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Originally Posted by davem
They are clearly all wrong if they found the LotR movies anything more than standard Hollywood fare. Overblown, dumbed down & tiresome.
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Overblown- yes, I agree. With the technology we have, everything in film is overblown these days. But honestly, I think if the scenes of LotR weren't overblown, the film would be boring to most audience members, including myself (I admit it...I love the overblown stuff
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Dumbed-down- well, I don't think the entire movies are...but I agree that certain scenes are dumbed-down. But let's face it: most people are idiots, and most have not read the books. The film is targeted towards not only book fans, but everyone else who enjoys watching movies (including those who have not read the books). *gasp* And therefore, some scenes must be dumbed-down in order to make sense for these ignorant audience members. It sucks, but it's true.
Tiresome- now this I don't really understand. Do you mean tiresome in the Hollywood sense? But I don't really see how LotR could have not been Hollywoodish...with the big budget and all, if that's what you mean. Because honestly, a low-budget independent LotR would've been terrible without the great casting and effects.
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Originally Posted by davem
The LotR movies by Peter Jackson were made to bump up studio profits & flog popcorn to teenagers. If it wasn't for the possibility of a Hobbit movie the LotR movies would by now have faded into obscurity.
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Now this here, I have to disagree with. First of all, New Line may have taken on LotR for the profit, but that wasn't PJ's primary reason. Yes, ultimately he does want to make money; he's a director...that's his job. But PJ was an LotR fan from childhood and no director could've spent the amount of time that he did without some heart.
Secondly, I believe LotR will remain a legacy for decades to come...perhaps in a similar way Star Wars has. I hear the film discussed by others quite frequently, and a lot of the people I overhear or talk about it with aren't hardcore fans and aren't completely aware that The Hobbit is even expected to come out. I'm a film major, and already in one of my classes, I recall my professor using LotR as an example when he taught a brief lesson on screenwriting. And that wasn't the only class where the films were discussed. LotR revolutionized the visual effects world...particularly with Gollum. Really, the trilogy has made quite an impact on the film industry...in many ways. So, I don't think they'll be forgotten anytime soon.
Personally, (and right now I feel like I'm the only one) I love the films. I mean, I won't say every second is perfect...there were certain scenes I was quite upset about, but I thought as a whole PJ did a beautiful job. I have seen some terrible book-to-film adaptations, but this is not one of them. In fact, the incredible use of detail in the film and amazing post-production is what helped me decide my career path. How they created the sound and visual effects, plus the editing is just...wow. Of course, perhaps I think this way because I try not to spend to much time comparing the book and film and would rather appreciate a film by its quality alone (and I admit, it's not always easy to do when you've read the book first).
When it comes to The Hobbit, part of me would like to see a new director who could create a much lighter atmosphere to the story, but ultimately, I think I would choose PJ over that. Because with PJ, at least he has dedication and we will somewhat know what we're getting. Plus, with him, much of the cast and crew needed will most likely return...and it is those other people we need the most in order for this film to work. While some of you may not like the LotR films, just remember: it could be a lot worse. There are more directors out there who could potentially completely botch The Hobbit rather than create a masterpiece, and I'd rather not let them get their grimy hands on it.
A film adaptation will never be as good as its book...there will always be cuts and changes, as much as any fan will hate it. But as I said, a film should be judged as a film regardless of where the script came from. If you try too hard to compare its quality to the book, of course you'll hate the movie. If you can't separate the two versions from each other and appreciate them individually, then it's probably best not to see the film at all. Hey...at least it'll save you money....