September 3, 2003

Book & Movie
Waterwraith

Ok, I just have to put my two cents in! I'm a big Tolkien fan! I've read the books (including the hobbit) several times and I absolutely LOVE them--they are the BEST!!! As for the films, I agree with many that some of the changes were unnecessary (it would seem); however, even with the changes, I can't seem to hate the films at all. In fact, I LOVE the films for what they are, almost as much as I love the books. They both tell a GREAT story and they both have the same spirit and feeling. I think Tolkien would be proud of the adaptation.

It's very difficult to translate the written word to film without taking up lots of time, confusing the audience, and/or boring the heck out of them. The attention span of the average person is very short when it comes to films. Have you ever turned a movie off because the first 5 minutes were boring? With this in mind, I can see why many of the changes were made.

Think about all the things that were done RIGHT in these films. Think about the detail and care that was taken. If someone else were to re-make these films in 30 or 40 years, could they do better? I have a VERY difficult time saying yes to this question because the films are that good! We're extremely lucky that they turned out like they did. They could have been much worse!