[Venkatesh]

I feel outnumbered...

I saw it last night and I wasn't too happy with it. First off, the best part of the book of RoTK was the Scouring of the Shire and the description of the year 1420. The complete removal of that sequence bothered me. Also, where were the Houses of Healing? The power of Merry's blade could have been explained there, the healing hand of the king, and the Faramir/Eowyn sequence could have been inserted. The Paths of the Dead were too undramatic and the Palantir served nearly no purpose. Lord Denethor was not as noble and high as he was in the books.

I was extemely pleased with the battle outside Minas Tirith. The chanting of "grond" while it smashed the gates, the charge of the Rohirrim, and the ferocity of the battle was excellent. Also when Aragorn alighted from the Corsairs of Umbar, the "great deadly light" could be seen in his eyes. Minas Tirith was built nearly the way I had imagined it, with the great forecourt of the white tree and all.

Overall, I like the Fellowship movie better.

Btw, for those who have read the trilogy, what was your favorite book of the three? I liked RoTK best, because of the Scouring of the Shire.