Movies discussion

[Aethaeryn]

It's an old trope - to appeal to the masses, you have to treat them like idiots. And sadly, too many directors believe it...

And too many people prove them right. Why, for instance, are horrible films like "Epic Movie" and "Date Movie" universally panned by critics but not flops? As long as people go to awful movies Hollywood will keep making them.

[Gambit]

Yes Tom was my biggest nitpick with the movies

But still not big enough of a nitpick to make it not the "least worst" as you put it

[Dusk]

Transformers:Revenge of the Fallen+Explosions=Awesomeness

[Blarumyrran]

Why would it be even least-worst? There are many good book-to-films, like whatever, Godfather1/2 & The Man Who Would Be King. And even without sammie, Silence Of The Sheep was good, better than LotR surely.

[Velensk]

You know I suspect that people would have less problems with the LotR movies if the books had never been written. The movies weren't bad, they just didn't meet everyones expectations from the books and had to deal with with the commercial end of things (it's pretty hard for any director to ask for a multi-million budget for a movie that would only appeal to fans of the books).

I'm sure that there have been more faithful book to movie adaptions and I'm sure that there have been 'better' book to movie adaptions, however the LotR movies are still fun and well done. Like I said, I doubt that many (or any) could have done better consitering the task.

EDITED for detail.

[Dusk]

You know I suspect that people would have less problems with the LotR movies if the books had never been written. The movies weren't bad, they just didn't meet everyones expectations from the books and had to deal with with the commercial end of things (it's pretty hard for any director to ask for a multi-million budget for a movie that would only appeal to fans of the books).

The movie isn't bad. No, it's wonderful. I say it's the only movie better than the book I've ever seen. The book is boring, the most exciting thing in it is talking. Even the A-Z Mysteries are better than LotR(and the A-Z Mysteries are pretty bad). I don't get why everyone likes the books so much. The movie is so much more exciting.

[Charlotte]

Why would it be even least-worst?

I have seen only a few films hence I might be a bit biased (the only book-to-film adaptions I have seen (from the top of my head), HP, LotR, Narnia, Never-ending story, Erago, crusade in jeans & Davinci code + angels & demons).

[Aethaeryn]

You know I suspect that people would have less problems with the LotR movies if the books had never been written. The movies weren't bad, they just didn't meet everyones expectations from the books and had to deal with with the commercial end of things (it's pretty hard for any director to ask for a multi-million budget for a movie that would only appeal to fans of the books).

The movie isn't bad. No, it's wonderful. I say it's the only movie better than the book I've ever seen. The book is boring, the most exciting thing in it is talking. Even the A-Z Mysteries are better than LotR(and the A-Z Mysteries are pretty bad). I don't get why everyone likes the books so much. The movie is so much more exciting.

And that's a good indicator of how low attention spans have gotten lately. LotR the books were written for a different generation.

LotR is the only book I'll compliment on being boring in bits. At the beginning of The Two Towers I actually felt like I was wandering on for hours in the plains chasing after the orcs...

[Gambit]

I wouldn't go so far as to say the movies were better than the books. They just didn't completely screw them up (like Eragon which I could rag on until the Eldest movie comes out (meaning the end of time)).

And yes there were definitly boring bits Aetheryn. In fact the entire second half of Two Towers and Return of the King might be considered the biggest boring bits in anything that ever exsisted.

If one is going to read LOTR you have to read a chapter from the first half and then a chapter from the second half and alternate. If you try to take a second half all at once you will die.

He does a good job of sucking you in though. Even in these boring bits I share your experience of feeling like being there. An experience which no other book has ever given me. LOTR is the only series of books in which I forget I am reading a book and can't remember how to pull myself back out and so I'm stuck there (which isn't so bad) until someone from real life comes and yells that [insert_meal] is ready (or that they need help making [insert_meal]). Or that it is time for [insert_show] or I need to [insert_chore].

[TheGreatRings]

I'm sorry, but their are a lot of errors here.

[fan-mode]
THe least-worst might be a better description.
They removed Tom Bombadil, (who was the main reasons why the rocs could nto attack the shire in the books, also, at the end of book three

Spoiler:

the orcs have finally managed to walk around the forest and attack the shire form the back, Tom Bombadil could not prevent this and thus the hobbits are finally introduced to the cruel reality

)

What? Since when was Bombadil the reason orcs couldn't attack the Shire? He never left his own little wood. It was the Rangers under Aragorn, and Gandalf perhaps, the kept the Shire safe, as well as its general remoteness and obscurity from the major powers of the world.

They completely altered Saruman's character(He never did work together with Sauron, at least in the books, eh was trying to create his own empire rivalling that of Sauron, it was his mistake to think there as no strenght left in the world of man and thus discard the possiblity of allying with them completely. Though certainly evil in the books too he is at least noble.)

Nobel? Maybe at one point, but by the end he's just a cruel, wicked villain. He deliberately wreaks the Shire for petty revenge.

It were ents who saved the day at Helmsdeep. There were several species of orcs in the boks, making the battles quite a bit more complicated etc. etc.

Partly true, but it wasn't just the Ents (Huorns technically) that saved Helm's Deep. In the book, Theoden charges out, and then the orcs are trapped by him, Rohirrim reinforcements, and the tree-like Huorns sent by the Ents.

[Gambit]

It was said later on in the story that Tom might have been entrusted with the ring because he had the power to keep it safe. But then they realized that even though the ring would be safe the orcs could still take over the rest of the world.

It was never said explicitly that he protected the shire. But I like to think that the rangers were the outer wall and that he was the last line.

[Midnight_Carnival]

Is this going to become a sticky thread?

Here are my thoughts on Lord of the Rings: Obiviously the books were better. No, I'm not a rabid supporter of old Tom, I found that and much of the first book slightly gratuitious to be honest. My brother disagrees here.

Look, when you are making a movie based on a book, do just that, make a movie based on a book or inspired by one. Even if you wrote the book you should never try to make THE movie of the book. Tolkien's works were kind of long, obviously people had to leave stuff out, even some reinterperetation of certain scenes so that they become more cinema-friendly can be excused. What I object to is when they start putting their own scenes in, stuff that didn't happen in the story and altered the basic plot; you probably know which I am referring to here (not explicitly mentioning them gives LotR geeks a chance to show off their comprehensive knowlege!) Make a movie inspired by a book or in the spirit of a book, do not write your own (need I add, "inferior"?) storyline and try to pass it off as someone else's!

But as to my favorite movie right now, Distric 9

[HomerJ]

But as to my favorite movie right now, Distric 9

Is that one good? My wife refuses to watch it with me (because of all aliens being disgusting), instead we watched "The Time-Travellers Wife" which gives an old Star Trek - Time Travel Episodes lover a somewhat new twist on things.

Greetz
HomerJ

[Thanatos]

Interesting... exactly two months ago I said my fav would be V for Vendetta. And now I have finally ordered my own copy and am eager to watch it, as soon as it arrives.

[Bellerophon]

Although V for Vendetta is one of the best movies I saw, Forrest Gump will be my favourite movie for ages and ages to come.