The point on budget is well taken. These are major block-busters. But in all respect to New Line and backers, they had no guarantee that this wouldn't fall flat, like Waterworld.<P>Peter Jackson is a talented director (if not sceenwriter), but he's not named Speilberg, nor does the cast have any huge names. "Starring Elijah Wood!" Maybe Bruce Willis should've been Elrond.<P>This risk factor, would be why Jackson and others would defend the sort of dumbing-down, Scooby-Doo treatment of certain subplots, morality plays, and so forth.<P>Dumbing-down is not the same as simplifying and making a storyline more efficient. Unfortunately, these screenwriters didn't know the difference at all times, and in terms of financial bottom lines, the Scooby-Dooism is unnecessary, and may actually hurt.<P>But what you do need are good special effects. That's a given. And a long with much else, that does make for a very expensive, risky project, for which hundreds of millions of dollars are quickly eaten up, think of Waterworld, again. Jackson & crew had no choice but to take the safe way out in many cases.
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The hoes unrecked in the fields were flung, __ and fallen ladders in the long grass lay __ of the lush orchards; every tree there turned __ its tangled head and eyed them secretly, __ and the ears listened of the nodding grasses; __ though noontide glowed on land and leaf, __ their limbs were chilled.
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03-09-2003, 01:44 PM
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