I've read several of the reviews, and the one thing noone has mentioned is the way Sam and Frodo's relationship is portrayed. In the book (and I know now you are calling me a purist), Frodo and Sam love each other dearly. Sam is like a father or big brother to Frodo. This is an intense love and desire to protect that I think the movie misses entirely. Frodo is at times portrayed as downright mean to Sam, I admit at times he was firm in the book when he rebuked Sam for his treatment of Gollum but in the movie you don't see that "everything I am doing I am doing exclusively for you" attitude that is so obvious in the original writing. Sam was by Frodo's side, not because Galdalf said so, but because he was worried about his friend. While I agree with the "purist" reviews and wish that so much of the storyline had not been changed to "more interesting" fighting scenes, I will happily view this film again and again and be happy with what Tolkien I can get. I still appreciated Fellowship much more due to the close adherence to the original storyline. I have to thank Peter Jackson for bringing to the screen the personification of what I had for so many years been viewing in my imagination and doing it so well that I could honestly say it could have been my imagination I was seeing (this is especially true of Aragorn, ooohh baby!) I went to the midnight showings of Fellowship (which I left with a tear in my eye) and Two Towers (which I left wondering if maybe I should have just gotten a good night's sleep) and I will be present for the midnight of Return of the King, but this time I will be much more guarded in my expectations.