I do not doubt it could have been worse. However, it also could have been better.
The scene with Xena took away from Frodo, weakening the main character - and for no purpose. The movie could not sustain the new characterization, so they had to drop it without explaining the enormous switch in Arwen’s personality. Had her role been what it was in the book, the remaining scenes with her would have made sense, while allowing the most important character in the book to show his mettle - to help us understand that Frodo was a strong person, both well taught and brave.
No, Viggo wasn’t at fault for the change in his character - but no matter how athletic he is (and I believe that is very), he plays roles as though he’d prefer writing poetry. Maybe that makes him more likable to women, but he remains too wimpy to have won Arwen’s heart and to be the ‘hope of the west’ - someone who could lead the forces against Sauron or plausibly get men to follow him to Mordor.
I'm not so sure about that. Arwen basically took over the roles ascribed to Aragorn and the Elf-Lord, not from Frodo. And it did have a purpose - basically to make Arwen something more than an off-screen and very colorless romantic interest.
The movie could not sustain the new characterization, so they had to drop it without explaining the enormous switch in Arwen’s personality. Had her role been what it was in the book, the remaining scenes with her would have made sense, while allowing the most important character in the book to show his mettle - to help us understand that Frodo was a strong person, both well taught and brave.
The point about Frodo, in fact all the hobbits, is that they are not well taught, they are not mighty warriors, they are very ordinary - and that is their main strength. LOTR is evil defeated by ordinary people with common sense and a mug of good ale. However, I take your point that the Arwen confronting the Ringwraths scene was a quite obvious attempt to pander to modern feminist thinking.
No, Viggo wasn’t at fault for the change in his character - but no matter how athletic he is (and I believe that is very), he plays roles as though he’d prefer writing poetry. Maybe that makes him more likable to women, but he remains too wimpy to have won Arwen’s heart and to be the ‘hope of the west’ - someone who could lead the forces against Sauron or plausibly get men to follow him to Mordor.
Perhaps, but the "High Men" of Gondor are supposed to be culturally advanced, into poetry and learning and lore - basically more elf like than man like. So perhaps that kind of fits. He certainly LOOKS more like a Dunedan than either Sean Bean or David Wenham.
I must admit I didn't like him as Aragorn when I first saw the film, but on repeated viewings he has grown on me. I agree there are limitations to his acting ability, but as I had never seen him in anything else beforehand and not much since, that doesn't really bother me much!