LOTR & Hobbit

[Elen Sentier]

Just watching LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring - infinitely better than The Hobbit. Find myself able to quote the book and hear it said in the film; much more together. The orignal, Tolkein's words, ideas, story, are sooooo much better than some modern screenwriter. Enjoying LOTR ...

 

[HillBill]

I could never get into the LOTR books. It was written in an age and writing style that was unfamiliar to me. Too much scene setting and i found it hard to immerse myself in it. Love the films though.

 

[Hibrion]

The books are great books, and the films are great films. You have to like each one for what they are.
I think Peter Jackson and co. have done a wonderful job adapting Tolkien's work for the screen. A direct translation of the books would not produce a good film, Tolkien believed this himself. In fact, Peter Jackson used some of Tolkien's personal correspondence to determine how best to alter certain scenes to make a better film.


The Hobbit is my all time favourite book, even if it was written for children I think fans of the books will like the Hobbit trilogy more when they see all three parts. Peter Jackson has included some great story lines from Tolkien's notes and other works.

 

[HHazeldean]

I loved both the books and the films of LOTR and thought the films were a true tribute to the books. I still don't understand why the Hobbit has been made into 3 parts when the book is so much shorter and simpler than LOTR.

 

[Hibrion]

I loved both the books and the films of LOTR and thought the films were a true tribute to the books. I still don't understand why the Hobbit has been made into 3 parts when the book is so much shorter and simpler than LOTR.

They have included a lot more material than what was covered in the book. For example: the Necromancer storyline is fully explored in the films, I believe.

 

[malcolmc]

I enjoyed both the books and the films but the screenwriters are not Tolkein – just one example - archers being ordered to fire their arrows , at least the elves got the command right. Language was Tolkein's passion, I don't think he would be happy with every aspect of the films. Entertaining though.

 

[sandbender]

Just watching LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring - infinitely better than The Hobbit. Find myself able to quote the book and hear it said in the film; much more together. The orignal, Tolkein's words, ideas, story, are sooooo much better than some modern screenwriter. Enjoying LOTR ...

I quite enjoyed the Hobbit apart from the obviously 3D specific chase scenes etc. It is obviously quite different from the book but I enjoyed 'going back to Middle Earth'.

I read the the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit before I was ten, this was in the late sixties/seventies when many more people were reading the book than had previously and both my much older brother and sister gave me their somewhat battered copies to read.

Of the LOTR rings films 'The Fellowship of the Ring' is my favourite, closer to the books than the the other three and more about the setting out from your front door on a long journey which is something that has always appealed to me.

I went to see the third film when it was released and recall watching the charge of the Rohirrim and almost being in tears I thought it was so bloody good.

I'm just a big softie really.

"...And in that very moment, away behind in some courtyard of the City, a cock crowed. Shrill and clear he crowed, recking nothing of wizardry or war, welcoming only the morning that in the sky far above the shadows of death was coming with the dawn.
And as if in answer there came from far away another note. Horns, horns, horns. In dark Mindolluin's sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the North wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last..."

[video=youtube;8Tgi-j56ueU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tgi-j56ueU[/video]

 

[Elen Sentier]

Does that for me too, Sandbender, and I love your quote.

behind every creative woman there's usually a very talented cat ...

 

[Shovel]

Love the books, love the movies. I once had a marathon of all 3 movies together. Not my best idea.

I never could get through the Silmarillion though. Not enough movement for me.

 

[copper_head]

Tolkien has been a big part of my life since my dad read LOTR to me when I was a boy. LOTR and The Hobbit are both very dear to me, and like most Tolkien fans I like to read them on a yearly basis.

I loved the LOTR movies and thought for the most part they did an excellent job of bringing the books to the big screen. I can understand most of the changes they made, Tom Bombadil was never going to be accepted by most people for example. I saw an interview with one of the script writers where she said that they prefered to think of these chapters (The old forest in that example, and the Scouring of the Shire for another) as stories left untold.

In The Hobbit movie they seem to have done the reverse and expanded on 'stories left untold'. Gundabad for example gets a one line mention in the book, as does a brief mention of the White council dealing with the 'Necromancer' in Mirkwood. Bit of a money spinner perhaps but I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with it.

All that said, I still think enjoyed the FOTR a lot more than The Hobbit an unexpected journey as a first instalment. Mainly because of the overuse of CGI in the Hobbit, the beautiful minatures they made for the LOTR made for much better watching.

 

[Nonsuch]

Reading The Hobbit again now after about 25 years. But the LOTR is my favourite book of all time.

 

[TomH]

Ya can probably tell from my avatar i'm a big fan of all of Tolkiens works and the films, especially orcs. I remember walking in the Peak District as a very young child believing i was in Middle Earth thanks to the old animated Ralph Bakshi LOTR.
My kids love the Jackson films too so i've lost track of how many times i've seen them now, but i agree, the charge of the Rohirrim never fails to give me goosebumps. I can't see me ever 'growing out of it'.

 

[Alreetmiowdmuka]

Big fan if the films and books I even like the audio books on the iPod when I've got my feet up in the hammock apart from the elf songs that is very strange!

 

[rik_uk3]

The Worm Ouroboros must be due to be made into a film I'd have thought.

 

[sandbender]

Big fan if the films and books I even like the audio books on the iPod when I've got my feet up in the hammock apart from the elf songs that is very strange!

Nothing wrong with a bit of Elvish singing.

Tinúviel elvanui
Elleth alfirin edhelhael
O hon ring finnil fuinui
A renc gelebrin thiliol…


'Tinúviel the elven-fair,
Immortal maiden elven-wise,
About him cast her shadowy hair
And arms like silver glimmering…'

[video=youtube;sYqpDHdAyak]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYqpDHdAyak[/video]

The Worm Ouroboros must be due to be made into a film I'd have thought.

That would be one to watch.

 

[Alreetmiowdmuka]

That's the stuff fa la la totally bonkers ha

 

[Stringmaker]

I only went to see the first of the LOTR trilogy because my wife's friend dropped out.

I had not read any of the books and I didn't "do" fantasy fiction so I was expecting to be bored rigid. What absolutely knocked me sideways was the sheer epic visual scale of the film; the scene I am thinking of right now was the trees being torn down and used to stoke the furnaces to make Orc swords. From then on I was hooked, have seen all the films more than once and read the book.

I have also seen a one man show of LOTR which was inspired!

 

[Alreetmiowdmuka]

Mines the the scene just before the orcs are about too storm helms deep.when the old geezer can't hold the arrow any longer n takes out the first Orc n the all go nuts.mint ball

 

[Skaukraft]

Will never forgive mr. Jackson for leaving Tom Bombadil out of the movies. IMO Bombadil is the most important character of them all.
I've read the trilogy 6-7 times and the Hobbit 3.
Love the books (obviously), the movies is what it is.....

 

[jimbo75]

The children of hurin is good also. Would make a great film... I have to admit these books have given me real guidance through life. They teach a love for nature. You can't appreciate Northern Europe/British landscapes as much if you haven't read some of his works. Absolutely beautiful literature.
when I was a homesick young kid in the states, I found the complete works in the high school library. It was like I back in a British woodland again.