[Sojourn]

Hey folks. Just thought I'd start a thread to get your most respected opinions on the upcoming 'Lord of the Rings' movie. The message boards on some sites are rather dull, but with you, my admirable, well-opinionated fellow fantasy buffs, I believe the discussion can be so much more interesting, no?

[This message has been edited by Sojourn (edited October 10, 2001).]

[Erebus]

Well...I'm sure there'll be plenty of feedback, but I have to move the post to TV and Film just the same! http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif


[This message has been edited by erebus (edited October 10, 2001).]

[Elan Morin Tedronai]

I don't care!

[Bardos]

You don't care for perhaps the greatest fantasy film of the century...
Great...

[Barbarossa]

Ok, I have great expectations of that movie, both on it's own, and as a stepstone for the whole genre, the later honor is shared with the upcoming Harry Potter movie.

But I'm ready to see those movies as a movie, not as a visual version of my imagination of the books. That means I care more that it will work as a movie, than I care if my favorite scene/character will be as I imagined it, or if it will be in it at all.

I have quite a lot of confidence in Peter Jackson, the studio seems to give him artistic freedom, and he has assembeld a great cast (I'm a particular fan of Sean Bean (Boromir), Ian MC'Kellan (Gandalf), Brad Dourif (Wormtounge), Christopher Lee (Saruman) and John Rhys Davis (Gimli).

To answer in advance on some chriticism I heared before:
Yes I like Tom Bombadil in the books, too, but I understand that a movie has to leave out parts, and Bombadil does'nt be part of the main plot, also his very strength in the books, would translate badly to film.

Yes I heared that they enlarged Arwen's role and that she will actually fight, but she won't be part of the fellowship, and I trust Peter Jackson's assurance not to turn her into XenA-rwen.

[Lady Fox]

I eagerly await the release of this movie. I remember as a young child being spellbound by the animated version and wishing it was a "real" movie, not a "cartoon". I also am going to see the Harry Potter film. It'll be a great warm up for LotR.

[Sojourn]

Regarding the omission of Tom Bombadil, I'm just curious as to whether or not the LoTR movie will show the events at the Barrow Downs, considering that it was Bombadil who rescues the hobbits from the Barrow Wight. And what about the swords/knifes the hobbits obtained from the wight's treasure hoard? If I'm not mistaken, the swords play a significant role in the later books. I think Merry (or was it Pippin?) wounds the Witch King with his magical Barrow blade, no?

But yes, I do understand the artistic need to slightly alter the story for adaptation to the big screen. After all, do we really want to sit through an hour or two of the 'Council of Elrond'?

Another interesting thing is how the first film will end. My friends and I believe that unlike the first book which concludes with the Fellowship running around here and there in the hills, and with the second book beginning moments later with the characters still running around the hills, we think that the film will wrap up with Boromir's death and Frodo and Sam sailing away down the river, separating from the Fellowship. That seems to be a much more fitting ending. After all, imagine waiting another year for 'The Two Towers' to come out, and it starts a few seconds after the end of the last film.


[This message has been edited by Sojourn (edited October 11, 2001).]

[Sammie]

Sojourn: it was Merry. Definitly. This is one of my favorite parts of the book.

I too am realy looking forward to this, but i agree with Barbarossa that it needs watching as a movie in its own right. I think people who go in wanting everything conjured up to match their imagination will be soely disappointed, just because, let's face it, we all visualise what we read in slightly different ways.

Sammie

[Barbarossa]

Sojourn, Peter Jackson said in some interview, that FotR will end just as you envisioned, for just the reasons mentioned.

As to the blades out of the barrow: An older script version, which definatly won't be used (it planned for 2 not three movies) had Aragon giving the blades to hobbits in Bree.
It's quite possible they will use that, it's halfway plausible.

[Alucard]

I'm excited about the movie simply because the cinematography looks so amazing. The previews just oozed quality, and it's really got me excited. I didn't like the books, the writing style and slow pace were not my cup of tea. But now that it's in film format, and it's being filmed really well, I might enjoy the story for the first time.

That being said, I'm also pretty excited that I get to see it three days before it's release in theaters. Being friends with a theatre manager certainly has it's perks.... http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif