[Thor]

I thought that the beacon fires were used completely wrongly. In the book they are supposed to be a signal to the people in Gondor that war is coming. So they are supposed to go to various safe havens or to Minas Tirith if a soldier so they can fight. (A side issue - why were all those women and children still in Minas Tirith during the fighting?? They were sent away for their safety, weren't they?) Rohan was summoned by means of a red arrow carried by one of the Rangers (also sadly missing) who was killed on the way back to Gondor. This then causes Denethor to despair even more as he believes Rohan will not come to his aid. Not some stupid morbidity caused by him not wanting to summon them in the first place. All that stuff with Pippin climbing to the beacon tower was really lame in my opinion. Also Gandalf should not be so dismissive of Denethor - he is the ruler of an important city and a clever man (except PJ makes him out to be rather thick)!!! All that smacking him out of the way with his staff was rather high-handed and beyond the scope of Gandalf's role as an advisor and wise man of the age.<P>Oh well, excuse my ranting.<P>I really would have liked the Houses of Healing to be in there as they show Aragorn as a man of peace as well as a great warrior - a worthy man to be king. I also missed the Eowyn/Faramir story. <P>That being said I liked the movie and will be waiting eagerly for the extended version.