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One of the main changes of the films, compared to the books, is Saruman's increased role, in the first film at least (though that this can be called a main change shows how faithful the film was)

This was done, presumably, because (while the cgi effects on The Eye were nice) Sauron makes a very impersonal and faceless villain. Saruman is a bad guy you can more directly relate to; he can gloat, say cool bad guy lines and so on.

In fact, they seemed to go out of their way to give him extra scenes, even having him create the new half-breeds on the spot, rather than over a period of many years as it was in the books.

The only thing I am worried about is that Saruman is looking TOO subservient to Sauron in FOTR. Saruman was a pretty strong minded guy in the books; it's a shame to have him looking such a pawn.

Do people think he will continue to look such a servant in the coming films? And will they continue to expand his role, or will they stick to the original now (after all, he has a lot of plot in the Two Towers anyway)?

They'll probably stick what they have done in FOTR. The audience need to see a physical villain on screen and Saruman does it quite well. Unless of course we see Sauron in physcial form in the next movie.

I agree with you on that it was no real problem that they made him a bigger role, but I was surprised that he seemed almost like Saurons little helper.

hopefully they will keep his role closer to the book in the next films, he's pretty important in the books already, and IMO they have more than enough material to fill the next film with.

I haven't seen the movie, but Lee looks awesome. He is an evil wizard and an evil Jedi, much to my delight.

i was upset in seeing that they made up the whole wizard battle. i dont really remember, because i read the FoTR last summer, but last time i checked there eas no wizard battle. Can someone refresh my memory?

there isn't, they've put it there for the movie

Though Gandalf IS imprisoned at Isengard. It is fellow wizard Radagast who sends the rescuing eagle in the books, as well.

thanks for clearin that up. i was sure that that was added.

the eagle that rescus gandalf is the king of eagles..
are you poeple reading everything in the book or are u skipping most of it???

ive read a lot of books scince FoTR and its hard to remember!

it aint hard at all
i've read 4 books since i read lotr, and i still remember

try more then 4 books. try 20-30. being in language honors isnt easy.

well i read lotr around christmas and just started over again, but the hobbit came between and i still remember

thats probably why you remember so well. i read LoTR last summer and scince then a lot of other books have gotten in the way. i dont remember too many details. GTG! bye.

I don't want any intellectual snobbery here. We cannot expect everyone to have read the books.

well poeple that doesn't have read the book shouldn't come with big boomers, telling things that they think happens

Mujaffa, he's telling you to shut your mouth or he'll close the thread!

I actually thought the battle between Saruman and Gandalf was necessary and funny. Necessary, because Gandalf usually never gives up without a quick fight in the rest of the book, and funny, because the old men go flying back and forth, moaning and groaning.

see if i care

I don't know what extra lines they gave to Saruman that aren't in the book.

The problem is half the book is in the appendices, and requires a great deal of sorting out after you've read the series...

The problem is to combine the appendicies with the books and then to make a functional time line that will hold an audience that is half attention deficit.

Another difference, is in the book..well reading "Saruman made an army" gives you a LOT more images as you are reading, than Gandalf going "crap saruman made an army against us" would in a movie...

So they had to show that stuff...

Too bad they didn't steal the line from Hunt for Red October ... when Tupolev gets his orders....it would go something like this:

Aragorn: "What is it Gandalf, where are we going?!"

Gandalf: "We're going to kill a friend, we're going to kill Saruman."