Are the Lord of the Rings Movies Good?

Um...no. Petty actually prefers the Bakshi version of LotR to Jackson's. If you are unfamiliar with it, try watching it. It's mind boggling to everyone except Petty that he can prefer that version, but so it is.

yeah that's mind boggling alright.

halfwise wrote:Um...no.  Petty actually prefers the Bakshi version of LotR to Jackson's.  If you are unfamiliar with it, try watching it.  It's mind boggling to everyone except Petty that he can prefer that version, but so it is.  

I know, but what I was saying was that if J.R.R. Tolkien's LOTR was written the way the movie was, and the movies were directed like the books were, then Petty would probably prefer the first one only because it came first (at least I think)

I've accused Petty of complaining about the mere existence of changes at times, but he generally has pretty good reasons for not liking the changes he complains about. And while the movies do a lot of things really well, the writing is one of the weakest parts (relatively speaking) and does not compare all that favorably to the book, insofar as you can compare the two mediums.

the problem as I see it is that the language in the books, although incredibly beautiful, does sometimes waver around the arcane thee thou-y, and it would have had to be modernized somewhat for the films. I mean, the cringeworthy ''long was this doom foretold'' was thankfully down to a minimum, and on the whole the dialogue didn't sound incongruous, to my ears anyway. I do tend to notice small details like tone and in the Hobbit films it was glaringly obvious the dialogue was blantantly modern and stuck out like a sore thumb. Kili saying ''I got this'' is just one horrible example, not to mention things down trousers. So on the whole I think LOTR was ok in that respect, we only had one or two examples of modern idioms creeping in. Obviously I am not a linguist or an expert and I am probably wrong, but as a casual observer that's the impression I got.

Legolas to Gimi "Why doesn't that surprise me." The structure is just as bad as "I got this!"

Where is that line from?


And Figgster, I, for one, would much appreciate some Shakespearian-esque language in LotR!

It's not as if the films are always easy to understand anyway. There are some lines that I still cannot recognize as being the King's English.

Outside Moria in response to Gandalf saying that dwarf doors cant be found by their own masters once they are lost.

I know 'why doesn't that surprise me' sounds modern but its no way as obvious as 'I got this'. and I don't want anything too Shakespearian sounding in LOTR, because there would be an awful smell of ham.

Fie Figgs! Thou comest perilous close in thy manner to those senseless swabbers of pig's fat that daily assault mine ears with their perfidy!

What he said

Forest Shepherd wrote:Fie Figgs! Thou comest perilous close in thy manner to those senseless swabbers of pig's fat that daily assault mine ears with their perfidy!

verily I say unto thee! thou doth taketh the Michael! forsooth.

Are the movies good?

I think that these movies hold themselves up well as films in their own right, although there is a slippery slope downwards where they should only be going upwards.

What I mean by that is that as the books build to a thoroughly satisfying peak, the films for me take the danger away and result in quite the anti climax. They didnt the first time around, however the more you watch the more you think about things and that led to them going down in my estimations.

As book adaptations, they are average and get steadily worse as the story goes on and often, it doesnt seem for any reason as I either find the book better or sometimes I even find that the books lend themselves more to spectacular SFX than the films actually managed to pull off.... so it strikes me as odd that they were changed for what we ended up with.

So, as movies on their own.... 7/10.

As adaptations... 5/10.

For the LOTR films for me it is simple:

Good films?

Good Adaptations?  

(I watched the films before reading the book)

You are very generous Lance
Me,I think they bloody owe me, I deserve compensation.......
"Have you been injured in a fight in the cinema ? was your eyes gauched out in frustration ? is your hair clasped in someone elses hand ? Have you sustained severe blood loss due to conflict watching these atrocious films ? If yes then you need "Lawyers cant Do", cant change the films, cant erase your memory & cant give a shit but can direct you to the nearest rubber room Happy Hols !"

Thanks Azriel.

I am not talking about The Hobbit tragedy trilogy. LotR wasnt THAT bad.

Plus I watched them before I read the book.

Lancebloke wrote:Thanks Azriel.

Plus I watched them before I read the book.

Me too, I agree with what you said.

Malick - I may have to re think my scores in light of this whole stew mystery.

Lancebloke wrote:Malick - I may have to re think my scores in light of this whole stew mystery.

And people complain the films don't have the depth of the books

sorry ! Thats had disturbed Ive become since The Hobbit came out, plus Ive got a snivel snotty head cold & wasnt thinking straight. LOTRs was good, I liked it, I went to the cinema to watch the next installment & didnt need rehab at the end It was different from the book in several ways but, I let it go because I enjoyed it, I liked the atmosphere, the scenery, I even got a bit of interest in the characters but The Hobbit ?,,,,,

Mrs Figg wrote:

Forest Shepherd wrote:Fie Figgs! Thou comest perilous close in thy manner to those senseless swabbers of pig's fat that daily assault mine ears with their perfidy!

verily I say unto thee! thou doth taketh the Michael! forsooth.

Now answerest in plain and honest speech, as thou was wont to do: Shakespeare the greater wordsmith is, for Tolkien buildeth towers upon those mortared stones his forebears shaped of old. What maketh thee in answer? Speak fair, but true, for mine eyes strain not yet to see in a darkened woods, and many are the beasts that would do mischief to the blind.

Lawks!

'eye chook Forest is after the truth, whats the betting he'll keep nagging ?

'Sblood! I will have an answer of this crook-pated, elf-skinned puttock! Or else make good trade of her company for that of those not so beef-witted!

Tis, Sir if I may say, less than becomes a man to bring a ladies beef into any sort of question! Why, tis a knavish speech or that of the common rogue! Hie back to the dankest hole from which thy sewer bottomed pantaloons, from their florrid assault about my nostrils pays testimony to it , seem to have come hither!