Book vs. Film

Hi everyone,

I want to know more about you guys and your opinions on the films and the books.

So do you think the films are good? Bad? Which is your favourite book etc. how do the films compare to the books? it should be interesting to see peoples differing opinions!

Answering your questions in order: No, yes, The Hobbit and badly

Blimey! Thats a big subject!

Where to start!

On LotR's- PJ doesn't understand Tolkien, is not a fan of Tolkien's written works and the Coven dont seem to understand Tolkien's writing, his style, his sensibilities, the books aims and themes or to have any regard at all for his use of language (I assume they despise it as they either remove it entirely or rewrite it at every turn).

TH was even worse- disgraceful in fact and 99.9% PJ with 1% of Tolkien left over (and that's just the title and character names)- its unrecognisable as being Tolkien's work, but sadly very recognisable as being PJ's and the Covens.

Credit to the set and props and costumes folk- but it was all for nothing as the script is desperate, appalling and insulting to anyone who revels in the beauty and skill of Tolkien's writing, characters, morality and themes and world building.

"The Coven"—HAH!

Following Radaghast's lead (otherwise you could just browse this whole list to see how we feel on each question in great length)

So my answers are middling, middling, RotK (on account of the appendices and the switch to biblical style language for much of the book) and middling.

That was just Lord of the Rings.  The Hobbit film was an absolute disgrace and embarrassment.  I think there's only one or two on this forum who'd disagree with that last assessment, so if you are looking for a group of people with which to revel in the Hobbit film with, may I suggest The One Ring.net?

halfwise wrote:That was just Lord of the Rings.  The Hobbit film was an absolute disgrace and embarrassment.  I think there's only one or two on this forum who'd disagree with that last assessment, so if you are looking for a group of people with which to revel in the Hobbit film with, may I suggest The One Ring.net?  

This seems a little needlessly dismissive and confrontational me. Sure, most people here were disappointed with The Hobbit, but there were a range of reactions (especially when the film first came out) and there are plenty of people still looking forward to DOS. I know I am, despite having been criticizing Jackson for as long as anyone on here.

I think Halfy was more joking at TORn's expense Eldo.

"The Coven"- Radagast

I should get credit for coining that term for them- despite it having spread to other Tolkien forums- its mine!  

Fair enough.

And I think by "Coven" you mean "friendly people".

No I mean a disgraceful cabal of self centred writers with little to no regard or understanding for the author whose work they are systemically destroying to benefit their own bank balances and egos.

But then Im in a good mood today and Im feeling generous, so thats the polite version.  

I'd forgotten you did that!  

I hadn't! It was hilarious.

It was state curbing of free speech!  

Pettytyrant101 wrote:
"The Coven"- Radagast

I should get credit for coining that term for them- despite it having spread to other Tolkien forums- its mine!  

Fair enough. But if they're the Coven, Jackson is the Warlock and I claim full rights to that

Well its nicer than any of my names for him!

Yeah, I've got some choice ones too.

Eldorion wrote:

halfwise wrote:That was just Lord of the Rings.  The Hobbit film was an absolute disgrace and embarrassment.  I think there's only one or two on this forum who'd disagree with that last assessment, so if you are looking for a group of people with which to revel in the Hobbit film with, may I suggest The One Ring.net?  

This seems a little needlessly dismissive and confrontational me.  Sure, most people here were disappointed with The Hobbit, but there were a range of reactions (especially when the film first came out) and there are plenty of people still looking forward to DOS.  I know I am, despite having been criticizing Jackson for as long as anyone on here.

yes, i still love lotr and i like the hobbit, even though the flaws.

Cowley 121 wrote:So do you think the films are good?

There are some very good moments. ("I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you!" ; "Don't you lose him Samwise Gamgee." ; "All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you." ; Boromir's death, etc.)

Cowley 121 wrote:Bad?

There are some very bad moments. (Denethor's Chariots of Fire moment ; "Go home, Sam." ; "The ring will go to Gondor." ; Witch-king and Gandalf confrontation, etc.)

Overall, the films are what they are. There are some good things in them that I like, and some pretty awful things too. I guess I can live with them, but they aren't movies that I find myself wanting to watch often.

Cowley 121 wrote:Which is your favourite book etc.

The Hobbit, which is funny because I didn't list any of the good or bad from AUJ.

Cowley 121 wrote:how do the films compare to the books?

FOTR is a pretty good adaptation of a very dense book (a book that doesn't lend itself to adaptation), in my opinion. After that they kind of go downhill, but ROTK kind have gave it a little upswing towards the end.

I hope I can just try to enjoy DOS as a popcorn B action movie. We pretty much know everything that's going to happen. There shouldn't be any real big surprises that will make me crabbit.

Wow! Such differing opinions. In my opinion the books are far better, but films are quite good too.

I find it unprofitable to discuss such a broad, general and all-encompassing topic. Any answers would need to be vague, general and aimless.

For my part, I love the LotR books (duh), love The Hobbit books (of course), love the LotR films (obviously, but with a stance of annoyance directed at certain scenes), and despise The Hobbit movie for being a humongous letdown.
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Soon to follow, several more pages of this type of response.
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Also, please peruse the forums while waiting for answers, as they contain extremely detailed conversations and debates relating to all your points, but in incredible detail.
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Also, welcome to the forum!

Cowley 121 wrote: So do you think the films are good? Bad?

Which is your favourite book etc.  

how do the films compare to the books?

Ok are the films good or bad? BOTH! The films are great when they stuck to the source material and didn't try and rewrite the story Tolkien told. Jackson did some great things with LOTR but in many cases tried to dumb down the events for the mass audience instead of expecting them to rise to the occasion. And use their own mind to comprehend Tolkien's story. Nothing in Tolkien's story was impossible to be shown on screen in the modern day and age, but highly unlikely to be understood with this MTV generation which needs everything spelled out for them. Which is quite sad IMO. The Hobbit again great when it sticks to the source material but again Jackson's deviations ruin a great story. As I have said before Trollshaws is a prime example of this. Taking a scene where the characters do something out of necessity and change it do be something so far from the original that it reaks of lame. Tolkien gave us Bilbo going of to investigate something unknown, Jackson gives us Bilbo going into a troll's lair knowing full well what he is going into. Tolkien gives us a logical stopping point for the company... They are tired, it's pouring rain, in the dark, they nearly drown and almost lost their ponies in the river, and saw a campfire in the distance. Hence sending Bilbo to investigate the unknown. Jackson however gives us dwarfs stopping mid-day when its bright and sunny, the dwarfs lose ponies to a troll who comes in like a bulldozer, uprooting trees and devastating the area. They then follow the path of destruction to watch the trolls then send Bilbo in alone to get the ponies back. (what stick them in his pocket and walk right back out?) The only thing I agree with in the whole scene is all the dwarfs coming to Bilbo's aid. And what happened to the rest of Gandalf's line "Dawn take you all, and be stone to you!" every time I hear that line I keep thinking its wrong because they felt the need to cut it in half. When the whole thing was perfect.

Favorite book? The Hobbit first real book I ever read and many other reasons that are in another post if your really that interested. Plus I have delved into everything else Tolkien I could read ever since. The Children of Hurin being a close second LOTR being third, and everything else following after that.

Films compared to the books? Hmmm well when the films follow the books and use the source material properly they are great when they deviate and make up their own story they SUCK! plain and simple IMO. Jackson is no where near the story teller Tolkien was and mocks Tolkien's lifes work by his meaningless deviations and invented plots that take the stories out of context. Maybe for someone who didn't know the story before seeing the film they might be great. But for anyone who knows Tolkien's story I don't see how something like Jackson's Hobbit can be deemed as good as the original. LOTR was better as far as adaptation goes at least they did try and keep the feel of Tolkien but the Hobbit is a parody of Tolkien's book of the same name.

LOTR are the best films ever made. fact.

Mrs Figg wrote:LOTR are the best films ever made. fact.

More like opinion Figgs.   But I will agree they are great films. they at least feel like Tolkien's world where as the Matrix, I mean Hobbit doesn't feel anything like Tolkien  

agreed about the Hobbit.  

As for the LOTR Blockbuster thing, I dont think they are blockbusters. While its true they are large scale and long films with some spectacular scenes, they are rare in that the characters are so vivid and heartwarming that you can care about them. I cared about what happened to them. I cried when Theoden and Boromir died.
Modern blockbusters are full of people I done give a damn about, I dont care about anyone in the Hobbit either. Thats the difference for me anyway.

You raise an interesting point, Mrs Figg. Petty will probably strenuously deny this, but FOTR (and the subsequent LOTR films) did an amazing job establishing a massive cast of characters and making each one distinctive and memorable in their own way. AUJ tried to do this, but seemed to confuse bizarre costumes and hairstyles for characterization. All the Dwarves blend together in the book too, but it's more noticeable on screen, and with emphasis taken off Bilbo and Gandalf and transferred to the Dwarves it becomes even more noticeable.