Peter Jackson Explains Why the ‘Hobbit’ Movies Are Such a Huge Mess

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Kuruharan

I also object to the implication that seems to underlie the assertions made by various people in this vein over the years that the way Jackson chose to adapt the novels is the only way the novels could be adapted and are therefore immune to criticism because, "It is an adaptation across different mediums, you ignorant toad! Changes must be made!"

I understand that changes must be made but I do not believe that the changes themselves are beyond criticism, especially if they are ineffective, implausible, distort the original story, or remove artistically effective or essential material in favor of stuffing in ill-conceived or tasteless bloat..

The argument regarding the trans-mutational necessity of fundamental change when crossing mediums falls fairly flat when people almost universally praise the immortal lines drawn directly from the book that are spoken as dialogue in the movie -- by different characters at times, but the effect is near magical nonetheless in nearly every instance.

So too, there was never much argument against the real need for time compression. I really never heard a good response against or genuine dismay for Tom Bombadil being left out of the movie. I think reasonable people understand that there is a natural break when Bombadil is in the story, and his omission, although perhaps regrettable, was almost necessary.

However, it isn't the necessary time compression, or editing characters out and giving their dialogue to some other character that raises hackles (and I never even knew I had hackles previous to these movies); it is, rather, the superfluous inclusions, the unnecessary addenda and the cringe-inducing extraneous dialogue that causes consternation.

You can't have it both ways. You can't argue for compression by omitting scenes and characters due to time constraints, but then disembogue a flood of extra crap to fill the void, particularly hokey crap that simply doesn't belong in the story.

Aragorn falling off a cliff then Frenching his horse, the whole "Arwen is dying" debacle, the equally inane "Go home Sam", Faramir dragging Frodo and Sam all the way back to Osgiliath only to let them go again -- Jackson eliminated whole parts of chapters from the books simply to add his own asininity.