Hello,
Posted by buzzard:
I'm curious as to what other stories would make a good movie, but still never will get the chance.
The prototypical space-opera epic, E. E. "Doc" Smith's "Lensman" series. Some social conventions that now seem a bit quaint, some currently-unfashionable attitudes, some overtaken-by-events alternate technology paths, and the fact that many of its ideas have since become space-opera clichés would render this one all but impossible to make. But it's tough to beat for sheer breathtaking epic-scale adventure. An alien race of incalculable psionic power has been secretly manipulating the history and genetics of humanity and three other alien races for millions of years, for the sole purpose of bringing into existence the Galactic Patrol and its elite Corps of Lensmen, as a weapon for use against the massive, multilayered, and intertwined conspiracies of an even more powerful alien race. It is the acknowledged inspiration for DC Comics' Green Lantern Corps.
I am aware of the "Lensman" anime. It bears about as much resemblance to Smith's books as
Hardware Wars does to
Star Wars.
Posted by 2d6:
I just like like to see an original Film (fantasy or Sci-fi) that isn't based on a TV show, book, comic, short story, cartoon, or some such that isn't the matrix.
What? You mean
The Matrix and sequels weren't heavily inspired by
Ghost in the Shell and the ultra-paranoid conspiracy theories of David Ickes?
Posted by Oni:
Ok, I'll bite.
What was wrong with Peter Jackson's take and how would you make it right?
Well, I'm not diaglo, but this question is interesting enough that I think I'll offer my own answer to it while I'm here.
To me, the problem with the movies is that they are compromises. They have two seperate and somewhat conflicting goals. One goal is to put Tolkien's vision on the big screen, and the other is to make New Line its money back, and hopefully some profit on top of that.
The second goal requires them to adhere to certain common conventions, and the ones most harmful to Tolkien's story are acceptable length, "need" for a female lead, and the "need" to have "break points" between the movies where some of the current action can be "wrapped up" while still leaving it clear that there's a lot of the story yet to be told.
I think that Jackson has managed the compromises about as well as can be done, and I do like the movies a lot. But to me, the ideal Tolkien movies would be ones that didn't compromise at all, which would essentially mean they would have to be done as a labor of love. I don't doubt that the extended-length DVDs, which avoid the most crippling of the conventions, have the potential to be much closer to Tolkien's vision, though they are still composed around scenes from a script written to conform to other conventions.
If I were re-editing the movies to my taste, but still with time constraints and the need to make a profit, I'd probably change relatively little. I'd leave Sauron nine fingers, instead of the six or so he had after Isildur amputated half his hand. I'd make explicit a 17-year gap between the Long-Expected Party and Gandalf's return. I'd cut the Telekinesis Fight between Gandalf and Saruman, and Saruman's early revelation of his Palantir. I'd make Galadriel's temptation much more regal and awesome, and less monstrous. The Argonath statues would have axes instead of swords. I'd make Boromir's horn a ringing in the hills, rather than the pathetic tooting it was. Theoden's initial inaction would be the result of manipulation by Wormtongue rather than outright posession by Saruman (his beard would be much longer and fuller too, and stay with him even after Gandalf helps him). I'd leave the elves out of Helm's Deep (I suppose I should be thankful they left Arwen out of that fight, which Dame Rumor says she was originally to be in). And I'd reduce all the denigration of the supporting characters (Butterbur's and Theoden's cowardice, Faramir's corruption, Treebeard's derelict ignorance of Saruman's depredations, and Merry, Pippin, and Gimli's fourth-wall-breaking descents into comic-relief status).
Without the constraints, besides the changes mentioned above, I'd just stick generally closer to the books all around. I'd keep at the very least cameo appearances by all the major missing supporting characters, including Fatty Bolger, Gildor Inglorion and his band, Glorfindel, Erkenbrand, Elladan and Elrohir, Radagast, and especially Bombadil. With Bombadil present, the hobbits would get their weapons in the Barrow-Downs. Merry and Pippin would be revealed and treated as persons of substance and scions of two of the wealthiest and most prestigious hobbit families, rather than as thieving rascals. They would accompany Frodo as the result of their deliberate plan, rather than literally stumbling into him and Sam in a field. Frodo himself would look somewhere halfway close to 50 years old (though not too close, since he does have the Ring). I'd put Arwen in the near-invisible role she had in the books. The Council of Elrond scene would be more than the hurried squabble it got in the movie. Gimli would get his three golden hairs
. Faramir wouldn't find out about the Ring until Sam spilled the beans, and he'd then resist temptation. Haven't seen the third film yet, or peeked at a script, but I have my worries, especially about the Scouring of the Shire. Have to admit, though, the preview did get the old blood pumping, and gives hope that, as before, they got most of the main themes right.
To give credit where it is due, Hobbiton, the Bruinen flood, Rivendell, all the Balrog scenes, Edoras, and Helm's Deep were all I could have hoped for; Minas Tirith and Moria look wonderful as well, Gandalf, Saruman, and Boromir are perfectly cast, Sean Astin as Sam is surprisingly good, and the respect for the languages that were the inspiration for the tale's writing is obvious.
Hope this helps!
Some time, my friend, I'll buy you a beer and you can tell me what you'd do differently.
