Greatest sin of Peter Jackson

[Sauron the White]

from alatar

And I understand what you're trying to say, but I don't think that you have data to back up the hypothesis that (as I see it): Tolkien fanatics miffed by popularity of PJ films.

No data, no surveys, no polls, not even talk radio chatter. This is based on my experience on other JRRT related sites plus my few months here. I have not heard anyone saying "I RESENT THOSE BLANKETY BLANK MOVIES". But I do think the attitude and spirit is there in some. It couched in lots of other far more subtle and defendable verbage - but its still there.

from Kath

To say that Purists were jealous is an odd statement to make though. How can you be jealous of the films when you sit with the book in your hands and know you have the better version?

In my opening post I did not use the term jealous. I do not think this is the emotion that the purists feel. My term would be resentment. Macalaure posted some interesting thoughts saying it is as much the purist belief that PJ got it wrong as much as the popularity. And I can understand that. I don't believe that the book purists are jealous of the films and want the same level of success right now for the books. No - they are not jealous in that they are coveting the success of the films.

and from Quempel

Ralph Bakshi's version is laughable at best. It made me want to burn my eyes out. As Pheobe said on Friends, my eyes, my eyes.

In total agreement. It took me a good dozen years to get rid of the nagging idea that Boromir was a viking and Aragorn some lost member of a tribe of Native Americans.

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Sauron the White

No data, no surveys, no polls, not even talk radio chatter. This is based on my experience on other JRRT related sites plus my few months here. I have not heard anyone saying "I RESENT THOSE BLANKETY BLANK MOVIES". But I do think the attitude and spirit is there in some. It couched in lots of other far more subtle and defendable verbage - but its still there.

I do not mean this to be mean, but you are the observer, and you may have some bias, or more probable , are the causal agent. And note that I doubt even my own eyes, and so I'm definitely not saying anything negative about you or that your observations are incorrect. I just know how wrong I can be (with the exception of anything negative I say about the Jackson films), and so...

In total agreement. It took me a good dozen years to get rid of the nagging idea that Boromir was a viking and Aragorn some lost member of a tribe of Native Americans.

It's not the images, it's the soundtrack! I've considered doing brain surgery on myself just to remove "Where there's a whip, there's a way!" And those other songs...ugh!

[Mister Underhill]

Originally Posted by alatar

I've considered doing brain surgery on myself just to remove "Where there's a whip, there's a way!"

Wait -- you're joking, right? "Where There's a Whip There's a Way" totally rockz!

We don't wanna go to war today
But the lord of the lash says nay, nay, nay!

It's catchy, man! Not to mention it's almost canonical. And that groovy synth bass was state of the art at the time (okay, that part's not canonical, though). Besides, what other version of LotR makes you feel compassion for the hapless, lowly orc foot soldier?

Anyway, brain surgery won't work. Someone's bound to come along and hit you up with a YouTube link and then you have to take the power drill out all over again.

[Meriadoc1961]

I do not think jealousy has anything to do with it. I suppose that could be the case for a few people, but for most? No.

I, for one, am very happy the films did well, for I know it sparked interest in reading the books in more than one person I know personally, who previously did not read them.

I have not denied that I prefer the books, but I do not hate the movies at all. In fact, I am not ashamed to admit that I like the movies. Does that mean I do not think Jackson dropped the ball in many ways in how he handled, how he changed the characters, characters that needed no changing? No, it does not. I do believe he made some egregious errors in character manipulation, particularly in the portrayal of Faramir.

Merry

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Mister Underhill

It's catchy, man!

And therein lies the problem. It's like a modern day version of Frodo's experience with the One Ring as he crawled across the Gorgoroth. The Whip song burns itself into your mind, and you can never ever again be free of its call.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

We can't however ignore the effect the movies have had on at least some readers, presumably of the younger sort. Moving through Web fora where the younger set hang out, this is typical of the opinions expressed:

"Yeah, I tried to read the books but never finished the first one. BOOO-OOORING! Almost no action or fighting, just a lot of descriptions and talking. Jackson did a good job cutting out most of the dull stuff and making those moldy old books exciting."

I wish I was making this up, but I'm not.

When I picked this book up I thought i was in for a treat. everyone told me how good it was but in reality, it was BORING! I read more captivating stories in my textbooks at school! It did have a very complex and very well thought plot line but other than that the only thing good about this book was the MOVIE!!!!!There wasn't one time that i read more than 5 pages without dozing off! In summary i didn't really enjoy this book snd wouldn't reccomend it to anyone unless they had difficulties sleeping!!!! By the way, did i mention BORING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeah well i only read half of the first book. i am TOTALLY obsessed with the movies, but i couldnt make it through the book. its too slow but yeah

"Well, the movie is coming out, and many people say this book is great, so I picked it up.

So far, it is everything I feared it would be.

I have read 130 pages filled with hobbit lameness, and the total cumulation of actual events could have easily been written in 20 pages, with a decent level of description and atmosphere. There is at least one superfluos poem or song every 3 pages

Actually I've always said that Peter Jackson did the "William Goldman version" of LotR. Goldman of course wrote the Princess Bride which he says is an abridged version of an older book by a man named Morgenstern. (It's not actually - the book is all Goldman's work.) The line is that Goldman abridged the book, leaving out all of the boring stuff and only keeping all of the interesting and exciting parts - the fights and chases and whatnot. Which is more or less what Jackson did with the movies

--from the National Novel-writing Month Forum!

while every loves the lord of the rings books, i thought this book was so boring i couldn't believe how everyone could love it! i thought most people didn't like to read yet claim they love this book? i mean, it seems so impossible! this book is so slow i couldn't believe i was still reading it. i have seen the movies and i love the movies but i couldn't make it past the part in the book when they leave the main village next to their hobbit village. i mean, it takes them 20 years to leave the hobbit village! then they are stuck doing a bunch of ridiculous things on the way to the next village. i guess it was some impending doom that was coming because they sure acting quickly! at this rate, they might die before they get the fight the bad guy since they were already so old

I personally have enjoyed the Lord of the Rings movies very much, but everytime i try to read the books, find that i cannot.The way Tolkein writes rather bores me.. I would swear that my math teacher had written them.

Of course, this is 21st-century America- where to the vast majority the name 'Notre Dame' means a football team.