Note: Beware! This review contains spoilers and therefore should be read at your own risk, especially if you have not yet played the game.
The world has gone crazy as high culture is often degraded to be mass culture in the hands of Hollywood film industry; taken example as when they created the big screen version of Billy Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" with heartthrob Leonardo Di Caprio set as Romeo. A good book is often adapted into movie, but as movie is more easily drawing people's attention, in many cases it often surpasses the fame of the book itself. J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" was no exception. Even if we knew that Tolkien created the LOTR, we are likely to be more familiar with Peter Jackson's Frodo Baggins than the one described in the original book.
They are different, of course. I myself think it was difficult to put empathy upon Frodo's character in the movie; for the duration was never enough to describe his plight as the ring bearer. The struggles on his mind might as well continue in the movie, but what could describe it better than Tolkien's diction? What has happened, movie-goers were more likely to fall in love with Legolas' comely face; or Gandalf's wizardry.
To label Gandalf the Grey in the movie as a wizard was actually rather inappropriate. Apart from his fight against Balrog in "The Fellowship of the Ring", he rarely cast any spells, and used his sword instead. As I am fond of Role Playing Games (RPG) and believe that each class should fits its ability, I think it is quite a disturbance for LOTR was a remarkable and entertaining work; both books and movies, I would say. Save the differences, they were one of my all time favorites. And thanks to them, nowadays everything which bears "The Lord of the Rings" label on it would suggest a quality guarantee in some points.
While it is not always true, you should perhaps take a look at "The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth". I began this game feeling a bit reluctant; for fear that it is merely another way to extend the viewers' impression upon the series. To tell the truth, I had found that most of the games based on the same realm were never as good as I expected them to be.
So I tried this one, --and I was in awe. It is not the first LOTR game featured the voice of the real actors and the original soundtrack, but the graphic makes this game outstanding. It reminds me a little to "Neverwinter Nights", if not even better. Make sure you have a good video card though, so you could witness the superb detail of the fight between Gandalf and the Balrog.
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