Did your View of the Characters change after seeing the films?

[Azaelia of Willowbottom]

I agree with Lathireil's comment about Gimli. Gimli was good in FOTR, I thought, but then in the later two installments, he seemed to become just an outlet for comic relief. I didn't mind this so much in ROTK as I did in TTT. I do have to commend John Rhys-Davies for his handling of the character, however. I thought his Gimli was well done, and he handled a perhaps less-than-satisfactory script very well.

I liked PJ's Eowyn... I don't think she came off as "whiny" or "giggly". I think she came off as human. To play the part of Eowyn as the cold shieldmaiden... I think it would be hard for many actresses to keep true to the book Eowyn and still seem human. A little emotion is a good thing. No one is totally cold and desperate.

About Boromir, I actually learned to like him through the FOTR movie. I didn't like him in the books: he wasn't in the spotlight so much so he just came off as arrogant and then almost evil. The movie made me really understand his motives and hopelessness about his father and his city.... and then made me love him in spite of trying to take the Ring when he gave his life in an ill-fated but very noble attempt to save Merry and Pippin. For some reason, I didn't get that out of the books. I think he is the one character that I can say that I clearly, definitely liked better in the movie.

[Lathriel]

Well Azaelia since you agreed with me I wil agree with you. I agree that I began to like Boromir more after I saw the movie than before. I also liked the part where he and Faramir are seen together because it develops his character.

[kboleen]

I am able to enjoy both the books and the movies on their own merit. When I first heard they were making the movies, sometime in 1999, I thought "Oh no, here we go again." But when I viewed the first trailer and saw Legolas walking "on-top" of the snow in the Caradhras scenes, I knew the books were in good hands. If the filmakers were attentive to pick up that much details from the book I was confident they could make a good version.

[Boromir88]

Essex, you have brought up a few good points about Boromir and Aragorn fighting in the books. I will say that's what I like about Boromir, he's honest and he speaks his mind. He spoke out against going into Lorien, him and Aragorn tustled for control a couple times on where to lead the party, despite all these battles between the two I believe they had developed a strong friendship. The movie has Boromir at the council of elrond spewing "Gondor needs no king, Gondor has no king" (or something to that affect). That's one thing PJ did, to Boromir, I could not agree with. From reading the books a few times and studying some of the parts of Boromir (since he is my favorite character), he never came off to me as stubborn man who wanted to keep Aragorn away from Gondor. Boromir's main concern was to save Gondor, he would do anything to save Gondor, and was content with the coming of the king and the sword to Minas Tirith. Problem is Boromir didn't think that was enough he only saw victory for Gondor if he had the ring. Which of course was Boromir's downfall, he slipped into madness, but for only a few minutes, after realizing what he had done he felt sorry, (this PJ does show well and the book talks about). What one thinks of Boromir is there own opinion, I understand completely if one would not maybe hold him in the respect that I myself do, but here is one thing that is not an opinion. The Fellowship wouldn't have survived without Boromir. Boromir carried Sam and Pippin through the snows on Caradhras, he was the strongest member of the fellowship and without his strength the fellowship would have never gotten as far as Amon Hen. Aragorn would have been the only strong person in the fellowhsip if Boromir wasn't there, and his fighting skill would have been missed, as it clearly states in the "Bridge of Khazad-dum" both Boromir and Aragorn slew many.

The punching bag,
I didn't think highly of the scenes betweent Gandalf and Denethor, they were quite dissapointing. Denethor's character was totally crapped on, and even though Gandalf did not like the steward of Gondor they both respected eachother. To me it seemed like there conversations together were more of a mockery towards eachother (if that makes sense). They would say compliments about eachother but it would be in a sarcastic way. The whole Gandalf throwing and whacking around Denethor urked me, and why does Gandalf get credit for Denethor killing himself? Gandalf and Pippin had nothing to do with Denethor killing himself, they were trying to stop him from killing Faramir. From the movies most of Gondor's characters were crapped on (Denethor, Faramir, Imrahil and Beregond weren't even there), it just seemed like Gondor had no strong leader, everyone was just a soldier that got their butts kicked by the orcs. If you watch ROTK, Sauron's army when fighting Gondor are like super warriors, just throwing and killing Gondor's soldiers like nothing, but when Rohan comes they are as dumb as rocks, they just kind of stand and let the horses run them over (if you watch closely and orc even flings himself into a riders path). But that could lead to a whole nother topic so I'll just stop there. Gondor had probably the superior armies to Rohan (Rohan's aid was needed) but no enemy entered Minas Tirith. The Witch-king breaks the gates of Minas Tirith then Rohan arrives, but I can see why PJ has them on the 5th level or whatever, people would be dissapointed in seeing 400 000 men not being able to break through the walls of Minas Tirith. That only takes away from the strength of Gondor, and in conclusion I think you see Gondor, and its Leader, Denethor, totally crapped on to show that Gondor needs a king, and to play up the role of Aragorn.

[Encaitare]

Well, I'm supposed to be doing summer homework (there's an oxymoron for ya) and I'm shirking as usual, so I don't have time to read the whole thread or write anything overly complex. I think the character that was the most different between the books and the movies, though, was Aragorn.

In the book, he has set out to regain his kingship and set things right in Gondor and all of Middle-earth, but in the movie he's portrayed as so reluctant. Book Aragorn is always saying things like, "I can't wait to get back to Gondor" (okay, not that exactly, but you know what I'm talking about ), whereas Movie Aragorn seems to want nothing to do with it (aside from saying "Long have I desired to look upon the kings of old, my kin" when they pass the Argonath. And speaking of the Argonath, does anyone know which is Isildur and which is Anárion?)

However, Book Aragorn is also somewhat cocky. He thinks that just because he's heir to an enormous kingdom he can boss people around... now, whatever put that idea in his head!

[Encaitare]

I just thought of something else...

I didn't really know about the differences in appearance when the movies came out as I read FotR and TTT after seeing the movies, and already had the movie characters in my head while voraciously reading RotK the summer before the movie. But now I'm rather conflicted, for example: Boromir and Faramir were stated to have dark hair, and Legolas' hair color is debated. My head almost explodes sometimes because I picture the lovely Boromir and Faramir as they appear in the movies, and then have to check myself and think "NO! DARK! THEY HAD *DARK* HAIR!" I have already decided that Legolas had dark hair, and this is fine with me because it will upset the hardcore Orlando Bloom fangirls ^^ ... plus blond Leggy is a bit pansy-ish and I find the thought of a raven-haired Elven archer far more appealing than Orlando in a wig.

But anyhow, these are the main debates that go on in my head. Maybe I'll make my own hybrid versions of Boromir and Faramir that will finally leave me in peace

[Pippin Pondlily]

I find the thought of a raven-haired Elven archer far more appealing than Orlando in a wig

I didn't think of Legolas when I wrote earlier but I had always pictured him with dark hair, never blond hair. And luckily since I didn't respond very well to Orlando Bloom's character, I still picture a dark-haired Legolas when I read the books.

- P. Pondlily

[Snowdog]

Originally Posted by Encaitare

... I'm rather conflicted, for example: Boromir and Faramir were stated to have dark hair, and Legolas' hair color is debated. My head almost explodes sometimes because I picture the lovely Boromir and Faramir as they appear in the movies, and then have to check myself and think "NO! DARK! THEY HAD *DARK* HAIR!" I have already decided that Legolas had dark hair

Way to go Encaitare! Legolas always had dark hair since I first read the books(which was way before the movies). The Dúnedain lineage of Gondor would tend to the dark hair as stated in the text, and this bugged me a little with Boromor when I first watched the Fellowship in Dec 2001, but there was alot of mingling of blood in Gondor (as opposed to Arnor in the north) and the influx of the Northmen (from where the Rohirrim descended from), and the more southerly climate could have lightened their hair as well, so this didn't bother me as much later with the mix of complexions of Gondorain soldiers in Return of the King.

... a raven-haired Elven archer far more appealing than Orlando in a wig.

Yeah, PJ screwed this up bad. leave him with his own hair color at least... or better yet, find a different actor.

But anyhow, these are the main debates that go on in my head. Maybe I'll make my own hybrid versions of Boromir and Faramir that will finally leave me in peace

Yes, our visions of the characters are the best. Thanks for your post because I wondered if someone who first saw the movies then read the books could break the movie mold on how the characters looked.

[Elentári_O_Most_Mighty_1]

Ok, I could have sworn I had posted on here before...but apparently I haven't .

Anyway...Legolas- I loved him! I thought he looked a hell of a lot better than Haldir with that wig, in any case (not that that was hard...) *ducks from Haldir fans*. He seemed a bit like a person of only about two facial expressions, but there you go...I certainly can't imagine anyone else in the role. Also, I never succeeded imagining him at all from reading the books...so Orlando fits the bill just fine .

Éowyn- I loved her in the movie, she really brought the character to life in a way that I had never appreciated from reading the books. I did have a grudge against one of the aspects of her character though, but it has been so long I can't remember what it was! Something to do with her not despairing enough or something.

Treebeard- I retain my original vision of Treebeard. The film one...well, to be honest, I never really imagined it having legs as such, only feet. I kind of envisioned him walking in a way where you would never quite see his legs moving, as though they were surrounded by mist. I'm sorry, that was a terrible explanation! But yeah...more like the Huorns than the way Treebeard walked around in the film.

Aragorn bugged me a bit too. I thought Aragorn was more noble than arrogant in the book though...but I suppose there can be a fine line between the two. I certainly don't know where they got the idea of him being a reluctant hero from though. I prefer my vision of him from the book.

[Annalaliath]

Let's just say that before the movies I hated Sam. I couldn't stand him! Funny my cousin Audrey felt the same way. Any way I think I envisioned most of the characters like people around me. I also had a lot of help from the Hildebrandt Brothers and the OLD OLD gross movies. But then again, Merry and Pippin were and still are my favorite characters. Although I think that they seem to wise up more in the movies than they did in the book, but of course this could just be my own misconception. I also loved Tom Bombadil, and Goldberry, I was greatly disappointed in not seeing them in the movies.

Treebeared was totally different than what I imagined!!!!! I mean he was huge. I thought he would be more of a stump. Don't know why just did. And I thought he would sound more like a wood wend, and such.... ga! I am digging myself into a whole here.

I can't do too much grumbling about PJ and how he wrote the script and how he wrote the characters. I took a script writing class this summer, and I realized how hard it is to describe people and things just the same way as in books. But the whole Yrich come out of goo thing just ****ed me off. I guess he had to keep the PG 13 rating somehow and not show the real X rated stuff.... that and I don't think that I don't think people would have understood seeing a baby orc....

Back on Topic (at least for my post... Bla...) I can't understand what he did to the Wizards. I did not like the wizard fight, as far as we know they didn't routinely use "Magic" in the same since as we understand it today. Yes, they had powers that were allotted to them from Iluvitar but they didn't use them all the time... It seems that in the movies VS the Books the Wizards were using more magic in the movies. Although, you have to admit that Sauramon was using some sort of persuasion in his voice even in the book.

Now that I have shoved my foot halfway down my throat I think I shall leave it like that.(for the time being)

[Encaitare]

Lobelia-- Whatever works! My Legolas just has dark hair...

I actually don't have very defined images in my head about most characters. It's pretty vague most of the time. I have ideas of what they look like, but if I were to try and draw them or something it just wouldn't work.

[Gothbogg the Ripper]

The main thing the films changed for me, in the way I percieved the characters, was Shelob. In the Two Towers (book), it was creepy and claustrophobic but when you actually see the chapter played out in Return of the King, it's horrible!
Before I only thought of Shelob of a threat to be bypassed but after seeing the film they mere idea of its huge, bulbous body is both sickening and unsettling.
Great work by Peter Jackson!

[Snowdog]

But about Boromir, the movie did help to change my view on him. I read the books a year or two before the movies. When I read them, Boromir seemed like a real, plain bastard to me ( but then again, I was still in the 'oh-I-love-the-fantastic-elves-so-much!'-stage ).
Sean Bean's portrayal of him changed my view forever. Why, I don't really know. I think it's the emotion that he gives to the character. I didn't just viewed him as a 'soldier who wanted the Ring', but perhaps that has to do with the knowledge that I have from the books.
When I read the books again, while waiting for TT, Boromir seemed like a different man to me.

I have to agree with this. To me, Boromir was fleshed out with personality in the movie which added to, not changed, the book character. The rest of the characters, my minds eye retains their original characterization.