson, lake and palmer. They came out with their version of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition".
Was it anything like the original? Well... yeahhhhh... kinda. But then again, no.
Classical music lovers panned it, for the most part.
But it brought me to classical music and perhaps, watching the movies will bring people to the books.
Love to go on about this, but I''ve got a meeting to go to.