Sad or Elated now the Movies are at an End? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Morthoron · 05-07-2015, 04:23 PM

It's a fairly straightforward premise for a thread, and because the movies seem to be so polarizing I wonder what the Downs' Folk think now that they've had a few months to digest the final film.

I won't offer much of a rant because I really have divorced myself from Jackson's aborted vision of Middle-earth. I will say the first three films (Lord of the Rings) were far better in nearly every aspect than the last three (The Hobbit). I even managed to work up some emotion during certain parts of LotR, whereas I couldn't work up a wet fart for The Hobbit.

I am glad they are gone and am fairly certain I won't see a reworking of the films in my lifetime, particularly since it seems Christopher Tolkien has somehow gained the immortality of the Eldar.

alatar · 05-07-2015, 05:08 PM

Guessing that my complete apathy speaks to how much this second trilogy touched me.

My only interest has been in the analysis of why they are so bad. Sometimes you don't know why you feel the way you do, upon further analysis you then see it.

Was it too little Bilbo? Never settling in for a moment for the viewer to attach his or herself to the movie (always rushing to the next CG splatacular)? Too much of the same thing time and time again (e.g. last minute saves)?

Galadriel55 · 05-07-2015, 05:10 PM

I'll be devastated! By the third Hobbit movie, I've finally acquired a taste for comedy!

Kuruharan · 05-07-2015, 09:49 PM

Firstly, disappointment at how the whole thing was such a waste when it did not have to be. I'm not one of those who believes Tolkien's work to be unfilmable. In fact, I would very much like to see it done well. However, in order to be done well there has to be a level of respect for the work that Jackson was obviously lacking.

Secondly, I've already kind of moved on from it. Hopefully as time passes The Hobbit trilogy will largely be forgotten in the general consciousness.

Thinlómien · 05-08-2015, 04:43 AM

I am glad Peter Jackson is done with Middle-Earth. (Knock on wood.) The LotR movies are far from perfect, but The Fellowship of the Ring is actually a pretty good movie (and even a pretty good adaptation) and even the rest have great moments, not to mention the beautiful sets, props, costumes, music, cinematography, acting... they *almost* make up for the shoddy direction and the even shoddier scripts.

I have stopped grudging the LotR movies (even though it's still a little sad that with such an amazing crew they could have made so much better films). But to be honest how many people have fallen in love with Tolkien because of the movies? How many of us have friends we'd never have bonded with if they hadn't seen those movies and decided to read the book? I'm happy the movies got made - I definitely don't grudge LotR and fantasy as a genre becoming more popular.

I do grudge the mess PJ made of The Hobbit though. Fortunately, I believe the movies will be fairly quickly be forgotten by all but the die hard PJ fans and quite frankly, the Hobbit movies deserve to be forgotten.

I don't have anything against movie adaptations in general, quite the contrary. Actually, the idea that someone is going to make another movie adaptation of The Lord of the Rings in twenty or thirty years makes me happy, because I will be intrigued to see it, and I'm craving for somebody to challenge PJ's vision of Middle-Earth. I am even morbidly curious if anyone will ever try to film (parts of) The Silmarillion and what it will be like.

So, here's to the LotR movies and the phenomenon they became, and to future adaptations of the Professor's work that will have nothing to do with Peter Jackson. Cheers!

Lalwendë · 05-08-2015, 04:06 PM

I'm neither sad nor happy. There are much more important things to get sad about than films. Besides, it's not as though the stories were left unfinished, as happens when a TV series is cancelled (thinking of Firefly in particular), and the books will always exist, where the real story is found.

But I'm not 'happy' either, as they weren't offensive, they were just films. I suppose it leaves more room for other blockbusters in the cinemas, which is a good thing as long as there are Marvel and Star Wars films.

I will miss the Lego though

Lotrelf · 06-06-2015, 05:50 AM

Does being indifferent count?
That is what I am. I liked the AUJ except the few parts, but never finished the second film ever, and so far there has been no inclination to watch them either. The book has a childlike innocence which the movies lack in all ways, and they're made into something else altogether. It really hurts to see how a beautiful opportunity was missed of bringing such a tale on the screen. I hold no grudge against the films, but cannot get fond of them either.

alatar · 06-06-2015, 05:08 PM

Lotrelf, I think that that's the big issue: apathy. Here I am, obviously a Tolkien fan, and yet I pass when given an opportunity to view any of the Hobbit movies (for free on TV). Been there done that; don't want the T-shirt.

Not a big comic book fan, but I will watch the 1st Avengers movie should it be on (and I have time to be near the TV). It's definitely more watchable as the director makes the superheroes approachable, and you find yourself caring a little about their plight.

Inziladun · 06-06-2015, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alatar

Lotrelf, I think that that's the big issue: apathy. Here I am, obviously a Tolkien fan, and yet I pass when given an opportunity to view any of the Hobbit movies (for free on TV). Been there done that; don't want the T-shirt.

With TH, I agree that PJ even missed the dubious mark he'd set on LOTR for creating controversy.
The earlier films were a galvanizing force among both longtime Tolkien fans and those who'd never read the books, as evidenced not least by the spirited debates on this forum.

Now, the film fans say "meh", and the staunch PJ critics say "did you expect anything different?"

Quote:

Originally Posted by alatar

Not a big comic book fan, but I will watch the 1st Avengers movie should it be on (and I have time to be near the TV). It's definitely more watchable as the director makes the superheroes approachable, and you find yourself caring a little about their plight.

I'm not one for reading "graphic novels" myself, but I've enjoyed the Marvel movies the last decade has brought. I'd rather watch Ian McKellen as this guy

any day.

The Marvel films as a rule don't take themselves very seriously, and even when they don't fire on all cylinders are, as you say, watchable.
Of course, I'm not at all concerned with how those films line up with their comic origins, in total opposition with my feelings about Tolkien books, and that's a big difference.

alatar · 06-06-2015, 08:34 PM

Well, if not Marvel, then what about the Harry Potter movies? Surely there are those who would argue (both for and against) about whether each HP movie was true to its book or not.

Regardless, the HP movies are highly rewatchable and curiously focus on the title character, unlike those in the Hobbit trilogy. Wonder if that has something to do with the movies' watchabilities?

Like Dumbledore says, "Actually, if I think about it, it doesn't seem curious at all."

***Mister Underhill*** · 06-06-2015, 09:38 PM

Personally I have tried to embrace this era of cinematic super-people (arguably P.J.'s adaptations, especially his elvish shenanigans, are influenced by them), but mostly they leave me cold. I enjoyed Avengers through the lens of being an old Whedon fan, but even the latest one just sort of clanked away by the end of its busy CGI climax. I sort of miss the frail human-sized (and hobbit-sized) heroes of yesteryear. Which only goes to show, different strokes for different folks.

To the point of the thread: I am, elf-like, both sad and -- well, I can't say elated, maybe relieved is a better word -- that the films are now complete. Yes, it was basically all down hill after the (arguably!) middling watermark set by FotR EE, but even so. For a while there practically the whole world dreamed a dream of Middle-earth, and it was kind of beautiful. If truly irredeemable Hobbit films are the price I had to pay for the years of friendships and fun I've been able to enjoy here, then I came out on the rich end of that exchange for sure.

05-07-2015, 04:23 PM	#1
Morthoron Curmudgeonly Wordwraith Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Ensconced in curmudgeonly pursuits Posts: 2,528	Sad or Elated now the Movies are at an End? It's a fairly straightforward premise for a thread, and because the movies seem to be so polarizing I wonder what the Downs' Folk think now that they've had a few months to digest the final film. I won't offer much of a rant because I really have divorced myself from Jackson's aborted vision of Middle-earth. I will say the first three films (Lord of the Rings) were far better in nearly every aspect than the last three (The Hobbit). I even managed to work up some emotion during certain parts of LotR, whereas I couldn't work up a wet fart for The Hobbit. I am glad they are gone and am fairly certain I won't see a reworking of the films in my lifetime, particularly since it seems Christopher Tolkien has somehow gained the immortality of the Eldar. __________________ And your little sister's immaculate virginity wings away on the bony shoulders of a young horse named George who stole surreptitiously into her geography revision.

05-07-2015, 05:08 PM	#2
alatar Doubting Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Heaven's basement Posts: 2,499	Guessing that my complete apathy speaks to how much this second trilogy touched me. My only interest has been in the analysis of why they are so bad. Sometimes you don't know why you feel the way you do, upon further analysis you then see it. Was it too little Bilbo? Never settling in for a moment for the viewer to attach his or herself to the movie (always rushing to the next CG splatacular)? Too much of the same thing time and time again (e.g. last minute saves)? __________________ There is naught that you can do, other than to resist, with hope or without it.

05-07-2015, 05:10 PM	#3
Galadriel55 Blossom of Dwimordene Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: The realm of forgotten words Posts: 10,308	I'll be devastated! By the third Hobbit movie, I've finally acquired a taste for comedy! __________________ You passed from under darkened dome, you enter now the secret land. - Take me to Finrod's fabled home!... ~ Finrod: The Rock Opera

05-07-2015, 09:49 PM	#4
Kuruharan Regal Dwarven Shade Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: A Remote Dwarven Hold Posts: 3,685	Firstly, disappointment at how the whole thing was such a waste when it did not have to be. I'm not one of those who believes Tolkien's work to be unfilmable. In fact, I would very much like to see it done well. However, in order to be done well there has to be a level of respect for the work that Jackson was obviously lacking. Secondly, I've already kind of moved on from it. Hopefully as time passes The Hobbit trilogy will largely be forgotten in the general consciousness. __________________ ...finding a path that cannot be found, walking a road that cannot be seen, climbing a ladder that was never placed, or reading a paragraph that has no...

05-08-2015, 04:43 AM	#5
Thinlómien Shady She-Penguin Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: In a far land beyond the Sea Posts: 8,385	I am glad Peter Jackson is done with Middle-Earth. (Knock on wood.) The LotR movies are far from perfect, but The Fellowship of the Ring is actually a pretty good movie (and even a pretty good adaptation) and even the rest have great moments, not to mention the beautiful sets, props, costumes, music, cinematography, acting... they almost make up for the shoddy direction and the even shoddier scripts. I have stopped grudging the LotR movies (even though it's still a little sad that with such an amazing crew they could have made so much better films). But to be honest how many people have fallen in love with Tolkien because of the movies? How many of us have friends we'd never have bonded with if they hadn't seen those movies and decided to read the book? I'm happy the movies got made - I definitely don't grudge LotR and fantasy as a genre becoming more popular. I do grudge the mess PJ made of The Hobbit though. Fortunately, I believe the movies will be fairly quickly be forgotten by all but the die hard PJ fans and quite frankly, the Hobbit movies deserve to be forgotten. I don't have anything against movie adaptations in general, quite the contrary. Actually, the idea that someone is going to make another movie adaptation of The Lord of the Rings in twenty or thirty years makes me happy, because I will be intrigued to see it, and I'm craving for somebody to challenge PJ's vision of Middle-Earth. I am even morbidly curious if anyone will ever try to film (parts of) The Silmarillion and what it will be like. So, here's to the LotR movies and the phenomenon they became, and to future adaptations of the Professor's work that will have nothing to do with Peter Jackson. Cheers! __________________ Like the stars chase the sun, over the glowing hill I will conquer Blood is running deep, some things never sleep Double Fenris

05-08-2015, 04:06 PM	#6
Lalwendë A Mere Boggart Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: under the bed Posts: 4,814	I'm neither sad nor happy. There are much more important things to get sad about than films. Besides, it's not as though the stories were left unfinished, as happens when a TV series is cancelled (thinking of Firefly in particular), and the books will always exist, where the real story is found. But I'm not 'happy' either, as they weren't offensive, they were just films. I suppose it leaves more room for other blockbusters in the cinemas, which is a good thing as long as there are Marvel and Star Wars films. I will miss the Lego though __________________ Gordon's alive!

06-06-2015, 05:50 AM	#7
Lotrelf Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 265	Does being indifferent count? That is what I am. I liked the AUJ except the few parts, but never finished the second film ever, and so far there has been no inclination to watch them either. The book has a childlike innocence which the movies lack in all ways, and they're made into something else altogether. It really hurts to see how a beautiful opportunity was missed of bringing such a tale on the screen. I hold no grudge against the films, but cannot get fond of them either. __________________ A short saying oft contains much wisdom. ~Sophocles

06-06-2015, 05:08 PM	#8
alatar Doubting Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Heaven's basement Posts: 2,499	Lotrelf, I think that that's the big issue: apathy. Here I am, obviously a Tolkien fan, and yet I pass when given an opportunity to view any of the Hobbit movies (for free on TV). Been there done that; don't want the T-shirt. Not a big comic book fan, but I will watch the 1st Avengers movie should it be on (and I have time to be near the TV). It's definitely more watchable as the director makes the superheroes approachable, and you find yourself caring a little about their plight. __________________ There is naught that you can do, other than to resist, with hope or without it.

06-06-2015, 08:34 PM	#10
alatar Doubting Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Heaven's basement Posts: 2,499	Well, if not Marvel, then what about the Harry Potter movies? Surely there are those who would argue (both for and against) about whether each HP movie was true to its book or not. Regardless, the HP movies are highly rewatchable and curiously focus on the title character, unlike those in the Hobbit trilogy. Wonder if that has something to do with the movies' watchabilities? Like Dumbledore says, "Actually, if I think about it, it doesn't seem curious at all." __________________ There is naught that you can do, other than to resist, with hope or without it.

06-06-2015, 09:38 PM	#11
*Mister Underhill* Dread Horseman Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Behind you! Posts: 2,752	Personally I have tried to embrace this era of cinematic super-people (arguably P.J.'s adaptations, especially his elvish shenanigans, are influenced by them), but mostly they leave me cold. I enjoyed Avengers through the lens of being an old Whedon fan, but even the latest one just sort of clanked away by the end of its busy CGI climax. I sort of miss the frail human-sized (and hobbit-sized) heroes of yesteryear. Which only goes to show, different strokes for different folks. To the point of the thread: I am, elf-like, both sad and -- well, I can't say elated, maybe relieved is a better word -- that the films are now complete. Yes, it was basically all down hill after the (arguably!) middling watermark set by FotR EE, but even so. For a while there practically the whole world dreamed a dream of Middle-earth, and it was kind of beautiful. If truly irredeemable Hobbit films are the price I had to pay for the years of friendships and fun I've been able to enjoy here, then I came out on the rich end of that exchange for sure.