First, let me say that Jackson has done a 'pretty fair' job making the LOTR movies. I just wrapped up both 'special editions' (Fellowship and Two Towers) and was pleased at many of the things that I missed in the screen version. Don't anyone fool themselves. Many parts and pieces are 'left out' so that we can generously buy the 'special editions' to see them. Personally, I find it interesting that Jackson can put ten minutes of crap about Aragorn falling off a cliff into a river or twenty minutes of mental dreamy dialogue between Aragorn and Arwen (neither or which I recall from my reading the series a dozen or so times), but cannont spend that time on essentials like the Barrow Downs or the Scouring. I guess that's when you just have to say 'he did it his way'. All that proves to me is that Jackson is less of a Tolkien fan and more of a movie director. Good or bad...you decide.
Hmmmm I think you are being a tad harsh on Peter Jackson. Like most of us here (I am sure) I have read Lord of the Rings numerous times, and have long wanted and dreaded the film versions of one of my favourite novels (and one of the greatest of all times). All in all I think Peter and crew have made a bloody good set of films out of these novels, yes there are things I would have done differently had I been the director, well it would have been me and Liv Tyler in one after another torid hot and steamy love scenes . My only gripe of any note about the trillogy is not putting in the scouring of the Shire, however I can understand why from a movie (and particularly) Hollywood perspective this was cut out. The very idea that you can defeat the big evil and still have shit happen is not a message they are willing to put out IMHO. As for the fall off the cliff in Two Towers, I agree that wasn't needed, as for the dream sequence I didn't mind that. No it wasn't in the book, but it did illustrate something that was in the novel but would have been very hard to put in otherwise without hours of soppy crap, and that was the devouted love between Arwen and Aragorn. This is important beyond the scope of the tale of the ring. Anyway all in all I give Peter Jackson 10/10 for the trillogy, yes I want to knock off a mark for cutting out the Scouring and more for the cheesy fight at Helms Deep, but I want to give extra marks for both the Barlog and the Battle of Pelnor Feilds, which where awesome beyond my greatest expectations. Now I just want to find a cinema that will show the full *specail* editions of all 3 films on the big screen .
