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Have you seen it more than once Argh? I think it is important... and I would imagine you have not seen the extended. The extended is a different feeling film... that I am now using as my reference. So we may be talking apples to.... um... better apples.

I ask because I felt the same way you did about the prologue when I had only seen it once. It stole a bit of the innocence of the beginning, and it was hard for me to settle back in again in the Shire. After seeing it again now, and talking to non-readers, it was vital for them.

I also know that the first time I saw it, I did not see all the nuance that is there if you see it again with more attention available for the details. There may be things inferred or alluded to with a glance, perhaps really the actor's intention, a nod to the reader that acknowledges something more that is not fully explained, and perhaps it is me reading something into their performances that is not meant to be there, but either way, the film allows me to see it. There are many times where I know what the characters are thinking in moments where there was more to the story than made it into the script. Readers of the book know what is behind the nod, those that haven't read the story don't need to know, and the story works for us both. Does that make sense? - Anyway, I just wondered if you had seen it more than once. It was better for me when the shock value of the changes and ommissions had passed, and I was able to judge it on its own merits.

I love the whole work despite nitpicks here and there that I still hold. (I hate Galadriel-turned Halloween, for instance)... but I hate to criticize it too much because on the whole I think it is a fair and respectful retelling.

Yes, I've seen it twice, but I've not seen the extended, which may be worthwhile, I guess. The second time I saw it on TV on pay-per-view. For some reason on the big screen in the theatre the movie appeared a little grayed-over, you could hardly tell when the sun was out! (The commercials on TV showed me that SOMETHING was wrong with the big screen look I'd seen). I enjoyed it, surprisingly, from a visual point of view much more on the small screen. Therefore, I enjoyed it generally more the second time around, although the same basic complaint remained. I didn't think it was awful, I appreciated the effort, but I personally found it tedious. Now don't take it personally, but the Elrond's Council scene was much more annoying the second time, a particular place where I thought some of Tolkien's dialogue would have been better than the dull stuff they used. I found I hadn't missed any nuance the first time around, which surprised me a little. But I also pitied people who didn't know the books. They must have wondered at a number details as well as elements of the main thrust of the story, as Iggy mentioned earlier.

That Galadriel transformation was really hamfisted, wasn't it?