MovieChat Forums > The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) Discussion > Which character(s) did Peter Jackson rui...

Which character(s) did Peter Jackson ruin the worst from the novel?

posted 4 years ago by MovieChatUser497 (18943)
41 replies | jump to latest

For me it's either:

- Merry
- Pippin
- Gimli
- Gandalf
- Denethor
- Faramir
- Theoden
- Elrond
- The Army of the Dead (Pirate Ghosts)

I would have put Arwen on here because she was just atrocious but she's barely in the book so Jackson didn't really have a character to ruin in the first place. With her he just invented an original stupid character.

The only characters I truly think he nailed were Saruman, Sam and Gollum.

[–] bellington83 (3270) 4 years ago

For me, Merry and Pippin. Now he didn't necessarily "ruin" them but he kind of undermined their achievements

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 4 years ago

Exactly, in the book and even in the cartoon version they were a couple of badasses who weren't afraid to take charge and were taken seriously. (Example: It was not supposed to be Merry who threw the rocks into the pond disrupting the Octopus, that was all Boromir). Jackson turned them into comic relief and to a lesser extent he did the same thing with Gimli.

[–] bellington83 (3270) 4 years ago

As much as i love the movies, leaving out the "Scouring of the Shire" was a big misstep. I mean, of all the extra footage and deleted scenes in the extended versions, you'd think they could add in 15/20 minutes of that.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 4 years ago

That was my favorite chapter and it summarizes the evolution of the Hobbits, Gandalf even tells them that he could easily stop Saruman but he wants to teach the Hobbits to fight their own battles and that they now have the skills to take back their homeland. Leaving that out was the stupidest thing ever, especially since we never even get a proper sendoff with Saruman.

[–] bellington83 (3270) 4 years ago

We could go on for hours about the shit that was not included(don't get me started on Tom Bombadil) or made up stuff that was. All in all it's a pretty damn good interpretation. Like so many different life events, I remember exactly where i was when I heard "The world is changed, I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, I smell it in the air"

Still gives me chills....... in a good way

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 4 years ago

Seriously Arwens made up story goes on for like an hour yet we don’t even get proper closure with Saruman,

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

We do in the Extended Edition.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 4 years ago

So then the theatrical version can’t stand on its own?

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

Not really. True fans of LOTR will always have the Extended Editions, it covers more ground, more story, and is more complete. The Theatricals are more for casual viewers who don't really care about the lore.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 4 years ago

LOL so the movie doesn't make any sense unless you watch the extended edition? You just admitted that the movie sucks.

[–] TexasJack (12515) 4 years ago

I don't think he ruined any characters.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 4 years ago

Ummmm Faramir in the movie was Faramir in name only. His character was completely destroyed, even people who like the movie agrees with that at least.

[–] AmeriGirl26 (12865) 4 years ago

Tom Bombadil. He left that guy out completely.

[–] R_Kane (15828) 4 years ago

Which may be a blessing in disguise. He also left out Beorn and Goldberry.

[–] AmeriGirl26 (12865) 4 years ago

We did, however, get to see Bjorn in two of the Hobbit films :)

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 4 years ago

Yeah and then he was barely even in the hobbit

[–] AmeriGirl26 (12865) 4 years ago

I loved watching him get air-dropped over the battlefield in the 3rd movie and turn into a bear in the process before kicking orc ass xD

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 4 years ago

Honestly by part 3 I had lost interest, they lost me somewhere in lake town

[–] AmeriGirl26 (12865) 4 years ago

They had some interesting parts in the extended version, though I could have done without some of the Rated R violence on the battlefield.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 4 years ago

Lol for an already bloated film

[–] R_Kane (15828) 4 years ago

I think “bloated” is too kind for The Hobbit. I think “morbidly obese” is closer to the mark. The Battle of the Five Armies?! Really?!

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 4 years ago

You are correct but I’m just counting characters in both versions

[–] Kowalski (63357) 4 years ago

ruin the worst 😑

[–] Moonglum9 (10848) 4 years ago

This isn't Kowalski! Who hijacked his account?

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

He didn't ruin ANY of them. Stop being a pissant when it comes to LOTR, MCU497!

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 4 years ago

So are you seriously trying to tell me that Faramir 2002 was a faithful adaptation of his character from the novel?

Even people who love this movie can concede to that.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8435) 4 years ago

By "ruin" do you really mean "change"?

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

Newsflash: I don't give a damn about the LOTR books.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 4 years ago

Then you aren’t a true fan , it’s way better than the movie

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

I am a true fan, GODDAMMIT!

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 4 years ago

I don't think you are.

[–] Ace_Spade (9457) 4 years ago

Faramir.

But I don't think he ruined most of those characters you highlighted. Changed, yes. Reduced, sure. Altered for worse, yeah, but I can't imagine a version of Lord of the Rings that wouldn't pale compared to the books. But if "ruined" is "destroyed beyond recognition", then no, I can't agree that many of those on your list were short-changed to that extent.

[–] janelsenor (2042) 4 years ago

Faramir and Denethor. I'd say he ruined Denethor more, but Faramir has that larger role.

I'd also add Treebeard to the list.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 4 years ago

Denethor was pretty bad, he had actual depth in the novel but in the movie he is a one dimensional cartoon character. As highly as Boromir spoke of him earlier I expected a lot better

[–] Quasimodo (16388) 4 years ago

Frodo. He turned him into an effeminate, passive pretty boy. In the film Frodo gave off a gay vibe which he didn't have in the books.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 4 years ago

He was just too much of a pussy in the movie, he, merry and pippin were far tougher in the book