Good Changes

[ninja91]

I also thought that the sequence in which Merry sings during the suicidal charge on Osgiliath is overpowering. I do not recall if this happens in the book, but either way, to see it on the screen with the song itself playing has to be a little bit more "in your face" than reading it in the book. Really good job on that scene, PJ.

[MatthewM]

Originally Posted by ninja91

I also thought that the sequence in which Merry sings during the suicidal charge on Osgiliath is overpowering. I do not recall if this happens in the book, but either way, to see it on the screen with the song itself playing has to be a little bit more "in your face" than reading it in the book. Really good job on that scene, PJ.

You mean Pippin! Not Merry...but yes I agree as well, this was a great change that PJ made, and it added A LOT to the emotion of that film and scene.

[Aaron]

Aragorn bowing to the Hobbits. Not so much for the sentimental value but the look of Frodo's face makes you understadn that there is something seriously wrong with him emotionally at the end of all his troubles.

[Durelin]

I believe the movie translation I was most afraid of, and which I think was shockingly well pulled off was that of the Ents.

Talking, walking trees are a difficult thing to pull of, particularly if you want the audience to take them seriously...

I can still see all my fears... The Lord of the Rings meets Babes in Toyland...

[mhagain]

It's a different medium, and the most effective change to my mind was the rearrangement of certain scenes and critical items of dialog to suit the flow of a movie better. The "many that live deserve death" lines, for example: perfectly placed in the book, but also perfectly placed in the movie.

Removing all of the unnecessary Hobbit-like unconnected "adventures" at the start was the Right Thing, otherwise movie goers would have ended up being fairly bemused at what the thing was supposed to be about, anyway.

Having Merry and Pippin incite the Ents to go to war was a fantastic idea too. As a purely personal opinion, I found the build-up weak, but the actual delivery of the coup-de-grace was wonderful, and more than made up.

Replacing Glorfindel with Arwen... when you think about it, it makes sense, otherwise you have a situation where a Major Dude comes on and does Big Stuff, then totally vanishes. Bashki probably felt the same when he put in Legolas instead.

Also, the scene with Elrond in the tent at Dunharrow - WOW!

[Holbytlass]

Frodo is stabbed on Weathertop, in the movie there is a more frantic air. We see the rapid decline of Frodo and the arrival of Arwen and the fast paced action of the chase.

I think this was a better choice movie-wise and even prefer it to the book *ducks head* because in the book they were a couple of weeks still from Rivendell and with all the traveling and singing (I was disappointed not to see Sam do his oliphaunt poem, though) Frodo's injury didn't seem as life-threatening as it was. In the book, Gandalf says that they were mere hours from Frodo being beyond aid and turning to a wraith himself. It didn't seem so and was hard to really get the gravity of the situation because of the singing and lightheartedness of Frodo in the book.

The movie version really hit home how bad the situation was for Frodo. It left no doubt of the severity. And I believed that it was a close call to saving him.

[Neurion]

Honestly, off the top of my head, I can't think of any good changes, but I think Beleg summed it up quite well in saying that changes are more neccesary than good, and I would here make a distinction between actual changes to the story (Denethor being stripped of any sympathetic appeal or nobility) and additions to the plot that expanded on things not necessarily touched on in the books, such as, say, Merry and Pippin's clowning at Bilbo's birthday party, things that could have happened that the books don't specifically tell us didn't happen.