[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by alatar

I must say that I'm very surprised that persons do not find PJ's presentation of the Shire to be the spot-on perfect paradise that I do ...

I think that's probably why it doesn't quite ring precisely true with me. The Shire should be a "working" place, a place where Hobbits live out their everyday lives. Jackson's Shire is almost too perfect ...

But I'm really being nitpicky here. I cannot deny that I was delighted to see it there on screen the first time that I saw the film.

What's this? Alatar defending the film while I pick holes in it! What is the world coming to ...?

Originally Posted by Mister Underhill

For instance, say we didn't have the Prologue, or even Bilbo's introduction to the Shire.

Fine, but that's going to require a lot of exposition in the dialogue between characters. Jackson chose (or perhaps just instinctively followed) the course likely to appeal to the greatest number of people. Perhaps he did take the easy option, but who can blame him?

Hmm, I think that might become a common refrain from me as this discussion develops ...