I think that the LOTR movies were very well done. A really good example of they got really close but weren't quite right is a movie I actually got to see last night. Where the Red Fern Grows. I have had the same copy of that book for (like PF's shoes) 20 years. Have read it multiple times. In fact if there is one book in my collection I know better than any other it's that one. They did a fine job on the movie, the overall points of the book were gotten to and well delivered, however they messed up a few scenes from the book, cut some others, changed a few lines here and there. Overall a good movie, but the book is much better.

I would like to say that if you have younger children I would not let them watch the movie unless you think they can handle the idea of death. They included the scene where a young boy, Rubin Pritchard, dies and of course the last two chapters of the book where Bill Coleman and his two dogs fight a mountain lion ultimately killing one dog and the other dies of loss of will to live. At least with the book, you skip these parts.

__________________
"BOY: On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses? GIRL: Will he offer me his mouth? BOY: Yes. GIRL: Will he offer me his teeth? BOY: Yes. GIRL: Will he offer me his jaws? BOY: Yes. GIRL: Will he offer me his hunger? BOY: Yes. GIRL: Again, will he offer me his hunger? BOY: Yes! GIRL: Yes. BOY: On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses? GIRL: Yes. BOY: I bet you say that to all the boys!" -Meatloaf