this post was submitted on 01 Jun 2024
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This was mine, but I'm assuming you weren't referring to the BBC radio play, which is the best version of LotR ever made. The films had major distortions on the themes of the story and completely unbelievable characterization that destroyed all suspension of disbelief.
Sure, the CG was nice eye candy... but Gandalf getting into a shouting match with Elrond? Really? We're okay with that?
Plus, skipping the correct ending of Frodo and Sam coming back to the Shire in industrialized dystopia missed key parts of their character growth and Tolkien's anti-industrial themes.
And the massive over-focus on a love story that was barely relevant in the story? And a half hour epilogue of useless wide shots showing how amazing the wedding was and how everyone is doing so great now that they won? What a waste of time. They skipped one of the best parts of the book for that shit.
I could go on if I had watched the films more than twice and could recall all the other huge problems.
The books don't hold up, either. Ain't nobody got time to read 3-page info dumps of dense descriptive writing about plot-irrelevant details, or dense blocks of ancient history that demolishes any semblance of pacing left over.
He founded a lot of tropes of fantasy, so I know why he included all those descriptive details, but it just doesn't hold up. Elf, big tree house, got it. You've got me for two paragraphs to fill in the descriptive details, but then let's move on with the plot, tyvm.
If you're a fan of LotR, give the 13-hour BBC radio play a listen. And of you've watched/listened to/read all three and disagree with me, I'd love to hear why (out of interest). Full disclosure: you probably won't convince me, but I'm still waiting to hear someone who knows the source material justifying why the movies are so adored.