Dumbing it down

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Neurion

Yes, but it's still more than possible to carry such good intentions way too far.

That, of course, depends on your perspective. From the point of view of most ardent fans of Tolkien's works, you are right. But vast numbers of film-goers, many critics and those responsible for nominating and selecting films for awards would probably disagree.

From where I am standing, it looks like Jackson and co suceeded greatly in making the films relevant and accessible to modern audiences. Perhaps they would have suceeded in equal measure had they not used the techniques described above, but we cannot know that for sure unless and until a more faithful film adaptation of the book is made.