Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings

[Former_Member]

My husband had never seen Lord of the Rings so we watched the first one last night. I haven't seen it since I was 15ish and I realized that there are a lot of similarities between LOTR and Harry Potter. I'm pretty sure JK Rowling read JRR Tolken's works and it inspired some things within Harry Potter.

Here's what jumped out at me:

1. The black hooded figures that were after Frodo and the ring at the beginning of the movie, I think, were the inspiration for Dementors. The hooded figure leaned over the tree and all the living things in the tree ran away from it and it caused Frodo to feel, subconsicously, that he wanted to put on the ring. It made me think of Harry Potter where Harry heard his mother screaming everytime the dementors got really close to him, just before he passed out.

2. The Ring is to Frodo what Harry's scar is to Harry in which Frodo can feel/hear things that are connected with the ring's creator just like Harry can see/feel/hear things that Voldemort is feeling/doing. Frodo knew when the hooded figures were coming before they had gotten there. When the dwarf tried to destroy the ring with his axe the all seeing eye flashed across Frodo's vision the minute that it was struck. It made me think of Harry feeling the pain in his scar when Voldemort was close or in the 5th/7th book, when he could enter into Voldemort's mind when he was feeling strong emotions.

3. Gollum kind of reminds me of Dobby a little bit, although Dobby is much cuter and nicer.

4. When the Fellowship is trying to pass through the mountains Gandalf can hear Solomon talking within his mind, kind of like how Harry feels through the Occulmency that Voldemort/Snape can do.

5. The Fellowship decided to go to the mines instead and the look of the outside with the lake reminded me of the cave that Dumbledore and Harry went to to find Voldemort's horcrux in the 6th.

I'm sure there are others but I can't think of any now. Let me know if anyone else has seen any of these similarities!

[CloaknDragon]

Don't forget the GINORMOUS spider. shudder. Loved LOTR can't wait for the Hobbit!

[Former_Member]

Me neither! I was thinking of this exact subject the other day! :)

[Former_Member]

I can't remember the spider...hmm...We just finished number 2 last night and have one more to go

[Former_Member]

Thought of another thing (and maybe it's just who they picked for the movie and not in the book but) in the 2nd movie when they go to Rowhan, the guy that is 'helping' the king who has been posessed by Sauramon, well he looks like Snape. The minute I saw him I said "Professor Snape!!"

[Former_Member]

If they ever re-make the HP movies, I hope Peter Jackson (and his team) gets the helm. The screenplay can be better written and it can be filmed as a series all at once over several years (just like LOTR). It won't veer too far from the book and be better directed. None of the HP movies even come close to any of the LOTR ones in all aspects (which is why the Academy has ignored them as commercial ventures, which of course, they are). LOTR was Best Picture for a reason. And it was financially rewarding for the producers. I'd like to see that for HP too - someday.

[NillaBeanCoLLC]

Here is a link of someone comparing the two.
http://www.g4tv.com/attackoftheshow/blog/post/716917/harry-potter-vs-lord-of-the-rings/

[Former_Member]

Thanks Natalie! That's awesome! I thought it was going to be this huge essay paper like website but that was awesome!

[CloaknDragon]

Maybe we should just consider HP to be the LOTR primer :)

[Former_Member]

Haha except that LOTR was written in 1937 :)