Dumbing it down - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Formendacil · 02-10-2005, 01:09 PM

Okay, I'll be the first to admit that I like the movies, but....

The truth is that like SpM, I understood and appreciated the plot changes made to the story. While I mourned the losses, I was able to take them in stride because I appreciate that you can't fit a book that takes something like 7 1/2 hours to read out loud into a 3 hour movie (that would be the Fellowship).

Therefore, I was able (with a great deal of sighing and groaning) to appreciate the loss of "A Conspiracy Unmasked", Glorfindel in general, Halbarad and Co., and things along those lines.

But here's where PJ screwed up where my fandom was concerned: the LITTLE things. I can understand and even come close to approving the big changes, but the little ones elude me. Why does Aragorn's crown not fit the description of the one in the book? Why does Arwen have a CURVED sword? Why is so much of the new lines written in Modern American instead of Middle English? These sorts of things could have been changed to remain consistent with the original version without any extra cost. The losses would have been nonexistent, the benefits would have been greater consistency and greater approval from the fans (those of us who met Frodo and Aragorn, etc, before PJ made stars of them).

On the subject of Gimli, surely it would have been possible to make him humourous without making him so... crude. Gimli's humour has no sophistication.

As for Merry and Pippin... Why make them carbon copies of each other? Protests to the contrary, they were pretty much identical characters. Why not let Pippin do all the comic stunts, and let Merry develop a character of his own?

And then there's Aragorn.... I have to wonder at times why they even bothered making him "accessable". Why not just make him more or less super-cool like Legolas? Oh wait! People today don't think that high lineage, wisdom, and a supernatural aura aren't cool.

Basically, my points are that PJ screwed up in the little things. The big changes HAD to be made. The little ones are another matter entirely.

02-10-2005, 01:09 PM	#22
Formendacil Dead Serious Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Perched on Thangorodrim's towers. Posts: 3,328	Okay, I'll be the first to admit that I like the movies, but.... The truth is that like SpM, I understood and appreciated the plot changes made to the story. While I mourned the losses, I was able to take them in stride because I appreciate that you can't fit a book that takes something like 7 1/2 hours to read out loud into a 3 hour movie (that would be the Fellowship). Therefore, I was able (with a great deal of sighing and groaning) to appreciate the loss of "A Conspiracy Unmasked", Glorfindel in general, Halbarad and Co., and things along those lines. But here's where PJ screwed up where my fandom was concerned: the LITTLE things. I can understand and even come close to approving the big changes, but the little ones elude me. Why does Aragorn's crown not fit the description of the one in the book? Why does Arwen have a CURVED sword? Why is so much of the new lines written in Modern American instead of Middle English? These sorts of things could have been changed to remain consistent with the original version without any extra cost. The losses would have been nonexistent, the benefits would have been greater consistency and greater approval from the fans (those of us who met Frodo and Aragorn, etc, before PJ made stars of them). On the subject of Gimli, surely it would have been possible to make him humourous without making him so... crude. Gimli's humour has no sophistication. As for Merry and Pippin... Why make them carbon copies of each other? Protests to the contrary, they were pretty much identical characters. Why not let Pippin do all the comic stunts, and let Merry develop a character of his own? And then there's Aragorn.... I have to wonder at times why they even bothered making him "accessable". Why not just make him more or less super-cool like Legolas? Oh wait! People today don't think that high lineage, wisdom, and a supernatural aura aren't cool. Basically, my points are that PJ screwed up in the little things. The big changes HAD to be made. The little ones are another matter entirely. __________________ I prefer history, true or feigned.