I truly got (I'm sure it's been obvious to everyone else) that when the decided not to have two Hobbit films and one bridge film ... that the result was to work all that bridge material into the Hobbit films. I mean.. I knew that. But I truly 'got' it.
It was part of what diminished the quality of the Hobbit films for me. They are trying to tell two stories at once. (I think they're trying to tell even more than two but that's not pertinent to this discussion.) I think I might have liked it much better had it been one (or two) Hobbit films and one bridge film.
But now that they've 'done' it... what else are they going to tell? I know there are snippets of stories in the appendices other than the Necromancer story they're covering. But it's my opinion that the less the more they have to 'extrapolate' on Tolkien's writing ... the lower the quality of the storytelling.
They can do whatever they want... I don't want to prevent anything from happening. But I have almost zero interest in seeing this combo of filmmakers extrapolate any more on Middle-earth. I'm not even sure I can point a finger at any one entity as being responsible. In the back of my mind, I think WB may be behind a lot I don't like. But this seems to be the team that has a grip on M-e films, at the moment. So that's all I've got to base to my opinion on.
(This post was edited by Magpie on Apr 17 2014, 3:25pm)
While I would love to see more ME on the screen, logic tells me that any film that doesn't have a strong base (a full, complete novel to be adapted from) would likely end in disaster. As much as I admire PJ and CO., they just aren't fantastic writers IMO, at least compared to Tolkien. So any film where they had to construct 100 percent of the dialogue themselves would be something I worry about.
I haven't seen DoS yet. I know it's out on DVD now, but I'm willing to wait until it hits my Netflix queue to watch it (It looks like that will be the first week of May).
The first of the Hobbit movies seems to have been enough to kill the excitement for me. I'm no longer eager to return to PJ's Middle Earth.
I can't imagine a bridge film that could have stood alone or been a truly satisfying link between TH and LOTR.
I've also had a sense of 'too much extra story' about the Hobbit movies so far. I actually don't mind them pulling in the Dol Guldur story, since it at least is concurrent with Bilbo's adventure and has some bearing on it (where are the scenes of Thrain in the Necromancer's prison?). But I feel the story does get lost in extraneous plot, and the movies would be far better if they played closer to the book (and appendices, since I'm allowing them in my version...). And I suspect you're also right about the 'Hollywoodization effect' that Jackson & Co were better at fending off in LOTR.
I also wonder what effect, if any, the protracted game of 'Red light, Green light' leading up to TH going into production might have had on the quality of the final products.
While I love to visually be in ME I'm not 100% on a bridge film.
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Agree that I believe when PJ and crew expanded from 2 to 3 films they filled in with alot of backstory which would explain and set up for LOTR. Don't believe that there will be enough to craft a full bridge film that would be good.
Only if they're not directed by Peter Jackson-I say this regrettably.
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Being such a fan of his LotR films, it is something that I never thought I would say-but Jackson and the writers have now proven themselves entirely untrustworthy and irresponsible when it comes to adapting Tolkien's work: not just completely altering events (Azog's survival, Dain's absence at the battle, etc), but repeating events in LotR to lesser effect (e.g. the Morgul-blade/Morgul-arrow incident), which has to be one of the all-time great ironies, as they have stolen from Tolkien in order to deviate from Tolkien. Even the canon scenes are mostly inaccurate (The Dwarves giving up the quest in front of the door, Elves saving the company from the spiders, and so on).
If they did make a series of bridge films, perhaps they should get one of the Game of Thrones writers on board, since they've written quality, original screenplays that are pleasing to both the fans and the general audience. Frankly, however, I doubt that Sir Ian would want to don the beard, hat and cloak again, and frankly Gandalf not played by McKellen would be a travesty (unless they got John Hurt to do it).
(This post was edited by Radagast-Aiwendil on Apr 18 2014, 7:29am)
It really depends on what story they wanted to tell.
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Would they focus on the Hobbits (Bilbo, Frodo growing up, death of his parents), do they focus on the Rangers (a Ranger of the North-like film), the recent Tauriel/Gollum suggestion, or something else? I'd be more interested in characters that we've already met/established in PJ's continuity.
I can't say I'd like (or dislike) the final product, but I think it would be interesting (and exciting) if something did happen. I'd rather a non-canon bridge film than for someone to mess up The Silmarillion.
On a practical level, the film (or set of films) would be complete fabrications. As long as they fitted in Tolkien's and PJ's Middle-earth, at least we could judge them solely as films (and not adaptations).
I might be okay with one or more spin-off movies if done well enough. My own vote would be for exploring the early adventures of Aragorn. However, there is just so much that could go wrong, I'm almost afraid of the attempt.
On the fence. I'm all around not so sure any more. I still enjoy the Hobbit films, but they are not as good as the lotr movies. Something that once was is now missing. I still like PJ and company and know they have been busting butt to make great movies, but something happened over the course of the last decade that has changed the quality of these movies. These OTT scenes and the CGI insanity (I was pro CGI, but quickly falling off that wagon) is just starting to rub me the wrong way.
CGI was suppose to help cinema, but it is taking a lot of realism out of movies. Movies taking place in a fantasy setting need as much realism as they can afford to squeeze in. I suppose I'll has to see DoS extended and the finale film before making a judgement call on this.
My own vote would be for exploring the early adventures of Aragorn. However, there is just so much that could go wrong, I'm almost afraid of the attempt.
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Something along the lines of hunt for Gollum would be good.
and "Born of Hope" embody the new set of expectations from the core Tolkien fanbase (bookwise) pretty well - although I am not so sure about the wider general audience.
"The Hunt for Gollum" would probably be best utilized as part of a bridge film telling the events that occurred between TH and LotR. I don't think that it would satisfy a general audience on its own. My own suggestion is to focus on Aragorn, beginning with the events involving his birth, the death of his father, his upbringing in Rivendell, to his journeys and errantries, ending with Aragorn's reunion with Arwen in Lothlorien. We have enough of a plot to engage an audience while keeping the story focused. As it is, there may be enough right here for at least two films: the first focused on Aragorn's journeys into the East and South including establishing his friendship with Gandalf; the second, on his service as Thorongil to Rohan and Gondor.
I love The Hobbit films but really with what's been added there is no real way to make much of anything from what's left. I know based on what I've seen PJ could make for a great tale but I'd rather just leave us with what we have, and I can live the rest of my days with six fantastic movies.
...but MAYBE if it were someone other than Jackson. Like Radagast-Aiwendil, I've completely lost faith in Jackson and his writing team. Hopefully Jackson never gets his hands on The Silmarillion (and again like Radagast-Aiwendil, I never thought I'd end up having this opinion before seeing PJ's treatment of The Hobbit).
Truth be told, I'd rather see a truer, romance-free remake of The Hobbit.
(This post was edited by Salmacis81 on May 2 2014, 7:23pm)