I did it

[Niniel]

As most of you know, I have not watched the LotR films. LotR is my favourite books and I didn´t want the films to ruin the images that I have in my head. I didn´t want them to take away that special magic feeling. But... I started my re-read two days ago and finished the first book today. We were going to watch a film and I was in a LotR mood so I agreed to see the first film. I know many thinks that the films are great but... 

 

Good stuff:

 

Great scenery. There were some things that felt wrong (like Isengard) but most of it was good. Who doesn´t want to go to NZ after watching it? 

 

I liked Aragon, Boromir, Gandalf and Saruman. Both the way they looked and the way they acted. Gollum was good and Gimli was okay. 

 

Bad stuff:

 

The rest of the characters. I know it´s impossible to make good elves. They are beyond what we can understand. But the elves were really bad. Really, really, bad. The hobbits weren´t that bad but they are still not hobbits.  Why on earth have they turned Merry and Pippin into small pranksters? Merry is the most responsible of them all in the books. 

 

I understand that they can´t include everything in the books and that you need to change stuff to fit the film but some changes were just meaningless. Like the orch battle in the end when Frodo is supposed to get invisible and try to sneak away. Why change that? There were a lot of details that could have easily fit in the story that they just removed or changed. 

 

I will probably see the other two when I have read the books. Maybe I will change my mind after that. What did you think?

 

 

 

 

[NeverTame]

I used to have a huge problem with how Glorfindel had been replaced with Arwen. I get that it makes sense, what with Arwen being slightly more plot-relevant character in this particular saga of the Middle Earth, and introducing a character that non-readers would know nothing about, only to be never seen again, wouldn't have been optimal. But it was still for a long time one of my biggest problems with the movies.

 

And... now I can't remember what happened in which movie because the divide wasn't exactly the same as in the books.

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

I love the movies for the movies they are and for the most part I don't think about them in terms of the books.

 

but don't get me started on the butchery of the hobbit.

 

feh.

[NeverTame]

I haven't seen the second part of the Hobbit. And am probably not going to. The first one was.. quite enough.

[dawnflower8]

I haven't seen the movies, but I plan on it when I finish reading the books since I've heard they are very good. I'm almost done with the first book and I'm really enjoying it.

[WWWwombat]

I think the strength of certain characters has a lot to do with the casting.  Some of my favorite choices:

 

 

Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn

Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf

Christopher Lee as Saruman

Cate Blanchett as Galadriel

Hugo Weaving as Elrond

[Niniel]

Watched the Two Towers today. It was better. I guess that it´s mostly because I tried to not get so annoyed this time. And because there weren´t many elves to get annoyed at. lol I really, really don´t like the elves. Did I say that before? 

 

What I like about the film is the scenes with Gollum/Smeagol. They are just great, especially when they argue. I wish I had seen more of Merry and Pippin but I liked the ents. Viggo was still yummy. ;) Gimli was fun. Legolas kind of lacks personality though. Too bad since he was one of my favourites in the book. Still, he is the only elf that I don´t want to strangle so that´s something. Again, great scenery. 

 

Eywyn and Faramir didn´t look like I expected them to but they were okay. 

 

Don´t like the uruk-hai. They are too human. The only negative about the plot was the battle. It was soooooo long. I´m not a fan of battles but this one dragged out for too long. And all those scenes when the women and children cries... we got that they are sad and afraid the first 100 times they showed them! A little too Hollywood for me. But otherwise they manage to not make it so Hollywoody. 

 

 

A very serious question - we say that "it´s just human". What would a hobbit say? It´s just hobbity? 

[Niniel]

I watched the last one yesterday. It was the extended version. I have mixed feelings about it. There were some really good scenes but there are some that I didn´t like. A big part of the film is of course the battles and I´m not very fond of battles, but I think they were okay. I think that the parts with Frodo, Sam and Gollum was pretty good. I´m not fond of the "new" scenes that aren´t in the books. I guess Merry and Pippin were a little better in the last film but I didn´t like their characters over all. 

 

I´m disappointed how they did Legolas. He is one of my favourites in the books but he totally lacks a personality in the films. He is just there and shoots alot. That´s it. I would have wanted more dialogs between him and Gimli.

 

I guess that I would have liked the films more if I hadn´t read the books first. A lot of it is really good but it doesn´t fit with the books or the images that I have after reading the books. I understand that people like the films. I do too, but it just wasn´t perfect. :D

[Talmanes]

I saw the movies first, and loved them, so for me reading the books just made it even better. Books are nearly always better than movies, but I thought the LotR ones were done pretty well. They left a lot out, but tried to make sure they did everything they put in the best they could.

Of course I'm not nearly as big of a LotR fan as you Tina, so I could be just plain wrong haha.

 

Some things are just almost better not being made into movies though, but you win some you lose some I guess.

[csarmi]

books > movies

 

actually the LoTR movies left no impression in me whatsoever... so I prolly didn't enjoy them

[Tsukibana]

Sorry, but Tina's gonna be sticking a needle in... a tender spot, shall we say, after I say this - I didn't like the LotR books. Period. They were alright, but a high fantasy written by a academic read like just that - A high fantasy written by an academic. The films left the same impression - too much effort, for a story that could have been told better. *shrug* Honestly, LotR probably wouldn't be recognizable if published today (and I am 

not talking about sparkling vampires and sex scenes). Credit to Tolkien for getting the whole shebang roling, but what he needed, they didn't have - editors who knew what to do with that type of book. World building, language, short stories (parts of the SIlmarillion (sic?)) - great. One book - Hobbit was great. His epic - not so much so.

[NeverTame]

Well, I'm not Tina but I don't see how that's such a terrible opinion. In fact I'm fairly sure you have a point when you say it wouldn't get published today.

 

However, I'd also imagine that the whole academic thing is exactly a part of the charm for a lot of people. (...Just like a lot of people get frustrated with RJ's endless description of clothes but I've always enjoyed it and it has affected my own writing style/taste a lot more than I realised until I reread WoT after a long time. Not a perfect comparison, I am aware, but I can't think of a better one.)

[Niniel]

*reads Tsuki´s post and faints*

 

I, I, I... don´t even... Where are my needles?

 

I finished The Two Towers yesterday and begun reading the last book. At first it felt like I read it with new glasses. Sam and Frodo suddenly looked like they do in the film. It was horrible. But when I continued reading the magic of Tolkien brought me back to my old LotR world. The hobbits shrunk and got fatter. :D 

 

I have just read the scene where Theoden attacks and it was much more emotional than I remember. As I said, I´m not fond of battles but that scene was written beautifully. You can get that feeling in films too if you add some great music but often that makes it a bit too Hollywood for me. 

 

Since it was a long time since I read the books last time I have forgotten a lot of stuff. Now that I read about Denethor I think that they did him unjust in the film. 

[Talya]

I have to say I really enjoyed the films, and I'm a huge fan of the books and have read and reread them for years before the film came out. However there are problems with it I agree with the Glorfindel not being in it. bits were missed out, but as a whole it was done well and I looked on it as an adaptation rather than a straight copy, you couldn't do a straight copy of the book. The characters overall were okay for me, but there was a bigger emphasis on battles than on the characters. probably to get people to watch it. 

 

As for the Hobbit, it isn't at all as I imagined, even more battles that just didn't exist in the book. the subtleties of the book, have been lost more in the Hobbit then in LoTR. As for the romance between the Elf and dwarf...please....uck! 

 

*passes Tina some giant needles*

 

I need to read the books again, it has been a while

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

two words - bunny sled.

 

that is all.

[Ithillian Turambar]

EAGLES!!

 

 

Would have been a lot shorter film.

 

[Tsukibana]

SCROTUM BEARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ithillian Turambar]

That's exactly what me and Turin said lmao.

[Turin Turambar]

the eagles rock!!

[Ithillian Turambar]

be useful in mafia that ... maybe

 

 

lol

 

 

Your case is like a scrotum beard - just hanging there looking ugly - and totally NOT where it is supposed to be

 

#everythingbecomesmafia

[Turin Turambar]

I think that would make a good meme pic

 

[Ithillian Turambar]

Oh my goodness.

 

 

You do know that Tsuki is reading this, right?

 

LMAO

[Turin Turambar]

[Ithillian Turambar]

OMG that is just killing me.

 

[Tsukibana]