TolkienMovies.com
December 24, 2001

Response to 'Go Away Critics'
Jeff C.

OK, Anthony, if it wasn't for the LOTR book fans, then the movie would flop, end of story.

The movie was at best disjointed, if not completely inaccurate. All of us "Book Fans" really, really, really, wanted a great depiction of the best mythological books on earth. We have spent countless hours discussing how such a movie should be made, what would have to be left out for cinematic sake, and what would have to be left in.

Most of us here are not directors, or producers or even actors, yet that fact does not deny us the wisdom to judge whether a movie is good or not. It is clear to me, that the makers of this version of LOTR do not really love the story as we do.

There were plot and characters changes that were completely unnecessary and make the movie less what it could have been. Most of these changes can only be seen as gross misunderstanding of the books, as if someone just skimmed through the books like a child desperately trying to finish a school book report.

Tolkien's story to us, is comparable to our own family history, and when it is put to movie, we would like to see some of the important facts represented, even if embellished, but not wholly changed or left out.

This story is a great work of art, and the parts that were changed were done so out of ignorance. It is like someone changing the Mona Lisa's smile so she shows more teeth, when that would in fact invalidate what the painting represents.

So I guess my point is, critic-critics should themselves go away, and focus on the real point. Why wasn't this movie better?