> * Legolas + bow & arrows = one baaad mutha. Watching him whip out arrow after arrow and shoot down charging orcs at practically point-blank range was possibly the most thrilling part of any battle scene.

Especially the bit where he pulls out an arrow and actually stabs an orc with it before shooting another one in the face. Wow.

>
> * The costuming. I can't think of a single character that didn't "look right". I especially liked the look of Boromir's outfit during the council of Elrond; the fabrics looked luxurious and conveyed his high-born heritage without being the least bit gaudy.

I always pictured Boromir as stockier and looking kind of like a Viking (maybe like a taller Gimli) but I can't remember if there's any basis for my mental image.

> * Aragorn sends Frodo on his way. As the Scotsman pointed out, this was among the more egregious changes. Not only did it not make much sense, it diminished the bravery of Frodo's act. He intended to leave his friends behind and strike out alone, a small defenseless hobbit against the power of Mordor. It was an impulsive, ill-advised and selfless thing to do, and not even Aragorn in his wisdom would have allowed it in the book. I can't think of a single good reason for this change; I'd like to hear Peter Jackson explain why he thought it was a good idea.

Yeah, that kind of bugged me too, but on the plus side we good a bigger cool fight scene at the end.

I also liked how the influence of the ring was made more explicit and physical. In a perfect world, where the trilogy is adapted in six three-hour movies rather than three, I would prefer that the ring's nature is revealed with all due subtlety, but Frodo's face morphing into one that looks like Gollum's is pretty good bang for the buck.

>
> That's enough fodder for now, I guess, though the above lists aren't comprehensive.
>
> Iss

Bal"Saw it at midnight on Tuesday, and will probably see it tommorow"anthalus