25 Minute Preview Footage Re-Cap.

I've read a few of the footage re-caps from Cannes, but I think this one best describes it:

www.tolkienguild.org/docs/2581.html

It's very interesting to read the dialogue. Not much of it survived from the books.

I gotta say what I've heard so far doesn't have me very happy. It may look good, but Gandalf bumping his head? Orcs climbing like spiders? And the dialogue sounds pretty bad. Peter Jackson, prove me wrong

On a more positive note, I've always considered Howe's versions of the balrog to be the best

I think Howe's Balrogs are too physical and beast-like, or atleast as far as canon is concerned. He's a very good artist. This began to be discussed over on the Middle Earth Vault, starting with the second post. Of course it evolved once again into a flurry of Balrog jokes (I like the flaming Bullfrog idea personally), but I (Ranadwelt) made a list with more departures cited (a complete list was found in the link of the first post) in this Guild article.

I really wish more exact book-dialogue could have been used. It gives much to the effect of the 'high style'. Maybe there was more, I hear only 2% of the dialogue is usable.

How to tell if the Balrog design works out: When I think "Balrog", I should think "fear".

As for dialogue - very few book-to-film transitions keep dialogue intact very well. Films like Fight Club, The Princess Bride and The Maltese Falcon are exceptions, but those books were quite short. Gone With The Wind managed to make some significant cuts, changing most of the dialogue (but not all... they kept the "I don't give a damn"), but it still kept the epic feel of the novel and the depth of the characters intact.

Let's look at it this way: The 1939 The Wizard of Oz is one of the least faithful adaptations I can think of, but it's still a great film, isn't it?

Yes, but this isn't the Wizard of Oz, it's LOTR, big difference as I've said before

Oh there's no question for me, the movies will be awesome films. I'll enjoy it if I make myself forget about what it is based off of.

I have Princess Bride, ... quite short??

Question to those voicing uneasy dissapointment and imminent dissatisfaction:

How can you be unhappy and skeptical about a footage you have never seen when almost every person who DID SEE IT, be they rabid Tolkien fan or uninitiated dolt has voiced an almost overwhelming JOY over what they saw and is loudly singing its praises?

Or am I missing a few negative articles?

because it sounds as a comercial conspiration

I'd just like to say another thing about the Cannes footage.

It has wings! BOOYAKA!