What did Jackson do right?

[Thu]

All to often on these forums people gripe about what Jackson got wrong. Rather than get bent out of shape about it I am just happy that someone actually made the movies at all.

Now don't get me wrong I get as annoyed at some of these as anyone, particularly the overhaul of Aragorn's attitude toward his possible kingship, but he did get some things right.

For example:

The Shelob-Sam fight. That scene is one of my favorites from the book and I love Jackson's representation of that fight. It had the right amounts of giant creepy spider and Sam's doughty determination.

The general feel of the Nazgul. They are just as sinister and foreboding as I imagined them from the books.

The use of Sindarin. This could have easily been left out, but anywhere it was appropriate to have characters speak in Sindarin, they did so. Not knowing Sindarin myself I can't speak for the accuracy of what they said but I like the fact that they went to the trouble to do so.

The scenery in general, specifically I like Parth Galen and Amon Hen, the toppled statues and ruined stonework give the feel of a great civilization in decline.