Home again, from our second viewing. I think I enjoyed it more this time... the differences were less jarring, and I was able to relax more and enjoy the action. Some comments on subjects old and new...
First off, the changes to Faramir's storyline didn't bother me as much this time. The actor played Faramir very subtly... Faramir was noticing things and thinking things through. I still think a scene showing Faramir's inner conflict more clearly would have been welcome... as it is, it is so subtle that it is easy to miss on a single viewing.
Secondly... I haven't seen anyone yet comment on the portrayal of Grima Wormtongue. My impression: he's a very negative person. And, when he's cast out of Rohan and goes to Saruman, he turns that negativity against Saruman: paraphrasing, "Even if this strange explosive powder of yours takes down the wall, you'll still need an army of thousands, and you ain't got a army that big!" Then, when Saruman shows Grima his army, there's a close up of Grima's face... with a tear running down his cheek. This leads me to something that may be obvious, but no one else has commented on: Grima didn't want Rohan destroyed, he wanted it whole, but under his control. I speculate that Grima's unhappiness with Saruman's attack will lead him to betray Saruman; if the Spiky Wheel is truly Saruman's end, this will be why Grima pushed him. Which makes me wonder if Grima will survive?
A final comment on the venue... it was truly nice watching the movie while eating! We weren't seated at tables, it was more like stadium seating... each row of seats had a bench-like table running the length of the row, in front of the seats. Orders were placed by writing them on a piece of paper that was provided, and then sticking the paper in a holder for the wait staff to pick up. "Last call" was an hour or so before the end of the movie; at that time, the check was dropped off for payment. The sound system was a first-rate DTS system; I wasn't able to hear any distracting sounds over it, except for once when a beer bottle fell. The wait staff were very careful, and didn't distract from the movie at all. In all, we had a great time!
What an excellent point, Bear! I remember his tears, but wasn't sure what was up. Things went so fast after that, I just didn't spend any time thinking about it!