[The Iguana]

I work with John.

As you can see he's a bit of a purist.

Later on I'll post my rebuttal.

[Overtaxed]

Did John read the Appendices? I believe all that stuff about Dwarf women having beards is found there.

[Paul Atreides]

Personally, I haven't encountered a book that has been made into a movie, that hasn't had some changes made to it.

[HairOfTheDog]

Funny things to pick out as the two major gripes...

[trebb]

It was still fun to watch...

[Sabertooth]

Whether he knew it or not, Tolkien was writing a trilogy.

So, this guy's beef is that the movie doesn't keep true to the pacing of the trilogy Tolkien didn't know he was writing, and didn't like when he saw it published?

Sounds objective and well-reasoned to me.

[Restorer]

But it's still wrong. Jackson has removed from Installment No. 2 the greatest face-off in the entire Lord of the Rings.

Beg to differ.

The greatest standoff involves Eowyn and the King of the Nazgul.

By comparison, Gandalf vs. Saruman is anti-climactic. The outcome is already pre-determined, even if Saruman doesn't know it.

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

It seems to me that the guy is nitpicking. At three hours, the movie is long enough without the showdown between Gandalf and Saruman. And it would be anti-climactic after the Battle of Helm's Deep.

Meanwhile ROTK is the shortest of the books. It makes sense to spread out the story a bit. Besides, who really cares? I just got back from seeing TTT and I loved it.

[ecurbh]

Ring Ping!!

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

The more I've thought about my position on this, the more I believe that it is correct. Tolkien set out to establish a mythology for Britain. He has suceeded. Middle-Earth is now, with these movies, a true myth. The main story in the myth is now two thirds of the way from being completely retold. Myths do not follow a specific series of words upon retelling, they follow the general story and are retold with different words. Jackson's version of this story is a simple retlling of the myth (which Tolkein wanted!) in his own words, or his own vision.

It doesn't matter if Faramir seems like a meany, it only matters that he captures Frodo then breaks the laws of the land to let him continue his quest. Tolkien told the story one way, Jackson told it another, but the basic story is the same.

The Ents meet Merry and Pippin, have an Ent-moot, and decide to attack Isengard. Tolkien tells it one way, Jackson another.

Theoden heads to Helms Deep, Saruman traps him there, the armies of Saruman breach the ancient fortress, the men of Rohan fight bravely, they are rescued at dawn by forces unlooked for. Tolkien this way, Jackson that way.

Keeping the story the same but changing the details does not ruin the myth.