The LOTR Movie Site
October 12, 2000

I've Followed This Forum With Increasing Disinterest
Benjamin

I really don´t want to be negative, but I think I need to say that this "Arwen Issue" is getting on my nerves more and more each day. So she´s the one who saves Frodo from the Black Riders. So what? One Character less to confuse the innocent Movie-Watcher There´s too many of them for a movie anyway. It´s okay for the book, which I love, but who´s to discern all the intricate characters on screen? Who will even understand that Glorfindel is a mighty elven-prince of the elder days (I hope I´m getting this right, don´t crucify me if not), and if he´s such a "hot dude", why is his role approximately 5 Minutes on screen? We´re talking average movie-fans here, not experienced Tolkien-Fans. And about the further "expanding Arwen´s role". We don´t know what PJ intends or does. That´s a fact. So why running around cursing his name and calling him a heretic? If it´s as bad as you made it, watch the movies, be shocked, walk out and say "I´ve known it!" or something. Whining two complete years about what may happen does nothing but decrease the fun of expectation.

And next about Bombadil: Imagine the movie "Willow" would have spent about ten to fiveteen minutes introducing a character totally irrelevant for the plot. I know he´s an integral part of Middle-Earth, but he had nothing to do with any major turning point of the stories. No relevant acts, no important revelation, no impressive wizardry. I would have cut him too. Get over it, it´s not to be changed, and PJ will propably not burn in hell for it.

But, as I said, I don´t want to be negative. Therefore I´ve prepared a new issue of discussion: how do you think PJ is going to present Sauron? What would you think looks good on screen? And, by the way: do you think this dark CGI-Tower to be seen in the trailer is Barad-Dúr?

P.S.: to Ben - who is not me - I think the Elf seen in the trailer is Legolas. A sforthe actor, I´m not so sure. But in Helm´s Deep, Legolas has soon lost all his arrows and had to go on fighting with his knive. And Celeborn - we all heard the rumor that the Rohirrim are supported by elves at helms deep, but I still hope that it´s nothing more than that. Therefore, let´s hope it´s Legolas;-)