SirDennis wrote:
Okay, the more I think about it, the more I disagree with what Jackson did with the troll encounter.
In the book the weather is horrible. Their food and a some ponies were lost to a rain swollen river. Spying a light through the trees seems a solution because as well as losing their food, mischief had got into their fire. They send Bilbo to inspect the light as a test of his burgling skill. Bilbo is captured and the dwarves attack the trolls in turn in spite of having no weapons. After the trolls are turned to stone the party finds food and weapons in the trolls' hoard.
It seems to me much was lost the way the scene played out in the movie, and not much, if anything was gained. In the book, need drove the encounter and providence met that need after a bit of unpleasantness.
I mean what was the point of stopping at a ruined farm in the light of day? Why was the weather clear? They had no need (certainly Fili and Kili weren't even hungry) so in order to affect the encounter, the trolls had to steal the ponies. The light through the trees was known to be a troll's camp which the party might just as well had avoided for the cost of a few ponies. For that matter, the Trolls seemed intelligent enough that they should have noticed a party of 14 attached to a corral of ponies where there had been none before.
Additions to the story are fine with me, but why change a scene that wasn't broken?
I've had the same exact beef with the troll sequence. It always bothered me that it was broad daylight on a sunny day, when they stopped for the night, Then they are fed, dry, have a fire going, and seem quite comfortable. Then Kili and Fili talk Bilbo into following a path of destruction because of 2 missing ponies to get them back which IMO was also totally unnecessary.
(You mean to tell me the dwarfs are that stupid they didn't see or hear anything tearing trees up by their roots and pushing them over) The book had it perfect they had lost most of their supplies, the were wet, tired, it was dark, They spotted a fire in the distance not knowing what it was, so they sent their burglar
(something in Jackson's version Bilbo denied and NEVER admitted to) to investigate, maybe get a bit of food, then Bilbo makes a mistake by trying to pinch the purse. which was talking but they could have just had him try and steal a bit of food and get caught in the film.
My thing is when Jackson stuck to Tolkien's work his film was great I loved Baggend which had some minor changes but I think worked. Jackson's film got horrible (in comparison to the book) when he deviated IMO esp with the awful stone giants scene and Goblin town made me sick with all the swirling and sweeping camera shots meant to show off the 3D.
My other problem was the end of Riddles in the dark and the back door.
Why was the back door unguarded? Where were the goblins at the back door?
I think it would have been much better NOT to show Gandalf and the dwarfs going past him and done the Back door like in the book. I hated that Bilbo was just running around blindly trying to get away from Gollum and finds the back door. And the whole exact repeat of Frodo in the Prancing Pony with the ring falling right onto his finger... He was completely lost for gods sake. Gollum should have went back to his island instead of his temper tantrum Jackson makes him have, to get his "birthday present" then as he is gone Bilbo slips on the ring when he hears Gollum scream about it being lost, when gollum arrives he thinks Bilbo really knew the way out, then Bilbo follows him to the exit where he jumps over Gollum then play out the backdoor like in the book. Not really much more time on film maybe 5 minutes more at most. But IMO OHHHHH SO MUCH BETTER than what Jackson gave us.
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
