Who is your favorite bad guy in the Lord of the Rings? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Snowdog · 08-06-2024, 07:18 PM

Is it wrong to say 'Peter Jackson' is the ultimate bad guy?

Lord Denethor, along with Faramir and Aragorn, were some of the many atrocities PJ did to characters in Lord of the Rings. I respected Lord Denethor in the books. He was a strong Dunedain man who was worn down primarily by wrestling with Sauron through the palantir, but also the death of his wife. The weight that finally broke him was the death of Boromir, and that allowed his mind to be overrun by Sauron after that.

I can't stand watching those movies anymore. The only love I have for them is because of their making, I met my wife and soulmate.

Ok... bad guys ... along with the witch-king I mentioned earlier, another favorite 'bad guy' for me in the books was Grima Wormtongue. Now the whole Saruman/Theoden bewitching scene I pictured in my head from reading the books, and what I hold to is much different that how PJ portrayed it. Saruman didn't directly 'possess' Theoden from Isengard, but used Grima as his extended vassal embedded in Meduseld as Theoden's trusted advisor. Saruman gave Grima the power to enchant Theoden with his smooth-talking slick tongue that slyly let his believable, but deceiving words into Theoden's head, wearing him down over the years. It was more subtle than the outright Saruman possession of Theoden that PJ gave us. Grima was wonderfully portrayed by Brad Dourif in the movie, but it was sad that his excellent portrayal and performance was wasted by the crappy screenplay.

William Cloud Hicklin · 08-30-2024, 08:42 AM

Tolkien's dragons are some of his best villains. Smaug, Glaurung and Chrysophylax are all deliciously wicked in their own ways.

Bêthberry · 08-30-2024, 01:38 PM

If we move out of book territory into other media, I nominate Frank Frazetta for his gross depictions of Eowyn not dressed in disguise as a man that moved the fantasy way outside Tolkien territory.

08-30-2024, 08:42 AM	#2
William Cloud Hicklin Loremaster of Annúminas Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,330	Tolkien's dragons are some of his best villains. Smaug, Glaurung and Chrysophylax are all deliciously wicked in their own ways. __________________ The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.

08-30-2024, 01:38 PM	#3
Bêthberry Cryptic Aura Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 6,003	Eowyn, where's yer trowsers If we move out of book territory into other media, I nominate Frank Frazetta for his gross depictions of Eowyn not dressed in disguise as a man that moved the fantasy way outside Tolkien territory. __________________ I’ll sing his roots off. I’ll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away. Last edited by Bêthberry; 08-30-2024 at 02:29 PM.

08-06-2024, 07:18 PM	#1
Snowdog Emperor of the South Pole Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: The Western Shore of Lake Evendim Posts: 667	Is it wrong to say 'Peter Jackson' is the ultimate bad guy? Lord Denethor, along with Faramir and Aragorn, were some of the many atrocities PJ did to characters in Lord of the Rings. I respected Lord Denethor in the books. He was a strong Dunedain man who was worn down primarily by wrestling with Sauron through the palantir, but also the death of his wife. The weight that finally broke him was the death of Boromir, and that allowed his mind to be overrun by Sauron after that. I can't stand watching those movies anymore. The only love I have for them is because of their making, I met my wife and soulmate. Ok... bad guys ... along with the witch-king I mentioned earlier, another favorite 'bad guy' for me in the books was Grima Wormtongue. Now the whole Saruman/Theoden bewitching scene I pictured in my head from reading the books, and what I hold to is much different that how PJ portrayed it. Saruman didn't directly 'possess' Theoden from Isengard, but used Grima as his extended vassal embedded in Meduseld as Theoden's trusted advisor. Saruman gave Grima the power to enchant Theoden with his smooth-talking slick tongue that slyly let his believable, but deceiving words into Theoden's head, wearing him down over the years. It was more subtle than the outright Saruman possession of Theoden that PJ gave us. Grima was wonderfully portrayed by Brad Dourif in the movie, but it was sad that his excellent portrayal and performance was wasted by the crappy screenplay.