March 4, 2003

TTT is Trash, What of RotK?
Brad Cook

A posting of this type maybe a little late but...

Maybe I am more of a Tolkien nut than I had originally thought but, I truly think TTT
was truly awful.

The first, second, and third time I saw FOTR
I was disappointed in the story changes but, going into the film for the first time I knew that things would not be quite as I had pictured them, and I knew that the entire story and every nuance could not be filmed but, it grew on me. It truly grew on me after the extended version was released - in my opinion this is the version that should have been released at the theaters (especially Legolas' extended scene at the end where instead of shooting three arrows quickly,
he shoots eight.) I really love LOTR the extended version.

I cannot, however, say the same thing about TTT.
The major story changes were too distracting and
I swear I heard Tolkien going into convulsions in his grave, too say nothing of the turning over.

Why did Eomer have to be banished? Wasn't he on the wall at a non-elven, non-child, non-grandpa, fortified Helm's Deep? Huh!

Aragorn falling off the cliff, the dream sequence
with Arwen. Let me die instead!

Wormtongue shedding a tear when he sees the vast army of Uruk-Hai from the tower of Orthanc. (Anybody else catch this? Does this mean there is a chance that Wormtongue will turn against Saruman in the end? Remember the spy-picture of an impaled Saruman? Please, shower me with gold if I turn out to be correct on this.)

FARAMIR!!!! What have you done to my FARAMIR!!!

Who was the brainiac that came up with the idea
of taking Frodo and Sam to Osgiliath?!?!?!?!

I ask Jackson, the producers, and the writers to please NOT ADD TO THE STORY IN SUCH A MAJOR WAY! I/we (can I speak for all of us?) understand that things have to be taken away and minor changes have to be made.

I/we believe that you can make just as good a movie for those that have never read the books and thus do not know what they are missing, or what has been added, etc.

I hope, with all that has to take place in the
ROTK, we do not see more of what we saw in TTT.

At this point I can't imagine how New Line could
elimnate the Paths of the Dead, or Aragorn attacking the ships with the dead to help save the
day at Minas Tirith.

In order to save time in the next film, though,
is Jackson going to eliminate the battle at the
Black Gate, and have the eagles help save the
day at Minas Tirith instead? Think about Tolkien
lovers. B. Cook.