if LoTR was never written...

[brownjenkins]

in an effort to bring together the two sides of the movie debate, i'd like to pose a question... this requires a serious suspension of reality, so if you decide to post, try to stay true to the idea (the books do not exist)

if JRRT didn't exist... his books we're never written... along with all the backstory... how would you feel in general about the LoTR movies?

would they be this generation's Star Wars or just another Beastmaster/The Sword and the Sorcerer... or somewhere in between?

[Nurvingiel]

I think I would hold it with other beautifully filmed action movies such as Gladiator or Braveheart. I would have no complaints about it, and would have enjoyed it immensely. I probably would have been very confused about a few points, like who everyone was etc. and would therefore watch it several times paying close attention to such details.
I would also congradulate Peter Jackson on a highly original plot at a time when many Hollywood movies are completely unoriginal.

I'd say this is an interesting thread, but I don't think the two "sides" will be reconciled.

To make a slightly off-topic comment on that, many complaints that people have around the movies are based on how it is pointlessly or wrongly different (in people's opinions) from the book. Obviously if the book didn't exist, there would be no complaints about an adaptation.

I guess that's what the thread is about.

[Twista]

Lots of people fell in love with the movies before even touching the books, and the majority still havent read them... it would still be huge.

[Laurelindórenan]

I don't think I would have liked them very much, actually. I'm a 16 year old girl, so I don't generally like fantasy-action-adventure war type movies, but since I loved the book so much that was why I enjoyed the movies. Plus, I wouldn't have known who any of the characters were. It would've been confusing.

[jellyfishannah]

I would love them. They would be my favourite movies. I would still think some things were sorta stupid (legolas superelf ) but it would be a LOT more tolerable. In fact, it'd be comepletely tolerable.

[Figgy]

Well technically if there were no books, then there would be no movies, but besides that...

I think the movies would still be brilliant, considering how much work they had put into it.

[gimli7410]

Originally posted by Figgy
Well technically if there were no books, then there would be no movies, but besides that...

I think the movies would still be brilliant, considering how much work they had put into it.

were not talking technically, brownjenkins said that if it was just an idea out of the blue like star wars.

i saw the movies before i read the books and i enjoyed them alot but my brother had read them before the movie so whenever i was confused he just told me what was happenin

[Dúnedain]

Originally posted by gimli7410
were not talking technically, brownjenkins said that if it was just an idea out of the blue like star wars.

Actually weren't Star Wars books as well?

[gimli7410]

Originally posted by Dúnedain
Actually weren't Star Wars books as well?

i think so but not on the same scale as lotr. bad example but you get what i mean

[The Gaffer]

I think I must be just about the only person in Christendom who read the Star Wars book before seeing the film (in those days, it took months for new movies to arrive at the backwater town I grew up in).

I suspect I would have the same opinion: great effects, great production design; too long, weak script and poor editing.

If there had been no books, I think the films might've been better because they would have made what works as a film rather than what stays (more or less) loyal to the story.

[brownjenkins]

i kind of agree with gaffer on this... in many ways i think PJ deciding to stay true to the book as close as he did in many, but certainly not all ways, took away from the movie experience

a truly great director does what is best for the movie, irregardless of the written work

[mithrand1r]

Originally posted by brownjenkins
in an effort to bring together the two sides of the movie debate, i'd like to pose a question... this requires a serious suspension of reality, so if you decide to post, try to stay true to the idea (the books do not exist)

if JRRT didn't exist... his books we're never written... along with all the backstory... how would you feel in general about the LoTR movies?

would they be this generation's Star Wars or just another Beastmaster/The Sword and the Sorcerer... or somewhere in between?

Some of my thoughts on this matter:

I think the movies were visually (scenery, costumes, special effects) well done. The sound track is very good.

Dialogue needs some work. (Dwarf jokes for example)

The action scenes at times stretch my sense of believability (even for a fantasy film) [For example, Bridge at Kazadum, Legolas scaling the oliphants]

A very original story, compared to everything else being shown at the theatre.

Transition between scenes does not flow as smoothly as I would like, so the film appears to jump around a bit. (I am not sure how I would improve it, but I can tell when a movie does not flow quite right.)

Certain things I would like explained better.
(for example:
What happened to Saruman?,
How do the Ents [A slow to action group of people according to the film] reverse a previous decision in a moments notice?,
Why did the Hobbits follow Aragorn into the wilderness?)

I am not sure if I would go see a three hour film. I might if friends recommended the film highly.
All the different names/characters would be difficult to follow completely. (Especially Merry&Pippin)

Interesting topic brownjenkins.

[Nurvingiel]

I don't think keeping track of the characters would be too hard. The plot would be easy enough to follow, not like The Usual Suspects (great movie).

My biggest questions, from FotR would have been:

Why exactly did they want Frodo to be the Ring Bearer? And as you suggested already mithrand1r, why did the Hobbits trust Aragorn?

A few people I've talked to who haven't read the books kind of forgot about Saruman.