[tirsales]

Originally Posted by bertold

Book-Faramir vows to not be tempted by Isildur's Bane and keeps his word, movie-Faramir not only makes no such vow, but immediately falls prey to the Ring literally seconds after encountering it.

I agree - this was a very, very bad error (and one that spoils the logic in the film ..)

Book-Denethor has the nobility of a great ruler before his reason succumbs to his cares and worries (even Pippin thinks of him as more like to Aragorn than to Boromir); by contrast, movie-Denethor is a corrupt, demented imbecile from the get go. He can also run a quarter of a mile while on fire, but I try to pretend that scene never took place.

Hmm, I really didnt think that positive of Denethor. Granted, he's more of a laughing stock in the film, but I didnt feel he was treated unjust.

The Council of Elrond becomes a shouting-match

Hasnt been much more in the book

Treebeard has to be tricked into attacking Isengard

Annoying, yes - but would you prefer watching Ents talk for days?

Elrond Half-Elven is portrayed as a racist pig

Hmm, I didnt feel the elves are painted unjust - bunsh of ignorant racist, the whole lot of them

Movie-Gimli lacks any of the original character's wonderful traits and is simply the butt of a crapload of stupid jokes.

Agreed.

even Arwen, for Pete's sake, is introduced onscreen by bringing a blade up to her fiancee's throat

I agree that Arwen is one of the worst failures of the film.

And the most beloved character of all, Gandalf, is not immune to Jackson's idiotic treatment either. He beats the hell out of Denethor with his staff, for example, in one of the most despicable scenes in the entire trilogy of films.

Oh well, how to paint an exorcism?

He goes to confront Saruman after he was defeated by Treebeard not to extend a chance for Saruman to turn from evil and onto a path to redemption (as does book-Gandalf), but to get the skinny on Sauron's next move.

Agreed.

Note, too, that the changes mentioned above are only a fraction of what Jackson did wrong in these movies. I could really go on for hours on this topic, but I fear that even the above is too long for a single post.

It is not

I personally believed the films to be better then I expected any movie to be (e.g. I really loved Gollum, Boromir and Shelob). It's not the book (can you spell ghosts bringing down elephants (sorry, forgot the english name and I dont think the german one would be known )) but its a nice work in its own rights.
There are some laughable scenes or bad decisions (e.g. Arwen, Legolas skating down a stair on a shield, Liv Taylor, Saurons Eye with its searchlight, Arwen, Orks in Moria, Arwen, ...), there are some grave mistakes, there are some things that really could have been done better - but there are also many positive differations from the book (e.g. leaving out Bombadil) - because you simply cannot take a book and paste it 1:1 into a film.