# Lord of the Rings trilogy, should I force myself to watch it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 19, 2007, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-trilogy-should-i-force-myself-to-watch-it/392769 "2007-02-19T02:49:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-trilogy-should-i-force-myself-to-watch-it/392769/21 "2007-02-19T15:51:17Z")
I’d vote for trying to read the books first. If you fall in love with the characters in the books, then the movies will be interesting to you. If not, then you have 8 free hours to watch 16 episodes of Spongebob Squarepants. ---
**Author:** ![Autumn\_Almanac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d26b3c/32.png) [@Autumn\_Almanac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autumn_Almanac)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-trilogy-should-i-force-myself-to-watch-it/392769/22 "2007-02-19T17:02:40Z")
I agree with the others, that if you haven’t gotten caught up in the story within the first hour of _Fellowship_, you’re probably not ever going to. However, if I were you, I would try to set aside enough time to watch the first movie (theatrical edition is just fine) all the way through in one sitting. If you don’t like it, no problem; it just seems unfair to pass judgment on any movie without at least watching the whole thing. Of course, I’m one of those geeks who’s lost count of how many dozen times I’ve watched _Fellowship_, so take my advice with a grain of salt if necessary. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-trilogy-should-i-force-myself-to-watch-it/392769/23 "2007-02-19T17:22:51Z")
How did you waste eight hours of your life if you were only one hour into the first movie? I can’t possibly offer any perspective on this because I first read the books when I was in high school, and have owned four sets of the trilogy (including a paperback set that included “The Hobbitt” and my newest acquisition, a hard-bound set with images from the movies.) I love this story, it is part of the foundation of my cultural being. I’m waiting for the LOTR 6-disk gift set with all three movies plus goodies in one package – I will spend at least one nine-hour day every two years watching them back-to-back. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-trilogy-should-i-force-myself-to-watch-it/392769/24 "2007-02-19T17:55:01Z")
Another option that may make the FOTR movie more palatable would be to download the [Rifftrax commentary for the theatrical release](http://www.rifftrax.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=28) of FOTR. I’ve never read the novels, I tried, but they were too ponderously slow for my tastes, yet I did like the movies, since i was not overtly familiar with the backstory, i saw them as an extremely well crafted medevial fantasy/action film ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-trilogy-should-i-force-myself-to-watch-it/392769/25 "2007-02-19T17:56:55Z")
[QUOTE=Lissa] …while during the first viewing I sometimes lost track of who-is-who (oh why, oh why did Tolkein have to use such like-sounding names?) [/QUOTE] And the writers cut out 90% of the names that Tolkien uses. If you think the movie names were hard to follow, try the books! That said, I’m with **What Exit?** when he says “not a lover of the movies because I did want and unfairly expect every detail to be correct”–I love the books, the movies are OK. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-trilogy-should-i-force-myself-to-watch-it/392769/26 "2007-02-19T18:03:21Z")
I would have said yes a couple years ago while the movies were still coming out, just to get clued into something that was so massively popular for so long. (Not that that’s a good enough reason by itself, but coupled with a semi-desire to watch them it might be.) Now that the furor has died down, don’t bother if you’re not really interested. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-trilogy-should-i-force-myself-to-watch-it/392769/27 "2007-02-19T18:12:20Z")
[QUOTE=jcheckwood] I know at least 90% of people seem to love these movies. I made it around 1 hour into the first one, the part with the cave I think and then got bored of it. Should I give it another shot, or will I be PO’d that I can never get those 8+ hours of my life back? [/QUOTE] The cave thing was pretty much where I checked out of the first movie, too. After that it got increasingly preposterous and I found myself checking my watch repeatedly. I never bothered with the second and third films and have lived a life without regret (at least as it relates to fantasy flicks) ever since. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-trilogy-should-i-force-myself-to-watch-it/392769/28 "2007-02-19T18:25:43Z")
First, you should force yourself to read _The Silmarillion_. Then, you have simply got to learn one of the Elvish languages, _Quenda_ or _Sindarin_, or both, or possibly _Westron_. Third, read the trilogy, but only in the Klingon translation where it really comes alive. Fourth, change your name to [Amy Player.](http://www.turondo.com/Media.html) Step Five: Speak friend, and enter. After all this, only then can you be ready to watch the movies, I reccomend the theatrical release only. French soundtrack, but with the _Spanish_ subtitles on (so as not to miss any subtleties). ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-trilogy-should-i-force-myself-to-watch-it/392769/29 "2007-02-19T21:49:30Z")
Ages ago, after I read and like The Hobbit, I picked up Book One of the LOTR and was all excited to read it. I think I got to about page 44 and put it down. A few months later, I tried again, and got to about page 60 and put it down. Then, about six months later, I picked it up and once I got a little further into the story, well, I couldn’t put the book down, went out and immediately bought Books 2 and 3 and the rest is history - read all three a couple of times. Eagerly looked forward to Jackson’s films, loved them and bought the extended version DVD set and have watched the three films three times since buying the set (I have yet to get around to seeing the other features on the DVD, but waiting for that proverbial rainy day.) But ya know, sometimes people just don’t like a particular kind of film, so don’t drive yourself nuts over it. Maybe now is not the time, maybe you have to be in the mood, who knows? I think the general agreement is that the three films are excellent - but that doesn’t mean squat if you have a dislike for that kind of film. I can jump and yell and tell people that Casablanca is one of the all-time great films, but I know people who simply hate Black and White films, or dislike Bogart, and all my enthusiasm falls on deaf ears. As they say, “different strokes…” ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-trilogy-should-i-force-myself-to-watch-it/392769/30 "2007-02-19T22:08:27Z")
[QUOTE=DMark] But ya know, sometimes people just don’t like a particular kind of film, so don’t drive yourself nuts over it. Maybe now is not the time, maybe you have to be in the mood, who knows? I think the general agreement is that the three films are excellent - but that doesn’t mean squat if you have a dislike for that kind of film. I can jump and yell and tell people that Casablanca is one of the all-time great films, but I know people who simply hate Black and White films, or dislike Bogart, and all my enthusiasm falls on deaf ears. As they say, “different strokes…” [/QUOTE] You’re being unfair - it’s possible to be quite a fan of fantasy films and yet not like the LOTR movies specifically for being overly long and at times stupefyingly dull. Not liking this particular trilogy (or just the first film, in my case and that of the OP) says nothing about liking “that kind of film.” ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-trilogy-should-i-force-myself-to-watch-it/392769/31 "2007-02-20T01:28:41Z")
[QUOTE=Sunrazor] How did you waste eight hours of your life if you were only one hour into the first movie? [/QUOTE] No, he said he wants to find out if he’ll enjoy it so he _won’t_ waste eight hours. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-trilogy-should-i-force-myself-to-watch-it/392769.md?page=1)