I also believe that those three movies that everyone loves could be edited down into one and not much would be lost.

Just factually wrong on this one, sorry. I can prove it, too:

The films we have right now are already severely cut versions of the story and many people agree that we lost some good shit in that cutting

As someone who did gonna school: how exactly could you cut Fellowship any further without completely removing something essential? That movie is on fast forward it has so little time to get through the story

Literally one of complains I’ve seen is that cuts too much stuff and you’re complaining about the exact opposite

See I kind of like the slower pace of it all. It makes it more introspective and thoughtful, it gives you a little room to breathe and process and be with the characters more. And with a cast so large you would need that space or they all just kind of get lost in the noise and shuffle. It also more faithfully lines up with the books because of it, all of which are very thoughtful and slow to medium paced for the most part. I will definitely concede the movie does not need to be the book, it can be its own thing. But I at least understand the logic there.

I always use a movie like Rogue One as the example of the opposite. Don’t get me wrong, I love that movie. But I still can’t name any characters from it besides Cassian Andor. And his I remember for obvious reasons.

I’d like to be the first to put to words what the rest of us think in response to your opinion.

No U

(Joking, joking)

There are some edits out there that condense the films if you’re into that sort of thing.

Meanwhile you’ve triggered me to do a full 12.5 hour watch-through of my extended edition

The books, too, drag on like Tolkien was being paid by the individual word. Thankfully with books I can set the pace at which things go.

The only way I ever got through ANY of Tolkien’s books was being read to by Andy Serkis while I was working at my job. It’s worse when it’s Tolkien somehow goes out of his way to write about the absolute most boring parts in excruciating detail, sets up all the drama, things are getting tense, oh shit, shits gonna go down “And that’s when the Battle of the Five Armies happened. Afterward…” OH COME ON! Hell I wondered if I just couldn’t read on a high enough level then devoured Herbert with Dune so easily it’s, no… no I can’t stand Tolkien’s writing.

And I will die on the hill against anyone who thinks Tom Bombadil needed to be in the movies. That was a shit part in the book that took away any character agency from the main characters for an absolutely pointless diversion.

As expertly observed by none other than Martin Pearson.

If you have not already, you should check out the entire “album” (it’s a recording of a live show he did, actually) which is absolutely hilarious and well worth the listen. It’s out there on the internet, both legally and otherwise. And the man himself has explicitly condoned its piracy, so there’s that as well…

I cannot read the books. I am a fantasy fan and absolutely respect them for breaking the ground and creating the genre, but goddamn do those books put me to sleep.

I’ve read The Hobbit several times and enjoy that, but despite several efforts to read the trilogy, I just can’t.

I was also going to say LOTR, it was just boring and long. I understand why people like it but I really didn’t. I also didn’t care much for GOT, so the fantasy genre is probably just not my thing.