Ziggy Stardust
Gondor
Aug 21 2013, 1:28am
Views: 4552
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I feel have to say something. And I'm going to say it now, because next week I start some important classes, and will be focusing on those, so this is my only chance to say this. In recent threads, there have been a lot of debate and argument over Tauriel. I have been a part of this. At this point, I am exhausted, and I feel I need to say something. I don't care for any agreements or disagreements. I am simply just trying to get people to understand why there are some not for this character, and where I am coming from. Again YOU DO NOT HAVE TO AGREE WITH ME. I just want people to understand, why I feel the way I do. I want to say something, because I've felt I've been a bit of a Puck on here (you read right, that's Puck, as in from A Midsummer's Night's Dream.) Bear with me, this may be long, but please read, and try to understand. Disagree or agree, I don't care, I just want understandment. I love The Hobbit. I always have since I read it at 13 years old. Tolkien's work has gotten me into Norse Mythology, and gave me a love of Elves, Dwarves, and dragons. When I found out it was to be a film, I was excited. When I saw The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, I loved it. Maybe not as much as The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, but I still loved it. There were some parts I wish could have been done differently/better, but overall, the parts changed, I was able to tolerate. I thought the Dwarves looked all right. My only complaints was the axe handle in Bifur's head (which was silly), and I wish Thorin's beard was longer. I also wished Kili had yellow hair. Othwerwise, they all looked like Dwarves to me. I was glad to see Radagast. Even though he was only mentioned in the novel he made an actual appearance in The Fellowship of the Ring. He was not in the film adaptation. Adding him in The Hobbit, made me feel that Jackson was making up for not having him in The Lord of the Rings. I thought his character was fine. Radagast seemed harried in The Fellowship of the Ring, so him being eccentric, harried and, for want of a better word, hyper, I thought made sense. The only complaint I had about him was the bird dung in his hair. I thought that was just gross. Otherwise, he was fine as a character. Azog. I tolerated him enough, but I still think/wish, if they had to, they should have used Bolg, instead. Azog was dead before the beginning of the novel, and Bolg showed up at the Bo5A for revenge. It would have made more sense for Bolg to be the one to relentlessly chase Thorin & Co. I wasn't into Azog's design either. He looked like a videogame orc from Wow (which I've never played, but have seen screen caps of) or a character from D&D (which I don't care for, no offense to any D&Ders.) He looked cartoonish to me, and after seeing the orcs in The Lord of the Rings, I was hoping they would have made a better orc. So I had some misgivings about The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, but I still enjoyed it. I am (and want to) look forward to The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. However, I'm nervous about some of the changes and character additions: Tauriel and Alfrid. (Some of you are probably rolling your eyes now. But read on.) Tauriel to me sounds like a Mary-Sue. Let me explain why. Seven years ago, when I was in high school, to escape the doldrums, I sometimes read fan fictions. (One of my friends was a fanfic junkie, and often gave me ones to read.) I read several that included original characters, just like Tauriel. Some were male, some were female, but they all sucked. I never liked any of the OC, heck I didn't like any of the fanfictions. The addition of Tauriel reminds me of those fanfictions. To me, she is wishfulfiment for anyone who wants to live in Middle-Earth and kick butt. And no, I'm not just referring to females, there are some males who feel that way too. Back in early 2012, I happened across a Sherlock fanfic. Against my better judgement, I read it. It included an OC, whom Tauriel reminds me of. The fanfic was awful and so was the character. When I found out more about this Tauriel character, she reminded me of every Mary-Sue (and Gary Stu) I've ever read about. From her cliche lines, to the red hair (which is the prime color for MS/GS OCs) and the leather. This is why I don't care for Tauriel. This is why I have said she is a Mary-Sue. I've already read about characters like her before, and basically I see her as predictable and bourgeois. I'm also not into the intended romance between her and Legolas. That is also fanfiction material. (And I have read a couple of Legolas/OC fanfic back in the day.) Also, I feel that they are pushing her into the movie too much. This film isn't about Tauriel. It isn't her movie. It's about Bilbo, and is Bilbo and the Dwarves' movie. The only other elf who is also a part of this is Thranduil. Tauriel should not take any of their place. I'm afraid that will happen, and I will be very disappointed. And one of the things I like about Tolkien's work is that romance is not the goal. To have Legolas and Tauriel as a couple completely screws up the purpose of the film. (Which isn't about them anyway.) So that's why I don't like Tauriel. Take it or leave it. Now as for Alfrid. We don't know much about him yet. But if Tauriel is any indication, I wouldn't be surprised if Alfrid is the mindless henchman, who does every single thing that the Master tells him, in hopes some of that greatness will rub off on him, and is also very stupid to make the Master look smarter. I've seen this character trope a dozen times. I call this, the Igor type. (To know what that means, watch the 1930 Frankenstein starring Boris Karloff, which, by the way, is nothing like the novel by Mary Shelley, which is way better.) So there you go. This is how I feel and why. I don't mean to downplay others opinions. I've accepted that there are some for Tauriel, and while I don't know how that can be, I know it is. Now for those who are for Tauriel, you need to accept that there are some, like me, who are against her. You might also be wondering how can that be, but know that it is. I think I've said all I wanted to say. Peace out.
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