Respecting Tolkien: A Tale of Two Adaptations – From Interplay’s Reverence to Amazon’s Departure

Before Peter Jackson and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, one could point to creatives who respected Tolkien and his work. From the wonderful orchestral compositions of Johan de Meij to artists such as Alan Lee and John Howe, their love of Tolkien’s Middle-earth and its stories shined through. But when it comes to adaptations, things can get more tricky but there was still a modicum of respect for Tolkien. Sadly, over the past decade, there has been a severe departure when it comes to adaptations. It is rare enough for adaptations to be good, let alone be faithful to the source material. However, it is no longer about respecting the source material, but adapting it to “modern-day sensibilities.” Video games, in particular, certainly have a more difficult path than cinema. But there is one video game that equals Peter Jackson’s level of respect for J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings while Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is an example of the exact opposite.

That video game is titled J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings Volume 1 and was released in 1990 for Amiga and MS-DOS. Developed by Interplay Productions, the game was well-received at the time and one of a small selection of games to tackle Tolkien’s world. While my admiration for J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings Volume 1 is tarnished by its DRM, the respect that the developers showed the father of modern fantasy in this game is quite an insight into not just video game development from over thirty years ago, compared to video game development today, but the approach to adaptations from back then versus now.

The proof of this is in the game manual which shows the developer’s respect not just for Tolkien, but for fans, and even for those unfamiliar with the world of Middle-earth. The manual gives a nice overview of Middle-earth history, provides a brief background of what has transpired before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring and information about the enemies to help newcomers to Middle-earth get a grasp of the world Tolkien created with an intro that reads:

“If You Are Not Familiar With Tolkien’s Books…

Welcome to Middle-earth. We are honored to be your introduction to one of the greatest works of imaginative literature ever written, in any language. The Lord of the Rings is extremely complex, with hundreds of strange names, detailed histories, and other elements that can easily overwhelm someone who is not familiar with this world. We have written four short sections with the newcomer in mind…

These sections will give you a hobbit’s eye view of the world. These will be enough to get you into the game. When you encounter new names, you can then refer to the more detailed background provided by the Monsters, History, and Glossary sections. If you find yourself interested in the background of this world, feel free to browse through the history and glossary sections, or read the original books by J.R.R. Tolkien, which are highly recommended.” 

It is a great sign when an adaptation recommends reading the books rather than an egotistical comment that says our product is perfect or so great that you don’t have to waste time with the source material. Or never mention Tolkien and his works. A dangerous precedent that has been set today when journalists tell their readers and viewers to listen only to them and not look for the source of the news or challenge their opinions. Hollywood has also adapted this mentality when you look at shows such as The Witcher and the reasons the showrunner gave for their adaptation of the books.

The recommendation to read the source material is a green flag that results in adaptations resonating with fans, who are simultaneously reminded that there are illiterates who don’t read, and allows the developer or director to get away with certain things. One can look at Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy which is praised for its overall respect of Tolkien and his works, but will still be criticized for many of the changes made in the movies. 

However, while there are many egregious changes made by Peter Jackson in his movies compared to Tolkien’s books, they are mostly tolerated because the overall story and messaging, arguably, wasn’t lost or undermined. Some of the biggest issues with The Lord of the Rings movies included elves fighting at Helm’s Deep, Arwen’s transformation into a semi-action hero and replacing Glorfindel, Faramir’s depiction in the movies, and many other changes or divergences. Talk to a Tolkien fan and they will give you a huge list of what the movies got wrong, but can still acknowledge that the movies are fantastic for a number of reasons. In contrast, The Rings of Power didn’t show any respect for Tolkien or the fans, lying from the start by skirting around the fact that they didn’t have access to the books which dealt with the Second Age resulting in a show that is a flop and loathed by the majority of fans. 

So what certainly helped was that Peter Jackson showed great respect for Tolkien and the author’s work during the process, which is what helped to win the majority of Tolkien fans over to watch the movies in theater and continue to praise them. 

So reading Interplay’s letter to the fans of Tolkien is very insightful of the people who worked on the game.

“If You Are Familiar With Tolkien’s Books…

You are going to be our toughest critic. While this is one of the largest computer games ever created, we couldn’t fit in every place in Middle-earth into this game. At the same time, we didn’t want to clone Tolkien’s World directly into the game and have anyone who knows the book be able to easily solve the game. You’ll find plenty of new encounters, new characters, and even a plot twist or two, that are not included in Tolkien’s epic fantasy. The reason we did this was not to “improve” Tolkien’s work (this would be extremely arrogant and stupid of us to say), but to challenge the computer gamer who is familiar with Tolkien’s work. Expect to be surprised.”

It’s quite refreshing to see this kind of respect for Tolkien which, over the past ten years, has been thrown out the window. Video game developers are more focused on trying to ride the Tolkien gravy train rather than produce great games that worked within the world of Tolkien. One only has to look at a game such as The Lord of the Rings: Gollum to see what a horrifically bad game that was. Or look at a game such as Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor which, as a video game, was good for its gameplay and Nemesis system. However, as a game set in Tolkien’s sandbox, it played very loosely with Tolkien’s work. It felt more like Tolkien’s name and the IP was used to just sell units rather than be an attempt to introduce newcomers to Middle-earth or provide an interesting story while staying within the parameters set by the author.

For example, the game’s outlook on death clashes with Tolkien’s views of death when it came to Middle-earth (a necessary game mechanic that conflicts with the source material). But hey, at least Shadow of Mordor’s Celebrimbor actually looked like he could forge things unlike The Rings of Power’s Celebrimbor who looks more like a master accountant than a master blacksmith. 

In the wake of the colossally successful Peter Jackson trilogy, we are currently seeing more and more new adaptations of Tolkien’s work. Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is the Prime example of what an adaption looks like that has no respect for the author and only focuses on injecting modern beliefs and ideology into his world. When it comes to modern beliefs and ideology of a different era, Interplay’s approach to this societal aspect is fascinating for how they addressed certain things in Tolkien’s work and what they thought would be concerning for “modern audiences” in the 1990s.

“Designer’s Disclaimer

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote the Lord of the Rings trilogy between 1938 and 1949. The world was a different place then, and the attitude of society towards certain elements of this world were different than they are today, most notably tobacco and wolves. We are trying to be true to the spirit of Tolkien in this game, so this game reflects Tolkienesque attitudes. Pipeweed smoking is a pleasant recreation, not the deadly addiction that we know it to be in today’s world. Wolves, as in European folk tales, are destructive man-killers, not the intelligent, social creatures that we know them to be in the real world. If these things offend you, consider their inclusion in this game to be an artifact of an earlier time when we were ignorant about these things.

For convenience sake, we use the pronoun “he” to represent “he or she”, and the pronoun “him” to represent “him or her”.”

As a kid growing up in the 90s, I remember the fight against tobacco use and the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program. As a Tolkien fan, both Gandalf and the Hobbits’ love of pipeweed didn’t really bother me nor influence me in wanting to smoke. However, smoking was a big issue at the time which led to it being banned from public spaces in the United States (which I wholeheartedly support). But it is interesting to see how society has progressed with regard to its opinion of tobacco use that, while not a concern anymore, is still depicted in various forms of entertainment. 

What I did find interesting and puzzling was the emphasis on wolves. Though, looking back, I should have realized why, given the veracity of conservationists, biologists, and nature-loving hippies at that time and to this day (PETA especially). These are groups of people who would be considered the “modern audience” of that time because of how vocal they were and how far and outrageous their tactics would go to push their ideology. So it isn’t surprising for some people to get upset that wolves in a fantasy setting are portrayed as dangerous creatures. Though wolves being portrayed as dangerous shouldn’t be shocking since predatory species do pose a danger given the right circumstances. 

While PETA, and people of a similar mindset, are still trying to make waves with ridiculous accusations of animal abuse, the general audience views them more as caricatures of what they once were and the cause they fight for. A cause that targeted video games, which have been on the receiving end of PETA to a ludicrous degree when the organization speaks out against Mario for wearing his Tanooki suit, creating a parody game of Meat Boy, and claiming that Pokemon is promoting dog fighting and animal abuse. But today, there is no denying that there has been a huge shift in popular opinion towards PETA that once took such organizations seriously. 

As for Interplay having to address the use of pronouns, that is an obvious one. Feminists were, and still are, a vocal movement that devolved from fighting for gaining equal rights to hating everything that even sounds male. We see the results today at a ludicrous degree when the word “history” is so triggering that Hollywood likes to use “herstory” instead. It’s a sad thing to see how far this cause has fallen. But hilarious to see where it has all led up to – a “modern audience” incapable of recognizing or even able to answer the question “what is a woman?”

Unfortunately, this has seeped into the world of Tolkien through the adaptations now being created. In fact, one of the criticisms to be made of Peter Jackson’s films is that the added screen time and changes to Arwen was for the benefit of this “modern audience” and a desire to make her a girl boss. Not to mention the character Tauriel who was created for The Hobbit movies. But Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has certainly taken the girl boss movement to a whole new level as it is littered with girl boss characters that are not feminine, unlikable, and a joke compared to the strong women that Tolkien created.

It is fascinating to see whom Interplay are addressing that would be similar to the “modern audience” of today, though the focus of right and wrong has shifted from the 1990s. Specifically, there are some today who will have a conniption reading Interplay’s description about orcs from the game’s manual. 

“Orcs:

Also known as goblins, these foul creatures were created by Morgoth in the Great Darkness during the First Age of Middle-earth. Through the dark sorcery, the Great Enemy corrupted elves and transformed them into these brutish slaves. Orcs delight only in watching things suffer and die; these soulless creatures bear special malice to elves and dwarves, against whom they have fought many battles. There are three levels of command in the hierarchy of orcs: there are the commanders, the uruk-hai, normal orcs, and the snagas, who are the slaves. Orcs are tough in combat; not even the toughest human hero should take a battle against the uruk-hai lightly.” 

The developer’s description of orcs falls in line with how Tolkien thought about them, though he also talked about how they weren’t completely hopeless, when it came to being an evil race that was created by the epitome of evil in Middle-earth (Morgoth for you non-Tolkienites). Tolkien’s views on good and evil were very straightforward. However, there is a small minority who interpreted Tolkien’s views and portrayals of evil to mean that the orcs are a representation of black people/people of color and, as a result, believe that Tolkien was racist since all the good guys were of one skin color and the bad guys another. Then going so far as to claim that Tolkien’s work must be changed for a “modern audience.” 

What is interesting is the similarity of the activists from the 1990s and the modern-day equivalent of now. Both Faulkiens’, faux Tolkien fans, and outsiders’ reaction and ideologies mirror exactly how animal rights activists were by being loud and vociferous to the point that a developer would feel the need to mention why wolves were being portrayed as dangerous animals in a video game. However, while Interplay acknowledged the concerns of the vocal minority, they still didn’t change Tolkien’s work to satisfy those people. However, that is not the case for the majority of developers, creatives, writers, etc of today.

This is made clear with the introduction of “white” orcs in Amazon’s The Rings of Power. Their creation is a submission and acknowledgement to a minority’s views about racism and of evil. That the show is agreeing with this “modern audience’s” view that JRR Tolkien was a racist(a claim that Wizards of the Coast appears to believe as a Lord of the Rings card set was released with black versions of prominent characters such as Galadriel and Aragorn). 

But it’s not just the white orcs, but the character of Adar is a repudiation of Tolkien’s views and his work which has stated that, in the Elder Days, no orc would treat with any elf. But, for the Rings of Power, we have Adar, an elf who has been corrupted when Tokien viewed elves as incorruptible by Morgoth and his minions (but not of their own failings). Who tries to tell the show’s version of Galadriel, a pale caricature of Tolkien’s character, that she is wrong for wanting to wipe out the orcs. Even though the orcs are naturally bad, have committed a plethora of evil acts throughout Middle-earth history, and were twisted to have great hate for all creatures but elves especially.

Orcs who were created by the maiming and torturing of unwilling elves. But, for the Rings of Power, suddenly there is an elf who willingly took an offer from the enemy that all elves hated and despised? Not possible given the history between Morgoth and the entire elven race. More specifically, the elves who lived in Valinor and who returned to Middle-earth in defiance of the Valar.

For these Faulkiens and outsiders, it isn’t just about racism but this ideology, pushed by Hollywood, that nothing is truly evil. Disney, for example, has been revisiting its classic villains and turning them into “misunderstood” characters. Just look at what Disney did to one of its greatest villains, Maleficent. It is certainly what is happening with The Rings of Power judging by what actor Sam Hezeldine, who is playing Adar in Season 2, said in an interview, 

“There was an offer for power and for something else, which you’ll find out later on in the show, and Adar willingly took the deal. It’s kind of like he took a red pill and was duped. He was horrifically tortured and maimed.”

The cult-like, incessant need to humanize evil clashes with Tolkien’s views and, in doing so, subverts some of the themes of Middle-earth. Which is why the white orcs in The Rings of Power are one of the prime examples of the showrunners undermining Tolkien. That the so-called fans of Tolkien and Middle-earth who approve of the white orcs show themselves to not be true fans. Of course, Faulkiens might point to the elf Maeglin as a parallel example for Adar and, to be fair, it is a semi-valid one to make. Maeglin, when captured, was cowed by Morgoth’s threats and torture resulting in him giving up the location of Gondolin and its weaknesses. Maeglin, who never lived in Valinor. Whereas Adar, is presumed, by Galadriel, to be one of the first elves captured, then tortured and maimed by Morgoth to become an “orc.” Maeglin, on the other hand, wasn’t maimed or disfigured by Morgoth who had further use of the elf to destroy Gondor.

While a valid argument, there is a cognitive dissonance when it comes to Adar who would have been, presumably, disfigured and maimed to a point of being beyond recognition given to how the orcs’ eventual appearance is completely different to elves. The Rings of Power created this new character and a new narrative that has no basis in Tolkien’s work or makes sense. Adar is a character that goes against the grain since there are numerous examples of elves, such as Maedhros, being tortured and maimed by Morgoth who still retained their hatred of orcs in contrast to Adar’s history where he was “maimed and tortured” yet acquiesced to evil. Adar’s existence and motivations make no sense to Tolkien fans, but certainly makes sense to Faulkiens and the “modern audience” who either forgets or ignores Middle-earth history or don’t care because it meshes with their views of good and evil.

Logically, one would assume that all the elves captured by Morgoth and used to create the orcs were all killed in the process by the time the elves encountered orcs in 1330 Y.T. (Year of the Trees) which were described as “evil creatures.” Adar’s physical appearance is not logical with how the orcs were created and their physical form ended up being. If he were truly one of the “first orcs” then, considering how Morgoth created the orcs, the physical changes would have been far more severe than what The Rings of Power have portrayed him.

Is Adar missing a hand or walking in a disjointed, slouched fashion? There are no real signs of him undergoing debilitating torture. He walks tall and straight, his gait is sure and swift, and there are no missing appendages. There are no other signs, except for facial scars/burns, which indicate that he experienced anything truly horrific if he had been tortured by Morgoth.

A failure on The Rings of Power’s writing to properly bring to the screen a suitable adaptation of their own fictitious renderings. 

When it comes to the adaptations of books, no one will argue against the fact that there are challenges when bringing a book to a video game, a movie, or as a TV show. While movies will have a large budget, there are time constraints. TV Shows have more time, but smaller budgets. Though, this isn’t the case for all shows as we have seen with The Rings of Power and its insane budget which produced lackluster results. 

Video games, especially, have a more interesting problem depending on the type of game being developed because it all depends on budget, time constraints, scope of the game, etc. Another challenge would be that there isn’t enough specific information or minute worldbuilding to fully flesh out a game which would force developers to create additional content. Whether it is furnishing various Hobbit holes in the Shire to creating additional quest branches to keep the gamer playing, it is what developers have to do. It’s why when experiencing Interplay’s J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings Volume 1, players can wink at some of the things in it such as recruiting a Dwarf in your party at Bree while heading to Rivendell. Whereas the aforementioned Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor gets the tone, themes, and even the dialogue of Tolkien and Middle-earth wrong. 

But to say that we are seeing a contrast between the creative mindset of thirty years ago and today would be an understatement. Most creatives, back then, used to respect the work of others when creating adaptations. Only the truly egotistical artists, directors, etc would try to create something completely different to the source material or ignore it outright. Now we see the majority of creatives on a crusade to adapt classic works for the “modern audience” who possess grandiose egos and self-aggrandized purpose. 

One can look at what has happened to the works of Roald Dahl and Agatha Christie where their books have been modified for modern readers. The same is happening to JRR Tolkien’s work at a rapid pace that is being spurred on by Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. If the Tolkien estate can approve of The Rings of Power, it is only a matter of time before greed leads them to re-write Tolkien’s work in acquiescence to this “modern audience.”

Tolkien fans must combat these perverse adaptations of Tolkien’s Middle-earth, themes, and the author himself. Otherwise, the lands of Middle-earth will be lost to the goose stepping march of mediocrity for the minority.

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