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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FraserRonald" data-source="post: 555154" data-attributes="member: 7892">Now, I’m going to preface this with a qualifier. I liked the movie. I thought it was a lot of fun. I will say that it did not match Fellowship of the Ring, neither as movie nor as adaptation. And viewed as either simply a movie or as an adaptation, it has flaws. That’s all I’ve been saying and all I ever will say.I have never maintained that the books should be transferred to the movie without changes. In fact, one of my favourite adaptions is _Blade_Runner_, an adaption of Dick’s _Do_Androids_Dream_of_Electric_Sheep_, which completely changed the story, but maintained the themes and plot.In many instances I’ve noted that to criticize TTT is almost verboten. If one criticizes it for the liberties taken with the source material, to no discernable improvement, one is called a purist. If one criticizes it as a movie, referring to internal plot, characterization and pacing problems, one is accused of nit-picking. I find it odd that so many people want to turn off their critical faculties when viewing a movie. I agree, there are times when that can be fun, when one simply wants some B-grade eye-candy. I do not consider this movie as B-grade eye-candy, and so I point at faults that detracted from its potential.I’ve harped on the problems I’ve seen with the movie, so I will not do so again. I find it odd, though, that this movie is praised for characterization. I would say that there were some fine moments of it, including Grima and Gollum. Some efforts were pedestrian, standing on the previous film but not advancing our understanding of the characters. Eowyn, while capably handled, is not a stand out. Compared to the characterizations of Boromir or even Elrond in FotR, I find the work done here to be acceptable but not incredible. Many characters suffered. Merry and Pippin are almost superfluous, and were this not an adaptation, I would have said get rid of them, or store them away some place safe until needed. They did nothing that couldn’t have been done more efficiently, without detriment to the story. Gandalf seems almost a cipher. Perhaps this is because he has become a White Wizard, but certain Saruman in the first movie was a White Wizard and was very well developed.There are also internal problems with the movie. I won’t mention the speed with which the elves arrive at exactly the proper place to fight. I would be interested to know how a single arrow in his mount could drive off a Nazgul so close to capturing the Ring. Sure, arrows could kill the Fell Beast he rides, but giving up on getting the Ring when it is so close? Heck, wade in there with your sword and dagger and take the damn thing! And how does Sam know the reason for Boromir’s death? Frodo may have told him that Boromir tried to take the Ring, but neither Frodo nor Sam even knew about Boromir’s death. Shouldn’t Faramir be a bit suspicious of these creatures who purport to be his brother’s friends, but who know nothing about that brother’s death until it’s convenient?I’m not going to comment on a charge by cavalry down a hill of loose stones with an incredibly steep incline into a fixed pike position with only the benefit of a flash of brilliant light (though I guess I just did), but I would like to know why the Uruk-Hai fail to regroup and counter-attack, still holding the advantage in numbers?In any case, while I like the movie, I do find it a flawed and qualified success. I look forward to RotK.</blockquote>

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