Matrix and LotR comparison poll

[LuYangShih]

Agent Smith is far too cool to be equated with the whimpering schizo from the LOTR movies. Everyone knows he's really more like Elrond.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

Isn't Frodo just "The One" by another name? Sauron is The Architect. Gandalf is Morpheus. Elrond is The Oracle. Gollum is Agent Smith. Sam is Trinity. Aragorn is Niobe. Saruman is Commander Lock. Legolas, Gimli, Merry, and Pippin are those now-dead characters who helped Neo get into the Source.

You've got your characters backwards here. "The One" is just a wannabe Frodo, and likewise for the rest.

 

[LuYangShih]

Direct correlations between the movies are absurd. Different genres, and different character types. To use a specific example below, in spoilers since not everyone has seen both Matrix movies yet:

Spoiler

Morpheus, for example, is a character with deep beliefs that drive all of his actions, who now has to confront the fact that those beliefs were just part of a larger system designed to control him. Everything he has based his life is revealed as a lie by the end of Matrix: Reloaded.

Gandalf, meanwhile, is basically an Angel descended from the Heavens to guide the mortals to a better destiny. All wise, all powerful, and all knowing, his actions are unquestioned in their righteousness and wisdom. There is not really any major correlation between the characters, and the same is true of the rest as well.

 

[Quasqueton]

Direct correlations between the movies are absurd. Different genres, and different character types.

Yeah, I know, but I thought it would be amusing to make the comparison.

Besides, Tom Cashel seems so enamoured with LotR and so spiteful of Matrix, I figured it would give him fits.

Quasqueton

 

[Pants]

Well, Cashel, that is where we differ. The movies mutilated all of the characters so badly from their incarnations in the books, that I simply could not enjoy most of the moments you call your favorites. Boromir in particular was an utter disgrace.

I thought you were talking about the movies standing on their own and ignoring the 'adaptation' mistakes?
Boromir's death was moving beyond belief.

Just as I thought. You must be thinking of the books, because this ain't in the movies.

Well, it's not really in the books either.

Sorry to the Matrix fans, but having philosophy in a movie, no matter how deep or absurd, doesn't make it a worthy and enjoyable experience. Reloaded bogged down a couple of times, the fight scenes were overly long, the acting was bad (in both movies actually), and the overabundant use of CGI ruined most of the great stunts from the first movie. The Matrix was a grand action movie, great stunts, great action, an intruiging background, and just a little philosophy thrown in. Reloaded was enjoyable, but not awe inspiring in any way.
Similarly, I found FotR perfect, but tTT lacking. Still good, but lacking. The movie gets seriously bogged down right in the middle and the editing is a somewhat choppy in parts. Plus, some of the characters respond less than logically in parts (Faramir...). However, to whoever said that they are just action movies is obviously letting some bias into the argument. If you look just a teensy bit deeper, you will find a lot of themes and symbolism in the movie. Similarly, I could say that the Matrix movies are just flashy action movies with lots of leather and no substance, but it wouldn't be true, would it?

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

The movies mutilated all of the characters so badly from their incarnations in the books

Mutilated? Improved, more like.

Yes, I will admit it in public. The LotR books are god-awful boring. The Peter Jackson movies are a vast improvement (except for Faramir; but I can forgive one mistake with so many improvements).

PS

I really think it is silly to take a discussion about a fantasy movie on an internet board seriously, and especially personally.

Well, of course!

 

[LuYangShih]

I thought you were talking about the movies standing on their own and ignoring the 'adaptation' mistakes?
Boromir's death was moving beyond belief.

In the books, Boromirs death was indeed a moving moment. In the movies, it was nothing more than an excuse for another Aragorn battle scene. Boromir was the Captain Of Gondor, an unparallelled warrior among the race of Man, perhaps the greatest in the Third Age. In the movie he is reduced to little more than a damsel in distress who needs the big, brave Aragorn to save him. Pathetic. Oh, and the final words of Boromir when he speaks to Aragorn in the book are far better than the tripe used in the movies. "They took the little ones!" Gods, that was disgusting.

The movies really lost a great deal of the thematic and characterization points that the books had, and Boromir was just the beginning. If you think the books lacked deeper philosophies and characters, you should really read them again. I liked the LOTR movies, they were fun and enjoyable action flicks, but in the end that was all they were.

As for the Matrix, I think it is a great series of movies. I loved the second one, and really do not see what the problem is with it. It was hands down the most event filled action flick I have seen, and just outright fun.

Barennd Nobeard:

I couldn't disagree more. The books are far better than the movies, for me. Still, I can understand your point of view. Tolkiens work is not for everyone.

 

[Welverin]

Similarly, I could say that the Matrix movies are just flashy action movies with lots of leather and no substance, but it wouldn't be true, would it?

No, but it would be oh so fashionable.

 

[Celtavian]

re

I definitely liked the first "Matrix". It was original in terms of special effects and the integration of high-flying scifi action with a good story. Basically, its originality stemmed from combining many hallmarks of other genres into an interesting story where the action seemed appropriate.

I didn't like the "Matrix: Reloaded". I thought it was a poor movie. It didn't blend the story and action anywhere near as well as the first one. Way to much time spent telling rather than showing.


The Lord of the Rings are great fantasy movies. The extended edition of the "Fellowship of the Ring" is a fairly good adaptation of the first book. I enjoyed it immensely and can watch it again and again.

The "Two Towers" I didn't enjoy as much. Too many deviations in the story. Mischaracterizations galore and really ruin the story for a Tolkien fan.

the reason I consider the LotR a better series of movies is that if I weren't a Tolkien fan, they are stellar. Best fantasy movies made to date bar none. Highest production values and a great story. Its just hard for me as a Tolkien fan to think any changes to the story are better than what was originally written. I can't think of one change that is better than the book. That hurts the films IMO.

I still like the Lord of the Rings movies better than the Matrix movies.

 

[Celtavian]

re

In the books, Boromirs death was indeed a moving moment. In the movies, it was nothing more than an excuse for another Aragorn battle scene. Boromir was the Captain Of Gondor, an unparallelled warrior among the race of Man, perhaps the greatest in the Third Age. In the movie he is reduced to little more than a damsel in distress who needs the big, brave Aragorn to save him. Pathetic. Oh, and the final words of Boromir when he speaks to Aragorn in the book are far better than the tripe used in the movies. "They took the little ones!" Gods, that was disgusting.

The movies really lost a great deal of the thematic and characterization points that the books had, and Boromir was just the beginning. If you think the books lacked deeper philosophies and characters, you should really read them again. I liked the LOTR movies, they were fun and enjoyable action flicks, but in the end that was all they were.

If I didn't think the actor did a good job with what he was given, I would completely agree. The actor did a good job with Boromir as it was written.

The book was a much more powerful scene. Boromir didn't need Aragorn's help. I was really looking forward to seeing the orcs back down and leave Boromir where he lay out of fear than what happened in the movie.

In the book, they were literally afraid of Boromir even though he was stuck full of arrows. Usually the orcs just hack an enemy to piecces, but they didn't approach Boromir because they were afraid he would rise again and start killing more of them.

Movie really chumped him out and lost part of the heroic feel Tolkien had given Boromir the in book.

Barennd Nobeard:

I couldn't disagree more. The books are far better than the movies, for me. Still, I can understand your point of view. Tolkiens work is not for everyone.