Stop comparing the movie to the book!

Rating: 10/10 (24 December 2002)

It bothers me that all these extreme Tolkien fans swarm the message boards complaining that the movie is too different from the book. First of all, Peter Jackson warned that TTT would differ from the books more than the other movies. Obviously, some things have to be changed in the translation from book to screen. Film is a completely different medium and doesn't allow for all the information a book provides. Because of this, we don't get the full background on Faramir and whatnot. Also, remember that the movie is three hours long! This is obviously why Shelob was cut out - to be moved to ROTK.
People obviously are liking TTT a lot - it has a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and currently is number 9 on the top 250 films on the IMDB. But it still bothers me that Tolkien purists dislike it so much. Judge the movie on what it IS, not what it's based on. The movie has a life of its own, and although it may not be exactly the same as the book, that's not reason to curse Peter Jackson and everyone who worked on the movie, who I'm sure love the books as much as you do, if not more. Jackson and the gang have put an immense amount of care into the movies, and it shows on screen. To strike down all the work that they've put into it with one sentence - "THIS MOVIE SUCKS AND PETER JACKSON IS THE ANTICHRIST" or something to that effect - is terrible. Every change that has been made has been made FOR A REASON. If you want something as perfect as the books, then go read them again! But, if you want to experience an incredible film that is every bit as magnificent as the book it's based on, The Two Towers will not disappoint.