If you could "right" the "wrongs" in the film trilogy, what would you do differently? I am a fan of the movies as they are what got me into reading Tolkien's works in the first place, but after having read the books and seeing the differences, there are some things I wish PJ would have done differently.

Yeah I am with you on that one too Gilfindel (you'll still always be Anor  to me though ). The whole Arwen replacing Glorfindel was a horrible editing job done on the parts of PJ and Co., but I can understand the reasons why they did what they did. Still don't agree with it, but hey that's Hollywood screenwriting strategy at work for ya. At least they were smart enough to delete Arwen's scenes from TTT--Arwen at Helm's Deep...

Elves at Helms Deep; but hey... Elves mean big money right... and rings of power too if you ask the right ones...

Over simplification of the Dark powers and their minions (and their general relationship to the world...)

...and the last movie sucked pretty much all the way through


The amount of nuclear and carsonogenic waste produced in the making of these terrible and beautiful films...

...then again if you see a successful film as grossing lots of money for people who realy don't need it... then it was a huge blundering puss filled bucket of success... and it only managed to insult half the known universe in some way or another... so I think they were really good



The scene where they were all sat on a bed laughing and frolicking and giggling at each other (...you know, after the big climax, when all sense of proportion and ideas of budget sanity were lost; and most sane people  had left the theatre...).  I would have extend that scene, and got rid of all that rubbish about the ring and the land of Mordor; and skirted over all the aftermath and loss and destruction and freed slaves...  and turned the brightness up a notch too, as it would seem silly to have a Dark Mordor/ Pelennor field (lets face it Helms Deep would have been far scarier... if it wasn't for all the Elves romping the battlements!)

And I thought El Woodio was great as Frodo... he didn't sound anything like a simpering cultist actor zombie...

The endless extras were also amazing... Mortenson broke his foot... and he was scratching his ass when he fluffed that line about Gandalf always talking in riddles...

All in all, a great success. 

I think its pretty safe to say that there are many wrongs in the movie that could have been made right.  And I thought this list would have been much longer by now actually, lol.

After reading the book I find it very hard to go back to watching the movies. I guess because it all seems so wrong now and I can't get by the changes made. It really seems like a different story in some ways. I wonder sometimes though, instead of diverting from the book why can't they just leave out certain bits if they can't do it properly?

Anyway, with some of the changes, I agree that exchanging Glorfindel for Arwen was an injustice but not near as bad as changing Faramir's whole personality!

"If the ring was so easily repelled by a mere man how could it be as powerful and destructive as everyone had been saying up to that point."~ Nex Es Pacis

I agree, the movie shows Faramir in a very poor light indeed. We see him resisting the Ring, but ONLY when pulled out of his trance by Sam who shouted at him to leave Frodo alone. Whereas in the book Faramir was quite aware of Isildur's Bane and especially after hearing what the Ring did to his brother he did not even want to SEE it. Two great (and powerful) men struck down by some powerful thing he (Faramir) did not know what exactly but understood it was an evil and corrupt thing of power. No, of course Faramir was not immune to the Ring's power and he KNEW it, thus he did not even want to see it.

"What in truth this Thing is I cannot yet guess; but some heirloom of power and peril it must be. A fell weapon, perchance, devised by the Dark Lord. If it were a thing that gave advantage in battle, I can well believe that Boromir, the proud and fearless, often rash, ever anxious for the victory of Minas Tirith (and his own glory therein), might desire such a thing and be allured by it. Alas that ever he went on that errand! I should have been chosen by my father and the elders, but he put himself forward, as being the older and the hardier (both true), and he would not be stayed.

"But fear no more! I would not take this thing, if it lay by the highway. Not were Minas Tirith falling in ruin and I alone could save her, so, using the weapon of the Dark Lord for her good and my glory. No, I do not wish for such triumphs, Frodo son of Drogo." The Window on the West, TTT

The movie, therefore made Faramir appear very weak and less then who he really was and that in my opinion is unforgivable. It is one thing to replace a character but it is a totally different aspect to change a characters whole being. His values, his beliefs and his morals. This to me is a far greater injustice to one of Tolkiens best written characters. Personally I feel that if the writers of the movie felt that Faramir and Frodo needed to go on some "personal journey" I'd say forget that! better to give Elijiah and Wenham less coverage in TTT and spend more time filming something people want to see, like the battle of Isenguard, or Helm's Deep rather than changing their characters.

erm, yeah  the snogging (you Brits have strange words! lol) I do recall the great build up to seeing the EE version of RoTK and all the wonder of what new bits there might be between Faramir and Eowyn in the HoH and lo and behold what do we get? Hands! they hold hands! Oh wow! Well slap me silly and tie a steak around my neck and put me out with the hounds why don'tcha?! yeah I was hoping to see more dialogue between the two as in the book but of course that was not in the cards... *sighs*

What else? Oh yeah! what about the Legolas skateboarding down the stairs bit? how come no one has mentioned that? or the tasteless jokes between Legolas and Gimli? that drinking scene was incorrigible! I didn't find it amusing at all, poor Gimli... making fun of the dwarves and they are suppose to be so noble and tough. Short and hairy jokes...

Did anyone notice Haldir's five o'clock shadow? don't get me wrong, because I think Craig Parker is handsome but...get a better shaver and put on some makeup why don't you?! Geesh! Elves aren't suppose to have facial hair are they? well not a blonde Look at Glorfy there..*points* he's got cheeks that could rival a baby's butt for pity's sake!

...ah man I could write a book! lol.

I am one of the rare few that prefer the films to the books.  I am not going to go into them, as that sentence alone is probably contentious enough.  Suffice it to say I agreed with making Arwen the one to take Frodo to Elrond.  Tolkien didn't really write many female characters.  The ones that did have speaking parts were either stern, bossy hobbit women or... simpering young hobbit women! 

The settings were fabulous! I mean, what better place is there to film the LoTR but in New Zealand? I would love to go on the tour some day. Anyone up for that?