Krank,
I've also seen it twice and I haven't commented before now because I haven't made up my mind about it completely. I actually liked the actors chosen for the roles, but I had a few problems with the actions of some of the characters. I thought the innocence of the hobbits exaggerated a little too much (Merry and Pip came of as fools for the most part...besides, in the book they start out w/Frodo...it doesn't 'just happen'). The guy in the woods (Tom Bombadil?), I actually expected to be taken out (along w/ the brown wizard, Sam's dad, and others not entirely essential to the 'main' story). I was very surprised w/Arwen. In the books, she did not rescue Frodo nor did she call the river to rise up (Elrond did w/ Gandalf doing the horse bit). She also did not give up her immortality (Tinuviel did, but you never meet her; you hear about it in a song). Strider should have been carrying the broken sword (that was part of how everyone knew him for who he truly was at the meeting in Rivendale...because of the prophecies related to him). I don't like how Galadriel was portrayed (in the book, she was only 'terrible' when she is offered the ring and then she overcomes the desire to take the ring and goes back to being herself. In the movie, she seems kinda creepy). I realise things had to be taken out and/or changed for the sake of time, but I don't get why some things (like the 'cave troll') were added. The only one who finds Frodo after he leaves Boromir is Sam (Strider never talks to Frodo after that point and would never ask where thing ring was...his character is above a lust for power...that is one of the reasons he has not tried to claim himself a king). I'm kinda curious as to how different the new one will be when Gandalf returns (wearing white)...will he look like he is trying to immitate Saruman (whose robe gleamed with many colors when he moved and served as the first clue to Gandalf that perhaps he could no longer trust his old friend)? I also wondered if someone unfamiliar w/the story would have understand the change that allowed Legolas and Gimli to overcome their hatred and become friends, since the movie didn't really address that issue at all. I guess maybe I'll appear as a 'rabid Tolkienite' [sorry, Templar] and I do know the interpretation could have been much worse. However, in many ways the annimated version was more true to the books (though the drawings aren't very well done and the movements are rather jerky). This new movie looked excellent; the landscapes are breath-taking, the magic wood was beautiful, the hobbits and elves and orcs looked real. It did produce some type of magical experience while being watched. I just felt some of the characters lost something because some of them were not as multi-dimensional and some were missing qualities which made them so special in the books. <P>Ummm.....sorry, got a bit long-winded
Fellowship of the Rings
Actually, your long-windedness (is that a word=) didn't upset me at all...<P>I must say that I agree with you about just about everything... I, too, did expect some stuff to be taken out (but I still missed Tom).<P>But all those other stuff? The CHANGED stuff? I don't know about that at all... I think that most of them were completely unneccesary and din't serve ANY purpose except maybe to help 'newbies' to like it...