[HCIsland]

I like Tom Bombadil and the Barrow Down chapters but the very fact that they could jump cut from Bucklebury Ferry to the gates of Bree without missing a beat shows that he does not do much for advancing the story. The chapters do a lot of giving us glimpses of the history of Arnor, but are not needed. The hobbits can get their swords from Aragorn and Merry has the elven blade to stab the Witch King with.<P>To do Tom and the Barrow Wrights justice would have taken at least half an hour of the movie. Tell me the half hour to take out! In the meantime the non-book reader is wondering exactly where this movie is going. It already takes an hour and a half to get the to the Council of Elrond and the forming of the Fellowship where the central plot is finally laid out.<P>I love old Tom, but I would rather have him taken out completely than to give him some token appearance that would never satisfy anyone.<P>H.C.<p>[ April 20, 2003: Message edited by: HCIsland ]