Most gripes that LOTR fans seem to have with the movies seem to be the same sort of gripe that people have whenever a book is made into a movie - namely that over half the book was edited out. There are many good reasons for why film makers are forced to edit out content - but it sure seems to cause a lot of heart-ache for the fans.

So I was wondering - do any of you have any "Reverse Gripes"? That is, was there anything in the movies that was BETTER then the book? Was there any change that the film makers made that IMPROVED the story?

No "gripes", please. I'm looking for "reverse gripes" only.

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Well I do sort of like the Elves showing up at Helm's Deep... it was so intense
I can't feel the same way about them being all destroyed though

I dunno what else I preferred in the film...... I guess I can probably only name 1 reverse gripe out of 50 gripes

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I know some people are not going to like this... but I liked that the Old Forest and Tom Bombadil was not in the movies. It really bored me in the book and seemed to just be a stall to me.

I also liked the Frodo almost falling into Mt. Doom, but I woud have liked the falling aspect to go better.

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Hmm...this is an interesting topic. Let's see, I really enjoyed the Aragorn/Arwen scenes because I'm kind of a romantic, so I would've liked to see more concrete evidence of their romance in the actual books (not counting the Tale of A&A, as amazing as it is ).

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I like that they put so much of the story of Aragorn and Arwen into the movie. And also I liked the Grey Havens Scene very much in the movies. In the books it's just such a short part.

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agree about the Aragorn/Arwen bits and skipping straight to Bree instead of the Old Forest.
and,like Haldir Ælfthryth,i liked how the elves turned up at Helms Deep,but not how they were all killed.

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Oh yeah! I liked the scene that was, I think, called Daughter of Kings. I think it was the only Eowyn-Aragorn scene that really added something good to the overall plot and both characters stayed true to the book and Tolkien's purpose.

The way Eowyn swung the sword was so cool! And the looks when they clashed swords...I really liked it.

And I did like a FEW of the things that they added of Legolas: For instance, the scene when he yells his doubt in elvish and Aragorn storms off, then Leggy basically apologizes.

And of course, the oliphaunt scene, omitting Gimli's lines in that section. And then surfing down the stairs at helm's deep, and last but not least, cartwheeling onto the horse.

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I like the part where Bilbo has trouble leaving the ring behind when he leaves home. He can't bring himself to set it on the mantel place or on a table. With hands trembling, he only manages to drop the ring near the front door. Not daring to look back at the ring - he steps out the door, and walks way, looking like he has been relieved of a heavy burden.
Soon afterward, Gandalf moves toward the ring, but (despite the fact that he is a powerful wizard) he dares not touch it. He looks at it with trepidation. He leaves the ring there until Frodo enters. Frodo picks it up without a problem.

That is not how it happened in the book - but I liked it a lot.

Cutting out all of that Tom Bombadill crap was also a definite improvement.

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I liked Eomer, Gandalf and all the men charging down the hill at Helm's Deep! That was cool!

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I liked the backstory that they added for Gandalf- the libraries in Gondor and Rivendell, the Saruman issue, and the imprisonment, that you really don't catch in the book if you aren't looking for them.

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To be completely honest, I didn't like the movies. Don't missunderstand me. I love LOTR, and I think PJ did a good job, but I just didn't really like them.

The A/A pairing was horrible. I kinda hate romance and that much doesn't fit in something like this at all.
I missed important parts which have been in the book.
Some things have been changed completely (made me kinda confused and also a bit angry)
I missed the message and the background of this story you get through the book.

The only thing I REALLY liked in the movies were the locations. They were really good...as I said, PJ did a good job, this is just how I feel about it. You don't need to shout at me and explain me I am wrong. I won't change my opinion about it.

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I liked the movies, I think they were a true nod to the books, and I don't feel ripped off in the slightest.

I'm sorta glad Bombadil and the Barrow Wrights aren't in the movie, but not because I didn't enjoy them, I can't call myself a die-hard Bombadil fan but I didn't mind his involvement, sorta reminded me of Alice In Wonderland. And the Barrow Wrights I thought were very creepy and cool, but there seemed to be so much information, culture, and even a history to the Barrow Wrights that they really could have been one movie by themselves. They had a cool Gothic sort of slant that I think was paid its due in Minas Morgul, the same way Old Man Willow was in Fangorn with Treebeard.

And Frodo dangling off the precipice on Mt Doom of course was a textbook example of a cinematic device, but hey, it works. I was fine with it.

The only thing that's been recently brought to my attention was a little slip with the Mumakil. Sean Austin points it out in the Commentary I think, where Sam goes, "An Oliphant!" Sean was a little surprised that there ended up being two Oliphants. Now, unless Sam has an eye problem... which I doubt... how on earth did he miss the second one? Little continuity slip there PJ!:p

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I loved all of the Merry and Pippin song and dance scenes. The one at the Green Dragon, Pippin's song for Denethor, and when they dance on the table at Edoras in RotK. I know they're serious stories, but I think Tolkien made the hobbits more lighthearted in the books than they were protrayed in the movies. Scenes like these helped make them closer to Tolkien's stories. (especially since there were so many songs and poems in the books.)
I also like Sam's 'tater and rabbit stew scene with gollum.

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