I disliked some of the structural changes to the LotR movies back when they first came out. Recently I’ve been learning how to design stories that people want to read or watch and I’ve realized that some of the changes were necessary to put the movies into something closer to the three-act structure that we subconsciously expect. Cutting out Bombadil, for instance, was vital to making sure the moment of fateful decision appeared at the proper time. Structuring the Two Towers to end after the Battle of Helm’s Deep allowed for a proper Act Three complete with low point and final victory.
That doesn’t mean he should be allowed to get the color of beards wrong, of course! But if you (that’s the general you, not you personally Tax-Chick) want to see a version that more closely follows the story yet is truly... awful as a story, the Ralph Bakshi animated version is instructional.
I agree with leaving things out and moving events from one “book” to another in order to make an effect film. I even agree with depicting events on screen that were described in conversation in a book. In a book, words are words, whether they’re “live action” or a conversation, while on screen, fighting (for example) is not at all same as talking about fighting.
However, making up new material - action that didn’t happen in the book, stupid modern jokes, significant changes in characters - is inexcusable, in my opinion. It’s the imposition of the filmmaker’s ego over the author, just because he can, and I believe it is dishonorable.
I saw the old, animated “Hobbit” movie when I was a child. It may have inspired me to pick up the book, but it was so long ago that I don’t remember.