Lord of the Rings. The Two Towers

I am a little disappointed in how different the movie is from this book. It is a wonderful book, why all the changes? One thing I love about the book is how so many of the characters, although at first scary, turn out to be great people. In the book, the noble king Theoden rouses his people and marches nobly to war. This is changed in the movie, why? Also, Treebeard decides on his own that Merry and Pippin are okay. In the movie, he does not make that decision until Gandalf tells him they are good. The trees, after their long meeting, also decide AGAINST joining the war. In the novel, they decide to attack Isengard. Also, Boromir's brother starts to keep the ring for himself. He takes Frodo and Sam (and Smeagol) captive. He does not free them for quite a while, intending to turn the ring over to his kingdom. (finally, he does "see the light", although I'm not clear on what makes this happen in the movie) Maybe the director/producer of the film decided that it needed to be darker. The book really doesn't hold much tension. Most of this installment (as opposed to Book 1 and 2, The Fellowship of the Ring) is positive. It does not actually "show" the battles that are lost, but rather just the ones that are won.

When the group goes to the king,there is actually a skirmish before Gandalf can get to Theoden. And Saruman is actually possessing the king, instead of Wormtongue just holding him under a spell. Merry and Pippin meet Treebeard when he kills an Orc that is chasing them. Instead of regally riding off to battle, the king instead orders all his people to Helm's Deep to hide. While they are headed there, they are attacked. This is completely different from the book. Also, during the attack, Aragorn apparently falls off a high cliff? There is no such fall in the book.

Another difference which is not even keeping in the spirit of the story is the romance between Aragorn and the elf daughter. There is also romance sparking with the king's daughter. The elf daughter tells him he is meant to go with Frodo. Maybe he will find Frodo after he separates from Legolas and Gimli?

Sam and Frodo actually bicker over Smeagol. I think the movie does this so we know what is going on inside their heads. Frodo acts kind of a jerk, which he does not in the book. Sam says this is because the ring is taking him over. In the book, the ring does weigh heavily on him, but he does not become angry and snap at Sam. Smeagol argues with Gollum and banishes him for a bit anyway. He captures the rabbits without Sam asking him to. (in the book, Sam requests any kind of meat, because he is getting tired of Elf bread)

When Sam, Frodo, and Smeagol get to the gates of Mordor, it is very early in the movie. In the book, this is closer to the end. But the movie moves back and forth between the two plot lines. This makes sense to me, so that we stay interested and apprised of both stories. However, the two stories (Frodo/Sam and Legolas/Gimli/Aragorn, etc) are completely separated in the novel, and this helped me follow the story. I had a bit of trouble with Fellowship of the Ring, but I found I followed The Two Towers easily.

As they watch the gates of Mordor, they open, and there is an opportunity to run inside. This did not happen in the book. Also, Sam falls down the hill, and Frodo goes to help him. One of Mordor's soldiers comes to check on the dust that was raised, and Frodo uses their elf cloaks to hide them. I suppose this whole scene was invented to show us that the elf cloaks hide their wearers, which is mentioned numerous times in the book.

Again (as in The Fellowship of the Ring), the movie does not end where the book does. Far from it. The hobbits still have not climbed the stairs OR gone through the tunnel. I guess the movie producers spent too much time on the battles. I will look forward to seeing the huge spider in The Return of the King, the last film. I know these movies had great critical acclaim, but since I enjoyed the books (esp this one, more than the first one) I was a little perturbed at all the changes.

Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring

I don't know why this book was hard for me to follow. Too many characters, maybe, too much history. But I started watching the movie right after I finished the book. Either it was quite different, or I really missed more than I was thinking in the book. I know the wizard that turned bad imprisoned Gandalf. But not much else was said of him - I think. In the movie it shows him creating a whole army out of trees? It started with Bilbo's party, and Gandalf explaining the Ring to Frodo. But I was not sure I understood Merry and Pippin. They seem to be twins.

Also, Pippin and Merry join Same and Frodo in quite a different way than in the book. In the book, they plan on joining him, and meet up at a Hobbit city en route. In the movie, they just stumble upon them.

The scenes with Strider, and the white horse fooling the 9 dark riders, seems consistent with the book.

A romance between the elf queen and Strider? Could I have missed it in the book? Maybe it is introduced in the later books?

Frodo's decision to take the ring to Mordor is very dramatic, and touching. I didn't find it as powerful in the book. Also, I don't think Frodo put the ring in the middle of the council, but I am not sure about that.

Foreshadowing when Boromir picks up the ring when Frodo drops it. Strider holds his sword as he tells him to give the ring back to Frodo.

Saruman seems to have a much bigger part in the movie. I only remember him mentioned briefly in the book, but he seems to be behind almost every evil in the film. He also serves as a narrator, which of course come in handy in a film. When they decide to turn back from the mountains and go through the mines (which also occurs in the book), it is Frodo who decides, rather than Gandalf and Strider, as it is in the book. Gimli the dwarf is eager to go through the mines too. They leave the pony (Bill) outside the mines, but he is not mentioned before that. In the book he is almost a 10th character on the journey, and Sam's loyal companion. The creature they encounter in the water outside the mines is much more dramatic than in the book. Made for great special effects.

I think I remember thiis from the first time I saw the film. Strider and Boromir look too darn much alike. It is hard for me to tell them apart now, when I understand how different their actions are. I can't imagine how confused I was the first time around.

When Merry (or Pippin, is there really much difference?) sends something down the well and wakens the Orcs, Gandalf is just as annoyed and mean. THe hobbits fight bravely against the Orcs, which is how it goes in the book too. But it is touching to see onscreen.

The ending of the movie confused me somewhat. It was completely different from the book. Then I started The Two Towers (the 2nd book), and I understood. The movie attempted to add a little more drama but incorporating the battle scene from the 2nd book. Also, Aragorn tells Frodo directly "I would have followed you to the end" in the film, which is more powerful than when he just tells it to Legolas in the book. Frodo also tests Aragorn in the movie, by offering him the ring. Aragorn just closes his hand and then tells him the line about follwing him.