The one thing that really irritated me was that in order to heighten the pace of the movie, they altered the motivators of the characters. Sam, for instance, is compelled to stay with Frodo regardless of Gandalfs orders. Merry and Pippin don't end up going along by chance, they've been spying (through Sam) on Frodo for years expecting him to leave. Pippin btw comes through as a complete moron, which misses its aim as comic relief as well as disrupting the picture of hobbits as "unwilling but courageous heroes". Frodo seems to have gone through a personality change as well, since he's running away from everything. Aragorn seems to be unwilling to shoulder his heritage, something very different from his original character who is waiting for some prophesy to be fulfilled.
I also agree with a previous poster that the hobbits seem less than bright by following Strider without further motivation. In general, the hobbits are portrayed as a bit daft. Except Frodo, who's chicken...
The Shire is excellent. I doubt however that Gandalf, being a researcher of hobbits, would have so much trouble in a burrow. Banging his head once is overdoing it, twice is pathetic...
Intro is good, although the flashback with Elrond and Isildur at mount doom gets much too melodramatic. Besides, if any of my friends were holding, for example, an atomic bomb and refuses to destroy it when given the chance, I wouldn't think twice of wrestling it from him by force - killing him if I have to. Elrond is just justifying his own ineptitude in his monologue on the evils of man
I would have prefered if the "wizard brawl" had been more a battle of the minds, no flying about and no lightning bolts. Something in subjective camera, perhaps, or just them standing there having a strained discussion while the air fizzles. Showing the palantir at this point in the movie will obviously change some aspects of the plot in later films. Having Saruman doing incantations in the carhadras scene gives me the feeling that the film is intended for an audience with limited intelligence... you don't need to write everything in 60 pt writing on peoples noses. On the other hand, there is plenty of information that isn't presented in the film, so someone that hasn't read the books can have a difficult time following parts of the plot.
The balancing act in Moria is pointless and they shouldn't even have wasted film on it. Otherwise Moria is nicely done. They could have given Gimli a little more space though, after all, it's his habitat.
I liked the Balrog, even though they most likely will have to pay royalties to Blizzard
Galadriel? I agree with many of you, it's a nice buildup of tension. I like the surprise on Gimli. The episode with G's mirror reeks. Since it didn't lead the story forward in any way (as it does in the book), they could just as well have skipped it.
I am VERY happy they skipped Tom Bombadillo.
They really didn't have to put such an enormous "black hat" on Saruman. It's obvious he's a traitor, but we don't need a sign the size of a small continent to say so. Besides, they dropped a good oportunity to explore this wrestling with evil and finally giving in to it. Just because Tolkien polarised good and evil "quite a bit" doesnt mean you have to surpass him. Considering the amount of time they spent on showing Galadriels struggle, it would only have been fair.
Ring wraiths were well done. Bilbo's transformation, both with Gandalf and with Frodo were good.
Battle scenes - too long! Dialogue - too short and uninformative.
I have no objections to Gandalf's limited use of magic. In the book, as some have said, he doesn't wish to risk being seen by Sauron. Also, IMO the forces of good in Tolkiens works all seem to fight at their own level, ie orcs and such is warrior stuff, balrogs however is Gandalf work. Would be demeaning for everyone else otherwise
