LOTR Geeks (like myself), just enjoy and put the books down for a while

Rating: 10/10 (19 December 2002)

This movie, like all others based upon epic books, will always leave some confused, frustrated, dissappointed, and down right pissed off. No movie can ever bring a book to life no matter how true they stay to the original novel. So Jackson, in his attempt to not only bring the books to life but to also make a movie, has tinkered with the story. He has cut here, expanded there, and just used his own imagination to develop parts in the movie Tolkien never imagined in the book. When all is said and done a person who loved the books does a great disservice to him/herself if they don't just watch instead of study. The beauty of Tolkiens story was that it entertained us. It brought us into a world called Middle-Earth and it never let us go, even when the final chapter of the book had been read. Jackson is doing the same thing, only in a different way.
**********SPOILERS*********************
Lets get to the changes. First, and possibly most serious, is the fact that Faramir is far different in the movie then the book. His basic character is changed. I for one was never a fan of Faramir or Boromir, never really cared for either, but Jackson takes far too many liberties with him then need be. Instead of passing the test of the ring in the lands outside of Mordor and sending Frodo on his way with Sam and Gollum, Faramir drags the threesome to Gondor, where he is ready, able and willing ti hand the little hobbitt with the little ring over to his father and thus destroy all hope that remains. I think Jackson did it to lengthen the journey through/to Morod part of the movie but it was not needed. Faramir also warned Frodo of Gollum and the path he proposed to take them on in the book, but not in the movie.
Second, the whole romance between Arwen and Aragorn, and the displeasure Elrond exhibits towards it, is overplayed here. No one cares if Arwen leaves the shores of Middle Earth. She wasn;t a large character in the books and she is not that interesting in the movies. And Galadriel showing up out of no where, just to get some screen time, makes no sense either.
Third, the elves never do show up at Helms Deep to help out the men of Rohan. This, in my opinion, is the worst decsion Jackson has made. To underscore the Rohirrim in favor of a brigade of Elves coming to help out in Helms Deep was a wrong decision in my opinion. I would have rather seen the fight of Helms Deep the book portrayed rather then the one Jackson dreamed up.
But what did work?
Gollum!!! I can't explain to you the startling reality of this character. I always found Gollum to be one of the most complex, interesting, disgusting yet pitiable characters anyone has ever created. This character is EVERYTHING he was in the books. He is perfect, as if Jackson simply opened his copy of LOTR and Gollum jumped out asking to see his precious. You fear him yet you pity him yet you like him yet you distrust him. He IS the character of Gollum. And the precision of the CGI on this character is amazing. He has feeling, emotions, and actions that are displayed through his eyes and his face. You don't think of him as a CGI character when you see him, you think of him as a pitiful creature, but one that is real. OUTSTANDING!!!
The Ents!!!!! The book basically tells you, in much more eloquent terms then I use now, " These guys are kinda crappy until they get p****d, then watch your a**." And boy do they get going. The attack of Isengard by the Ents is incredible. It is brief but the power of the Ents, and the anger of Treebeard come to life in those moments.
Helms Deep!!!!! Sure it is a little far fetched to have Gimli and Aragorn fighting 100 Orcs on a bridge all by themselves and not being touched, but who cares. They are heroes, right? They are the modern day Beowulfs, right? And didn't Tolkien write a story where a little hobbit killed a Nazgul? So that isn't a big deal. And the action, the action is incredible. The fight is overwhelming. The Orcs are never ending, the bravery is unquenchable, and intensity is palpable. One of the best battle scenes movies have produced.
Finally, the characters!!! The love of Tolkiens stories, in my opinion, rest first on the amazing world the man created, then second on the amazing characters the man created to inhabit that world. In and out of the novels moved characters, some important to the story, such as Treebeard and Elrond, and others not so important but yet enchanting, such as Tom Bombadill. But the main characters are the ones most of us fell in love with. They were our eyes and ears. They carried our swords, killed the orcs we would have killed, and braved the hopelessness of the dark places the way we would have liked to. We loved them. And in this movie these characters come to life. Aragorn is strong and kingly, yet humble and unwilling to force his heritage on anyone. Gimli is strong, funny, awkward, and head strong, yet loveable. Legolas is exotic, fearless, and full of joy in times that seem to be devoid of such emotion. Frodo is weak, tired, stressed, fearful, yet loving even to the creature Gollum. Sam is simple yet strong and fearless and while Frodo is the bearer of the ring, for all intensive purposes Sam is the keeper of that ring and its mission. And Gollum is astounding.
The characters are what drives this movie, our love, our hate, and our fear of all of them, but mostly by our deepest desire to see all of the main characters reach their goals.
Go see this movie. Go see it tonight so that you can go see it tommorow. Go see it after Christmas and then read the books over again so you can be ready for the next one. But while you are watching the film, put the books down and enjoy the show. Enjoy middle earth.