Current Events > I like the Lord of the Rings movies but boy.

(+) Yeah! (+)

EPR-radar posted...

Denethor and Isildur were both massive fuckups in the books.

Especially Isildur -- he's the idiot that took the Ring for his own.

This. The events for Denethor and Isildur were mostly the same in the books. Jackson just added a bit to make them look more evil. But their actions are the same. Denethor tried burning himself alive and Isidur was corrupted by the ring.

boomgetchopped3 posted...

This. The events for Denethor and Isildur were mostly the same in the books. Jackson just added a bit to make them look more evil. But their actions are the same. Denethor tried burning himself alive and Isidur was corrupted by the ring.

Denethor's behavior was grossly exaggerated and intelligence drastically dropped even if some of the key things were the same. Isildur was not exactly corrupted. He chose not to destroy the Ring but he did not understand the consequences. He did a few years later, just before his death. His army was leaving Gondor, marching back to Arnor, and the way he hoped to stop in Rivendell and leave the Ring there (would he have actually been able to give it up when the moment came? Hard to say, but the Ring had not significantly changed him beyond making him reluctant to destroy it).

Denethor was a more tragic figure in the books. His movie counterpart was just an asshole.

boomgetchopped3 posted...

This. The events for Denethor and Isildur were mostly the same in the books. Jackson just added a bit to make them look more evil. But their actions are the same. Denethor tried burning himself alive and Isidur was corrupted by the ring.

Spoiler for the books:

Denethor was led into despair by Sauron because Denethor used the Minas Tirith palantir to see what was happening, but only saw what Sauron wanted him to see. Earlier stewards of Gondor had been wise enough to not try and use that palantir.

suchiuomizu posted...

Denethor's behavior was grossly exaggerated and intelligence drastically dropped even if some of the key things were the same. Isildur was not exactly corrupted. He chose not to destroy the Ring but he did not understand the consequences. He did a few years later, just before his death. His army was leaving Gondor, marching back to Arnor, and the way he hoped to stop in Rivendell and leave the Ring there (would he have actually been able to give it up when the moment came? Hard to say, but the Ring had not significantly changed him beyond making him reluctant to destroy it).

This, acting like Isildur was corrupted by the Ring to the extend the movie implied is just flat out wrong.

EPR-radar posted...

Spoiler for the books:

Denethor was led into despair by Sauron because Denethor used the Minas Tirith palantir to see what was happening, but only saw what Sauron wanted him to see. Earlier stewards of Gondor had been wise enough to not try and use that palantir.

The crazy thing is that Denethor probably only did this because he was desperate to prove his worth, despite being the most capable, powerful and wise future ruler Gondor had seen in generations. All because some random outsider (who turned out to be Aragorn) showed up and upstaged him completely in almost every way in just a few years before travelling on.

DarkAssassin89 posted...

The crazy thing is that Denethor probably only did this because he was desperate to prove his worth, despite being the most capable, powerful and wise future ruler Gondor had seen in generations. All because some random outsider (who turned out to be Aragorn) showed up and upstaged him completely in almost every way in just a few years before travelling on.

According to the appendix it was less that, partially despair while seeking seclusion after his wifes death, and then desperation for knowledge as he guessed Saurons attack would be in his time.

Hayame_Zero posted...

An excuse to pull out this classic:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/2/2b3005a8.jpg

Fricking lol, why has this never been posted in the meme topic

Charged151 posted...

The theatrical version of the film couldn't even include a few minutes to give Saruman a proper ending (which Christopher Lee was livid about for years). No way was the Scouring getting included.

Even though I think the Scouring would have messed up the pace, my thought has always been that they should have put the Saruman death scene at Isengard in the theatrical version, then take it out for the EE and add in 20 minutes or so for the Scouring. Probably not practical, but yeah.

Controversial opinion but I like theatrical from movie 1 and 2 way more than extended. movie 3 is the only that really benefited from extended edition to a staggering degree. From Saruman scenes to finding out that aragorn isn't even a human he's like some kinda mix

saspa posted...

Controversial opinion but I like theatrical from movie 1 and 2 way more than extended. movie 3 is the only that really benefited from extended edition to a staggering degree. From Saruman scenes to finding out that aragorn isn't even a human he's like some kinda mix

Barely. His last elven blood is many many generations in the past.

I'll have to rewatch these at some point. I burned myself out on first watch 15+ years ago by marathoning all three Extended Editions in a row. Might need to do theatrical 1+2 and Extended 3 some day.

saspa posted...

finding out that aragorn isn't even a human he's like some kinda mix

I think that was Two Towers

Justin2Krelian posted...

I think that was Two Towers

And if it was the reveal of his age/being a Dunadan, that is different from being a human/elf mix. The Dunedain were a human subgroup, 'elfriends', who were allies of the elves in their First Age wars against Sauron's old master, Morgoth. As a reward they were all given longer lifespans, most did not have elven blood though.

The royal line was given an even longer lifespan than most Dunedain but it is questionable whether that had anything to do with their mixed blood (much more recent for first generation Dunedain and the first king, Elrond's brother, Elros) or just because they were the royal line.

McmadnessV3 posted...

Having now actually read the novels proper the movies feel like fanfiction.

Well made, acted, directed and produced fanfiction but still fanfiction.

You know whats funny? Ive seen the movies SO many times (and listened the BBC drama even more) compared to how much Ive read the books, when I get to something thats only in the books, for a split second it feels like fanfiction before I snap out of it and am like wait, this is the actual book he wrote

That said, I think that Fellowship of the Ring is the best one as far as adapting the book and its the only one of the six that I have no complaints about. Two Towers and (especially) Return of the King a kind of off the rails.

suchiuomizu posted...

Barely. His last elven blood is many many generations in the past.

He's still not one of us, he's one of them. Should be with his own kind instead of having the audacity to rule us.