I thought I'd pick up this discussion in a new thread. don't read any further if you don't want to know things about the second film.
Elves at Helm's Deep? Faramir the Boromir clone?
Jackson misses the point about this book being about the potential of men, and the passing of the Elves. I just didn't see the reasons and the need for this to happen. let the Huorns do their job(I also thought he made Treebeard seem a bit of a dolt...
), and Aragorn and the Men do theirs. Elrond also comes across as a jerk, too, I felt.
Faramir: there was no need for Faramir to go through some transformation. Faramir's wisdom at Ithilien, and his relationship with Gandalf are a beautiful part of the book. instead we get a headstrong, un-listening soldier. just disappointing.
there are others, too, but I'd rather not dwell on it...
that being said, I found new depth in my thoughts about Gollum/Smeagol. really well done. and the destruction of Isengard was fantastic.
in the first movie, I accepted the changes made, the condensation of characters, the leaving out of favorite sections; but this went too far in it's alterations of character motivations, and theme.
I expect I'll add more later, as I've had more time to digest my thoughts.
I should add that I am a long-time lover of these books, having read them first at age 14, and since then, read them another 30 times... or so...
