The Hall of Fire

I don't mind that some Tolkien fans love the films. In fact, I envy them. I just cannot share their enthusiasm. For me, they're a double whammy. I don't like them as adaptations of Tolkien, and as a film buff, I don't like them as films. Ah well. I at least enjoy small portions of each... Me too, b...

That's actually debatable. A movie can be evaluated as both a movie and an adaptation, just like a historical movie (or a TV show) can be evaluated on both historicity and on its own terms. I'd give FOTR a solid B as a movie and B- as an adaptation, the rest are more like C-. AUJ is actually not tha...

Does it matter if it's a "good" and faithful adaptation if it can still move to tears 10+ year later? To a regular moviegoer? Likely not. To a fan, probably should, at least to some extent. Unless you can forget about the source and enjoy the movies for what they are (i.e. entertaining ac...

I don't mind that some Tolkien fans love the films. In fact, I envy them. I just cannot share their enthusiasm. For me, they're a double whammy. I don't like them as adaptations of Tolkien, and as a film buff, I don't like them as films. Ah well. I at least enjoy small portions of each... Me too, b...

I am the revisioniest of revisionists - I couldn't give a damn how many liberties he takes, I care if it works in the movies. Some of his liberties work, some don't, and that's all that matters. EG. I love Osgiliath. Feel free to crucify me. 8) Michael Bay's movies work too, on some superficial lev...

I'd say both dragons fit their respective storylines. After all, The Hobbit is mostly a fairy tale and the scope is smaller. Smaug resembles more familiar dragons from medieval stories (up to kidnapping maidens). It's like Shelob and Ungoliant.

Passdagas I agree completely! It's refreshing to see a voice of reason when even Tolkien fans give PJ a pass for hollywoodization of Tolkien's wonderful creation. :scratch: What do you mean?Is it: A)No Tolkien fan should like PJ's adaptation. B)Tolkien fans who like PJ's adaptation are unreasonable...

I like the one about

That's a cop out, IMO. So while he's running away from wargs, dodging stone giants, and attacking Azog, we're supposed to see that he's also homesick and lonely? If "loneliness" and "homesickness" and "out of place-ness" was deemed an important element of Bilbo's chara...

The main point being: if PJ thought that was a problem, why did he spend so little time with Bilbo as a character? I think the answer is obvious: he wants Thorin to be the main character here (just like Aragorn was for LOTR). The irony regarding Thorin's self-importance is expressed more than once ...

I read military fiction but some if has a lot of lengthy infodumps, so HD is nothing by comparison. Although I admit that getting more familiar with the military history helped in general.

Tolkien's dragons are certainly unique, especially since he didn't have much to work with. Shippey counted 3 instances of dragons in the sources that inspired him, including Beowulf. ETA: However, I was tempted to vote for Angelina Jolie, just to be different. LOL I was thinking about Eustace in The...

Unless they end the movie shortly after his return to England after WWI, it's not going to be interesting to a general audience. Even his biographers (and Shippey) admit there're no more exciting events in his life afterwards, only work, family and writing. I think a miniseries about Tolkien (and pe...

It's easier to name scenes than chapters. I love The Old Forest scenes (even Tom Bombadil!) and everything else in FOTR. In TTT, Rohan, Helm's Deep and meeting Faramir. In ROTK, everything in Gondor, Mount Doom, Éowyn & Faramir, Scouring of the Shire. There's nothing I actively dislike but on my...

For even the very wise cannot see all pants.

I wonder why anyone still wants to work for the New Line crooks, including PJ himself. Is he so sure they're not going to underpay him again?

I guess JRRT is too subtle for some so-called critics

Perhaps he's simply focusing on the good things (as he sees them) and not the bad ones this time around? Even Moorcock isn't always dismissive of Tolkien.

It sounds like someone who hasn't read LOTR in a while and just wants to be nasty

Maybe he's reread it since then and changed his opinion? That can happen. Or maybe he was primarily frustrated with Tolkien clones rather than with the Professor himself.