Lords of the Rings 'accessibility'

Sorry to bring this up. I saw the FOTR shortly after reading the book (2000-1).

I remember the reaction of some of the movie goers who have not read the book was "Huh? Is that it?" when it was finished. They didn't seem to understand that it was the frst part of the trilogy.

I think that the movie worked well by itself without any prior knowledge of the book. I have read the book and found that it added to my understanding and appreciation of the movie.

I had read part of the Hobbit a few year before and it was good to see Gandalf!! 🙂

I didn't read the books first on purpose, because I wouldn't like the movies as much as I do now then. I understood the FOTR and TTT very well. When I read the books, I understood it even better, but that was more just background information.
I wanted to wait reading the third book too, but I couldn't resist, so RotK will be the first movie I see having read the book already....

The movie is perfectly understandable for anyone who didn't read the book and it is a good introduction to Tolkien's world for someone more curious. Of course that the LOTR movie leaves many doubts to that one's who have his first contact with Tolkien by this movie...So buy and read Tolkien's bibliography.

the LOTR books are a simple romance book compared with the complete world of Tolkien and most accessible as a movie than other parts of Middle-Earth story.

hmmm, i think it's different for different ppl.
my brother never read the book and he seems to think that the second movie sucks bacause of the three sub story lines in one story. try to explain to him that it's better this way and would build up to a climax in the third movie, but it doesn't change his opinion.
i think it's hard for some of those who haven't read the book to see the movie as only a part of a bigger story, when in each one there would be like a slow start that would built up into a climax ( the fight scene in moria and the battle at helm's deep ) then slow down again as if to an ending.
i still think peter jackson did a good job in translating it into the movie, it's very hard to put every details from the book into the movie form when he have to keep to a time limit and make sure that each movie stand out on it's own.

I think they made FOTR and TTT very accessible for ppl who didn't read the books, the editing out of Tom Bom... is a nice example.
PJ did a great job on both movies. Tho I would have liked to see the book ending of TTT in the movie

would have been a huge cliff hanger

I think if you see the movie without reading the book you will
understand the basic story but there is so much more than that that is not included in the movie that could really help you enjoy the story better.