The difference is, our society has become so feminized it cannot fathom violence, even to protect the good and the innocent. As Professor Tolkein's dear friend CS Lewis predicted, we are a society of "men without chests."
Other than minor changes (White Orc got killed before Battle of Moria) and additions (back story from Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion added at the beginning to continuity), I had no argument with the movie. I thought Peter Jackson did a fine job. The Hobbit was every bit as faithful to the book and as entertaining as the first Lord of the Rings movie.
To my mind, that's a condemnation. Jackson totally butchered the character of Galadriel, and even moreso, Faramir.
Way too much of the movie was Jackson's and not near enough Tolkien's. Maybe if I hadn't read the books 20 or more times I wouldn't have noriced.