Another Freeper (and I apologize, but I can't remember who) pointed out that by putting the story of the Last Alliance in the movie's prologue, the movie changed the tone of the book. In the book, the innocent cheeriness of the first chapter is undiluted by any knowledge of the Shadow until the second, giving us a steady progression from light into the darkness that hangs over the rest of the books. In the movie, on the other hand, we have a "light sandwich," with only a brief enjoyment of the ideal life of the Shire placed between the prologue and Gandalf's search for answers.
That's not a criticism of the movie, really, just an observation of the difference a small change in format can make to the tone.
Yours in Truth,
That is interesting--they took the story that Gandalf related in Chapter 2 and placed in the very beginning with Galadriel telling the story instead. It does make a huge difference, because in the book the shadow and threat of what is to come creeps slowly onto the idyllic scene. The reader slowly becomes aware of the gravity of the threat, rather than having it presented full-force right at the start. Something that a book can do where a movie can't necessarily present as successfully...
There was an awful lot of care and thought put into how a story is told in a movie setting as opposed to on the printed page. I'm amazed at how well they balanced their faithfulness to the story with the necessity of adapting it to an entirely different medium.
-penny