Don't get me started Jen. I left "those threads" for a reason. 
I hope no one here is French....
Ahem, my first ancestors here (after the Cherokee, of course) were French Huguenots who arrived in Virginia in the late 1600s...
Posted on 03/14/2002 5:07:26 AM PST by HairOfTheDog
Don't get me started Jen. I left "those threads" for a reason.
I hope no one here is French....
Ahem, my first ancestors here (after the Cherokee, of course) were French Huguenots who arrived in Virginia in the late 1600s...
What? You mean to say that you liked the snooty Elves? :)
About Aragorn. I wasn't really thrilled with Viggo either at first...but then he kind of grew on me. I think the grubbiness was a way of doing the "look foul"/"feel fair" part and I'd have liked to see that scene at the Prancing Pony. The way PJ did that was shorter and had the zip needed in a movie. I think they overdid the self-doubt stuff just a bit. There is some self doubt on Aragorn's part in the book but there was never any doubt (on Aragorn's or Elrond's part) that Aragorn meant to claim the kingship.
About Arwen the scene-stealing Elf. I think that she had to be given a bigger role in the movie or else Aragorn would look like a total jerk when he spurns Eowyn.
28. Aragorn never fought orcs during the attack. He went to the seats of hearing and seeing alone and then returned at the sound of Boromir's horn.
29. No one saw Frodo and Sam leaving. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli drew their conclusion from the evidence at the campsite after the attack.
The biggest problem I have with the movie is that too many see Frodo leaving and they just let him go! I liked it better when Frodo sneaked away to protect his friends. But then I realize that Aragorn had to pass his ring test at some point and since they changed the part at the Prancing Pony, they put it there. I don't really have a problem with the final orc battle scene...it's a movie after all. :)
It is a movie after all. Things need to be compressed, number of characters kept to a minimum, and add enough action and other "movie stuff" (like talking rings) to appeal to average movie goers (or else they wouldn't recoup production costs.) After I saw it the first time I spent a while thinking about the changes that had been made, more or less got over them (except for the snooty Elves!), and enjoyed the movie more on the second viewing.
Obviously, I disagree with everyone about most other aspects of the movie. It's not a big issue. I'll just avoid the rest of them.
Again, I'm not trying to doubt the dedication or any other quality of JRRT fans who liked the movie. I'm just saying that I was extremely disappointed and that the issues over which I felt disappointment are not things that will change with a second viewing.
If I comment more, I'll just be....sorry. I'll just choose to not let your Hobbitier than Thou attitude spoil my enjoyment of the movie...
Sorry.
ROFLOL! You've been hanging out in the religious threads too long!
Morning (almost afternoon)all!
Up earlier than usual this morning, because we had to go out to a football practice and parents' meeting. Love those meetings where they tell you "you didn't pay enough and we still need you to work your butt off..."
I don't mind participating, but I really wanted Corin, Jr. to play baseball. Plus I'm spending all my free time and money trying to keep a neighborhood swimming pool open. Football is just too darned expensive. I already wrote them a check for $125, bought him cleats, will have to buy him new practice pants before Monday, and they're not even practicing in equipment yet...
Okay, I'm done now. 
While I agree with your points technically, I don't let the changes bother me. I rationalize that they didn't change the goal of the movie, only some of the means of getting there. The tactics, not the strategy, if you will.
For instance, let me analyze one of the biggest changes: the substitution of Arwen in place of Lord Glorfindel. In the book, Lord Glorfindel and his magnificent white horse meet Aragorn and the Hobbits on the road to Rivendell. He helps to ease Frodo's wound a bit, hurries them along the road, and eventually gives his horse to Frodo so that Frodo can make it across the river before the Ring Wraiths get him. So, what is necessary in this scene?
Is Glorfindel necessary? Well, he's a fairly minor character who plays no further significant role once Frodo is across the river. He eased Frodo's wound, but it can be assumed that most any Elf can do that. What is really needed in this scene is the horse, because that is the means for Frodo to escape the Wraiths. Again, any Elf can ride up on a horse.
So if Glorfindel himself isn't necessary, who can we have in his place? Well, most any Elf will do... but how about one who is necessary to the story later on? An Elf who has quite an important role in the story, if only in the background in the book. Arwen, for instance. After all, it's for her sake that Aragorn is striving to be king in the first place (it was a condition placed on him by Elrond... no marrying my daughter until you're the king!) Introducing Arwen at this time accomplishes several things in the movie: it lets the audience meet her, it lets the audience know she's involved with Aragorn, and it lets the audience grow more sympathetic to her character by seeing her help rescue Frodo, than it would if they only saw her lurking in the background at the Council meeting.
Analyzed in this way, switching Glorfindel to Arwen makes perfect sense, for a movie that must be presented in a limited time, with a limited cast, and a limited budget. That's why I can forgive this and other changes made from the book, because I see them as being necessary for the movie adaptation and more importantly, not changing the overall spirit of the books.
Now, if you want to talk about a movie that diverged wildly from it's source book, we can talk about Starship Troopers....
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