To me, he doesn't get it together until the night he spent wrestling with Sauron in the palantir. When he comes out from doing that... he is changed. And everything he does and says is decisive and kingly.
In the movie though, you don't get any of the indecision. (Except a little bit in Rivendell) He takes control of the group right after Gandalf falls.
I don't mind the movie Aragorn at all. In fact, it wasn't until I saw the movie that I began to have appreciation for the character.
Anyway, let me know what you think.
The book-Aragorn, I think, spent basically his whole life preparing to be king. Why else did he spend times fighting for the kings of Gondor and Rohan - his future kingdom and future allies? Being a Ranger was his job - but it got him acquainted with the people and places of Arnor, and probably the lands between. He can speak Common, probably both forms of Elvish, and the language of the Rohirrim. He is friendly with most of the free peoples of Middle Earth.
The movie-Aragorn... well, if they're playing it that he never really wanted to be King, why can he do all these things? Is he just Middle-Earth's version of a renaissance man? However his character is sort of brought to more light and made easier to understand in the movie... I know people who consider book-Aragorn "a bit of a stick". Doubt you could say that about the movie version!
Oh he's not that bad! :)
He's supposed to get the Hobbits lost on the way to Rivendell...so the Black Riders can't find them. It's not like he had no clue where he was. To me, choosing the Cadharas route is saner than trying Moria. So that plan didn't work out. It happens (expecting Aragorn to be omniscient is a bit much).
He doesn't know whether to go with Frodo or with Boromir at the end of the Fellowship.
Well, Frodo. I fear that the burden is laid upon you. You are the Bearer appointed by the Council. Your own way you alone can choose. In this matter I cannot advise you. I am not Gandalf, and though I have tried to bear his part, I do not know what design or hope he had for this hour, if indeed he had any. Most likely it seems that if he were here now the choice would still wait on you.His decision depended on Frodo's decision.
As for the angst at Boromir's death, would you want to follow a leader that didn't care that one of his companions died?
It always seemed to me that in the book, although he is unsure of himself to some extent, after Gandalf dies and the Breaking of the Fellowship, as to whether his methods are working (you got to admit he had a run of really bad luck!), he is utterly sure of his goal, which is to become King of Gondor and Arnor so he can marry Arwen. He's spent 40 years working steadily towards this goal.
In the movie, OTOH, Elrond says to Gandalf that Aragorn has exiled himself, implying that he has decided not to pursue the Crown. Thie implies to me that he is supposed to be unsure not only of his tactics, but even of whether he wants to try to be King.
The scene with Aragorn/Arwen where she cheers him up with her faith in him is not realistic, IMHO, for that time in Aragorn's life. Although it might be very appropriate for the period 40 years or so earlier when they get engaged. They've obviously compressed some of the history of their relationship timewise. I don't have a real problem with that, as I think it works fairly well. The only alternative would be some type of flashback scene to Lorien, which would just confuse the newbies no end.
In the movie, the implication is that it isn't until Boromir lies dieing that Aragorn decides to fight for and defend the people of Gondor. In the book, he has always intended to fight for the Numenoreans (after all, he has been doing it for 60 years), the only question is over tactics.
I guess PJ is attempting to compress the whole history of Aragorn's life and character development and the Aragorn/Arwen relationship into the timespan of the movie. Not a bad idea, just very different from what I got out of the book.