LOTR = Typical Action Films?

[Balrog_of_Morgoth]

This is an interesting argument. Personally, I think you are all right to a degree, but none of you are totally right. (and what I'm about to say probably isn't right either, but oh well)

The movies had no choice but to use all those action sequences. Had the scenes from the book been left out, there would be an even greater outcry that PJ had butchered the films. Yes, he added the warg battle - but I personally like that scene a lot. ( I could have done without the cliff fall, though)

It could definitely be argued that Helms Deep drug on a bit. But I would argue that there had to be a center, main plot for the middle movie...something to be the driving force while all the peripheral things were happening. I think it succeeded, though there are many smaller things within this decision that I didn't like.

To have a movie that is within 3 hours and the ridiculously large amount of material to cover, you are faced with very tough decisions. Some would say, "then why add the warg battle," but I think it worked ok. The Aragorn/Arwen thing was very questionable, though. Anyway, nearly all the action scenes were from the books and necessary. The character development has been addressed and vastly improved upon in the extended cut (FOTR) and most likely will be with TTT as well.

Cheers,
BOM