Buy:Ian11
11-10-03, 12:14 AM
MAJOR SPOILERS: SO DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW!!!!
I've re-read The Hobbit and LOTR "a few times" and I love the movies so far. I hold them in equal esteem (in a way) and that's going to piss off a lot of people who believe Tolkien's written word cannot be topped. Anyways here are some of the things that I felt were better in the movies than the book.
1. Aragorn and Gandalf are much more likeable. Not that being more "likeable" is always a good thing but in the books the characters often seemed aloof and sometimes come off as arrogant.
2. Council of Elrond: In the movie, the various parties argue over what should be done with the Ring. Frodo volunteering to be the Ringbearer becomes more plausible when we actually see the Ring "pulling at him" and the realization that no one else can really do it when he see the chaos its creating between everyone. In the book there is no argument and Frodo just seems to assume the responsiblity.
3. The Ring as a character: Making the Ring "a living breathing character" and the presence of "the Eye" made the danger and the lure of the Ring much more real.
4. The Sword (Narsil/Anduril) is not reforged until much later (when Aragorn is "ready"): Not about the sword but this is about Aragorn and his real struggle between claiming his destiny and his family's past. In the book, the sword is reforged just before the Fellowship sets out from Rivendell. Aragorn is ready to reclaim the throne right then and there. There is no struggle compared to the movie.
5. Arwen: In the book Arwen (who had a brief cameo in Council of Elrond) suddenly appears at the end and takes Aragorn's side as his queen. In the film she is a much more firmly established character. Not only is this story about Aragorn becoming King but also their destiny to be together as husband and wife/king and queen. A better arc to their story.
6. Gandalf's Rescue from Orthanc: Beautifully filmed and scored. In the book, Gwaihir just happens to see Gandalf stranded atop Orthanc and rescues him. In the film, we see the contrast between Gandalf and a delicate moth (The "good" and their harmony with nature) contrasted with the hellish wheels of industry and war occuring below.
7. The Fellowship grieving over the loss of Gandalf: This scene is fantastic. Full of pathos, emotion, and loss and its heightened with Howard Shore's haunting score. In the book, the Fellowship almost seems to shrug and just go on. This scene really underscored the incredible bond between the Fellowship than anything I read in the book.
8. Love Triangle Between Aragorn, Arwen, and Eowyn: I really liked this addition. Eowyn is a perfect match for this Ranger-soon to be King. She is rightly a real temptation for Aragorn who understandably would want to find a way for Arwen to sail to the West (out of love).
9. Battle Scenes: In the books, Tolkien almost seems to gloss over the action scenes whether its the Mines of Moria, Helm's Deep, or the Pelennor Fields. Tolkien seems to like to spend more time describing the fauna, geography, and historical songs of Middle Earth than the exciting battles actually occuring in the book. Not that I didn't enjoy them but Thank You Peter Jackson for bringing to life what I had to try to imagine from those short passages.
10. Gollum while still a great character in the book is a revelation in the movie. He is less gangrel creature and more of a real living breathing character that's worthy of pity.
11. Faramir: yep Faramir. Very few can resist the temptation of The One Ring. Not even Gandalf felt he could resist it and only Tom Bombadil, Galadriel, and Aragorn (consistent with his destiny) seemed to be able to resist. I never bought his resistance in the book. What motivation? What made him better than the other great heroes in the book? While Faramir is a noble character I didn't see anything special about him above most others. And he's still noble in the movie. So nyeh.
12. Production value: The costumes, the weaponry, the architecture, the creatures, and the cinematography. Okay, its unfair and obvious since this is a movie. But to actually see all of it so lovingly made in accordance with the source material has been incredible.
That's just a few and I'm wondering what other people liked more about the movies than the book. Again, I'm not saying the movie is better than the book but these were a few of the things I felt worked better for me.
I've re-read The Hobbit and LOTR "a few times" and I love the movies so far. I hold them in equal esteem (in a way) and that's going to piss off a lot of people who believe Tolkien's written word cannot be topped. Anyways here are some of the things that I felt were better in the movies than the book.
1. Aragorn and Gandalf are much more likeable. Not that being more "likeable" is always a good thing but in the books the characters often seemed aloof and sometimes come off as arrogant.
2. Council of Elrond: In the movie, the various parties argue over what should be done with the Ring. Frodo volunteering to be the Ringbearer becomes more plausible when we actually see the Ring "pulling at him" and the realization that no one else can really do it when he see the chaos its creating between everyone. In the book there is no argument and Frodo just seems to assume the responsiblity.
3. The Ring as a character: Making the Ring "a living breathing character" and the presence of "the Eye" made the danger and the lure of the Ring much more real.
4. The Sword (Narsil/Anduril) is not reforged until much later (when Aragorn is "ready"): Not about the sword but this is about Aragorn and his real struggle between claiming his destiny and his family's past. In the book, the sword is reforged just before the Fellowship sets out from Rivendell. Aragorn is ready to reclaim the throne right then and there. There is no struggle compared to the movie.
5. Arwen: In the book Arwen (who had a brief cameo in Council of Elrond) suddenly appears at the end and takes Aragorn's side as his queen. In the film she is a much more firmly established character. Not only is this story about Aragorn becoming King but also their destiny to be together as husband and wife/king and queen. A better arc to their story.
6. Gandalf's Rescue from Orthanc: Beautifully filmed and scored. In the book, Gwaihir just happens to see Gandalf stranded atop Orthanc and rescues him. In the film, we see the contrast between Gandalf and a delicate moth (The "good" and their harmony with nature) contrasted with the hellish wheels of industry and war occuring below.
7. The Fellowship grieving over the loss of Gandalf: This scene is fantastic. Full of pathos, emotion, and loss and its heightened with Howard Shore's haunting score. In the book, the Fellowship almost seems to shrug and just go on. This scene really underscored the incredible bond between the Fellowship than anything I read in the book.
8. Love Triangle Between Aragorn, Arwen, and Eowyn: I really liked this addition. Eowyn is a perfect match for this Ranger-soon to be King. She is rightly a real temptation for Aragorn who understandably would want to find a way for Arwen to sail to the West (out of love).
9. Battle Scenes: In the books, Tolkien almost seems to gloss over the action scenes whether its the Mines of Moria, Helm's Deep, or the Pelennor Fields. Tolkien seems to like to spend more time describing the fauna, geography, and historical songs of Middle Earth than the exciting battles actually occuring in the book. Not that I didn't enjoy them but Thank You Peter Jackson for bringing to life what I had to try to imagine from those short passages.
10. Gollum while still a great character in the book is a revelation in the movie. He is less gangrel creature and more of a real living breathing character that's worthy of pity.
11. Faramir: yep Faramir. Very few can resist the temptation of The One Ring. Not even Gandalf felt he could resist it and only Tom Bombadil, Galadriel, and Aragorn (consistent with his destiny) seemed to be able to resist. I never bought his resistance in the book. What motivation? What made him better than the other great heroes in the book? While Faramir is a noble character I didn't see anything special about him above most others. And he's still noble in the movie. So nyeh.
12. Production value: The costumes, the weaponry, the architecture, the creatures, and the cinematography. Okay, its unfair and obvious since this is a movie. But to actually see all of it so lovingly made in accordance with the source material has been incredible.
That's just a few and I'm wondering what other people liked more about the movies than the book. Again, I'm not saying the movie is better than the book but these were a few of the things I felt worked better for me.