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Okay, a more upbeat thread now... The Fellowship of the Ring has been out for a couple months in cinemas. How do you guys feel about the lead character?
Personally, I think there's nothing wrong with his acting, actually, Elijah is quite good. It's just that he's TOO DAMN CUTE to fit in the role. I never envisioned Frodo as a pretty 25-ish-year-old, and it kinda messes with the experience I think!  Strange, but true.
Please share your thoughts on this subject. It has absolutely no significance in the big scheme of things, but that's also why I ask you!
-Lenny
"But he that hath the steerage of my course,
direct my sail."
-William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act One, Scene IV
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Ok, let me start by saying that I've read the books countless times since my early teens. Been a Tolkien fan for decades...even joined a club in University to try and learn Elvish, I was that dedicated.
So you can imagine that I have pretty clear pics of the major (even the minor) characters in my head, and worried about the movie for that reason.
But I needn't have worried. Elijah was great. I'd never thought of hobbits as blue eyed before, but in my head they were always cute, for sure. And they got the "spirit" of the hobbits just right. The relationship of Sam and Frodo was right on...of course we all imagine them as a couple, even tho Sam goes on to marry a girl after Frodo goes into the West at the end.
The special effects' ability to make the hobbits seem the right stature helped as well. Merry and Pippin will develop well in Part II, as the plot dictates they will. Their feet are hairy enough...hehe
I have more problem in a few other areas, actually. I expected Elves to be more other-worldly somehow, not just really cute like Legolas. I expected Galadrial to be more beautiful. And it was a mistake to have TWO white luminous elven Queens...one should have been luminous Green or something, lol.
The Balrog could have looked less like another movie's "creature" (anybody see the resemblence between it and the creature in "Spawn"?)
The orcs were sufficiently repulsive. Dwarves were sufficiently argumentative. When the Nazghul come back in Part II riding giant bat-like creatures, that will be awesome. I'm looking forward eagerly to the Riders of Rowan, and I have always seen them in my head as Vikings of the Plains. But I'm relieved they didn't attempt to bring Tom Bombadill to the screen...his speaking in rhyme would have just been too 'precious'.
Boromir's fall has set the scene quite well for Frodo and Sam to meet his brother Faramir. Gollum will be neat, I'm sure.
Sooo, am I looking forward to Part II?
Yup.
"Always forgive your enemies...nothing annoys them quite so much." Oscar Wilde
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Charlie Smith
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Toe is in the water |
Registered: January 1970
Messages: 46
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Hey, we went to see it last week and thought it was brill, Elijah was very good in the part, he is also very cute. Like David we can't wait for part 2 now.
Gotta do some work now  I will finish it today David, hehe.
Charlie S.
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mihangel
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Likes it here |
Location: UK
Registered: July 2002
Messages: 192
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Hmmm. Like David, I've been a fan most of my life. Read it the year it came out, got my own copies in 1956 as school prizes. Got my own firm mental images. Was therefore prepared to be bitterly disappointed. But on the whole I wasn't. It's a great film.
AndI find myself agreeing with both Lenny and David, in different ways. Like Lenny, I reckon Elijah was good as Frodo, but not right. Too sexy, if you like. Too cute. Too innocent-looking. Should have been more a young Bilbo (who was great). Dunno how old Elijah really is, but he looked about 15. No objection to that (oh no!), but Frodo should be older. Elijah (with fair hair) would have been good as Legolas - elves are meant to look young, even if they aren't. Wasn't in fact all that impressed by the actual Legolas.
For the rest, I tend to be with David. Sam was fine. Merry and Pippin a bit too clownish. Gandalf SUPERB. Orcs great. Nazgul - wow! Didn't see much of Gollum, but he promises well. But Elrond totally miscast. 'On his brow sat wisdom, and in his hand was strength' - no way, with whoever it was. Agreed, very wise to have dropped Bombadil. Wise to have imported the rise of Saruman from later books (but his ding-dong with Gandalf in Orthanc quite unnecessary - more like Harry Potter wizardry). Quite unnecessary to have fallen for the feminine interest and boosted Arwen's part. BRILLIANT photography and computer creations of Moria and Saruman's workshops.
And - waves the Union Jack, sorry you chaps across the pond(s) - I was soooo glad the non-British actors spoke in British English. Just as Harry Potter just *couldn't* be done in American.
Mihangel
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I too liked Gandalf, especially the scene early on when Bilbo refuses to give up the ring literally gave me goosebumps! The visual spectacle, the presence and sheer power of an outraged Ian McKellan, and the mighty soundscape (yes, THX cinemas rule!) made that a scene one to remember for a long, long time.
I however liked Hugo Weaving as Elrond. He really does look half-elven in my opinion (even though the film doesn't mention it), and he has such intensity and even regality about him too. I did however miss that they also didn't mention Galadriel as a fellow ringbearer, or the foul way the Ring came to fall into the hands of Gollum.
But these are fairly minor nitpicks. I otherwise loved the introduction, and seeing that enormous circle of gold shrink down to the size of a man's finger... Superb filmmaking I must say!
Gollum's voice was priceless, not sure if I like the looks of him, he seems a bit too froggish to me. I guess I have to wait and decide in the second movie.
I thought Gimli would be too cheerful played by Rhys-Davis, who usually portrays jovial characters, but I needn't have worried. Maybe the makeup and special effects helped it happen, but I just can't help myself liking him anyway. "Nobody tosses a Dwarf!" Haha! That just sums it all up, in my opinion.
Boromir was great. Legolas was good, in my opinion. Didn't shine through too much in this movie I think, maybe he'll have his chance later.
And I too appreciate the use of British English, it would simply have ruined the whole movie hearing American accents mixed in with the more rural dialects of Merry, Pippin etc.
-Lenny
"But he that hath the steerage of my course,
direct my sail."
-William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act One, Scene IV
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No Message Body
"Always forgive your enemies...nothing annoys them quite so much." Oscar Wilde
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I have been a Tolkin fan for most of my life as well (although this statment doesn't mean as much as the earlier ones ;0>),
and I even managed to learn a bit of elvish on my own.
As for the movie I think it was well cast and directed but that did not surprise me for from early on I learned that christopher Tolkin (his son) kept directing and casting rights to ansure his fathers work is not butchered.
The use of british-english was well in place (I have a weak spot
for british accents) and realy give authentication to the whole movie.
But I must admit there was one big disapointment in the movie. Gandalf's last cry (as the grey pilgrim that is) "run fools". I guess I thought they would make it more dramatic or something of the kind.
Anyway I can hardly wait for the second part!
May the stars always light your path and Eru's blessing be upon you!
Searching for the light at the end of the bed...
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Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins - good casting or bad? 
Elijah Wood IS Frodo Baggins - good casting!!! 
G'Day Charlie, me lad! Panting with anticipation!! 
Re: You raise some good points! 
