[mark12_30]

Interesting discussion, folks.

I think a lot of our disappointment has to do with cutting-room decisions, and the time limits placed on movies. PJ shot lots and lots of footage that never made it anywhere near a DVD.

I always imagined elves as having powerful, yet slender, bodies and bony faces, so the high cheekbones etc didn't bother me. I thought they all should have been as bony-faced as Movie-Legolas (and Movie-Frodo; too bad he was so short, or Wood could have played an elf.) Movie-Elrond and Movie-Arwen, I thought, were not bony enough. (I've relaxed about that a bit, though. Maybe because I've been impressed with Liv Tyler lately. In interviews lately she seems to have some brains.)

Regarding somber elves: I remember seeing (somewhere) a clip of two elves running through the woods; it was a very playful clip, sort of looked like a game of tag. It was very un-somber. I mentally categorize it together with "Tra-la-la-Lally" (a personal favorite of mine.) But it never made it into the movie, because it did nothing for the plot. Too bad.

Movie-Hobbits likewise. I would especially have preferred more valor from Movie-Frodo. The hobbit-actors got lots of sword-training, but precious little of M-Frodo's bladework made it into the movie. Apparently PJ saw it as not doing much for the plot (I would heartily disagree; it was, I think, necessary for the character.)

M-Pippin and M-Merry I have little comment on, perhaps because lately I find the actors quite annoying.

M-Sam was fine. My only complaint: too bad he didn't slim down by the time they got to Mount Doom.