XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien
From: mr@sandman.net
In article ,
Rast wrote:
> Tahiri wrote on Thu, 13 Dec 2012 17:09:55 -0000:
> > There are a few points I foresee some of you complaining about but I
> > don't think it spoils it so I will let you find them for yourselves.
>
> I don't plan on watching it until DVD, so go ahead and spoil me on the
> major changes. Especially the thematic changes -- Faramir trying to take
> the ring, etc.
AZOG
Well, one of the biggest changes are that Azog weren't killed in the
battle of Moria, and is thus the "enemy" of the movie. THe original
book had no enemies of the company really, they journeyed from place
to place finding obstacles and making enemies along the path. In the
movie, Azog lives and is a huge albino Orc (yet not as misfigured as
Gothmog in Return of the King)
In the battle of Azanulbizar, Azog doesn't slay Nain, but instead
slays Thrain (by taking his head, much like his actual slaying of
Thror) and Thorin gains his surname Oakenshield in this battle by
battling Azog and chopping off his arm.
I can see why they made him survive and be the arch nemesis of Thorin
(who thinks him dead) and throughout the moive, Azog is on the heels
of the dwarves, and a scene where orcs attack them at the hidden
passage and is slain by elves is also added to add some tension and
action presumably.
Story-internal, it kind of works. Azogs son Bolg is a survivor of the
battle, and he is subsequently slain in the battle of the five armies
- a pinnacle point in the book. And to have these armies on the move
or building up throughout the course of the story just seems logical.
So instead of adding Bolg, they choose to stay with Azog which made a
storywise more interesting character given the grudge against Thorin.
Having him pursue Thporins company instead of the Lonely Montain is
also logical as well.
These orcs are also the keepers or the wargs that attack the company
in the "frying pan" so to speak. So thus is where Thorin learns about
Azog having survived.
RADAGAST
Radagast is also in the movie, while being merely mentioned once in
the book. We follow Radagast when he discovers the darkness taking the
Mirkwood (still called Greenwood in the movie, yet referenced as
people staring to call it mirkwood by the people by Gandalf). We see
him trying to save the animals from some form of witchcraft. His house
is then attacked by large spiders but they disappear when he overcomes
the witchcraft in a hedgehog (ehm?).
We then follow Radagast, travelling on a sleigh drawn by... rabbits
(yet not in snow), which is a bit.. ugh. He travels to Dol Goldur,
encounter the Withcking of Angmar as a "ghost", battle him for one
second and retrieves a morgul blade that he gives to Gandalf.
WHITE COUNCIL
We knew this was going to be there. When the company comes to
Rivendell, Gandalf meets with Elrond, Galadriel and Saruman (not
Cirdan, however) and tells them about the Mirkwood, the Morgul blade
and the necromancer. Saruman waves all of this away as coincidence and
is more interested in trying to hinder Gandalf from helping Thorin get
to Erebor. The reason for this council meeting is somewhat strange. I
would have bought it if the reason for all these to be at the same
place were to actually deal with Dol Goldur - which incidentally is
the reason for the White Council to even exist, but it seems the
arrogance of Saruman needed to be further displayed, which is a pity.
THe movie makes it seem that this is just a "casual" meeting and never
makes any reference to the "white council
That's the most major departures from the book that I can think of
right now.
--
Sandman[.net]
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
|
