[Pride Of Lions]

This has bothered me for a few years since the movies came out, whatever happened to Tom Bombadil (from "The Fellowship of the Ring")? He was one of my most favorite characters and his "themesong" was one of the most memorable bits in the book. He was nowhere in the movie. Why?

Even more glaring, come to think of it, why (in "The Return of the King" ) is the ending so happy? When the hobbits make it back to the Shire, that Grima Wormtongue had converted the Shire into something horrible, including enslaving the remaining hobbits and cutting down the huge tree. Sam and the rest free the Shire and plant the big seed that Galadriel gave Sam (with the special elf-dust, also left out of "TFotR"). That really tied up some loose ends for me and brought the entire story full-circle. I was bothered that it was left out of the movies.

Also, where were the Beornings for that final battle? I was looking forward to seeing what they looked like (having been curious ever since 1983 when I read "The Hobbit" and that scene with Beorn). Curiously absent again, I see.

OK, so the films are too long already, some might say. I might agree, but at least add these scenes in the DVD release for us hardcore book fans. The movies got so many things right and really fleshed out the stories, it's just a shame that the movies left out the entire stories.

Does anyone here know what I'm talking about? Am I the only one wondering these things?