I have to agree with Phantom on this one, PJ's changes, many of which were uneccesary, added nothing to the story but "refrigerator moments" ( that is, things in the story that don't make sense that you realize later). I don't think that the language made the films any more popular, to the contrary they just seemed out of place. If they wanted to make the films "accessable" then why not do them
entirely in modern language, rather than switching back and forth. People don't love these movies because of anything PJ added (those of us who hate his additions still love the movies), they love them because of the parts that
are true to Tolkien's story.
As to the "dumbing down" of the stories I agree that they were but I don't think that the people who like things "dumbed down" are necessarily less intelligent. After all Saucepan is obviously anything but dumb but he said he likes pop music!
Instead I tend to look at it as meaning the movies in themselves were "dumber" (that is, they do not stimulate us intellectually). You may like pop music for example, but you can not claim that Britany Spears(or even a
real band like Metallica for that matter
) is the intellecual equivilant of Mozart. To me the difference between the books and the movies is the difference between hearing great classical music from an orchestra and hearing the cell phone ringer version.
As for Theoden's line, the problem I had with it is that it is a cliche. I have heard that same line used in so many other movies and shows. We
know losing a child is horrible we are not idiots, all that was needed was maybe showing him grieving. If you are going have him say something about the pain of losing a child you should at least come up with something original, and it wouldn't heart if it was appropriate for the times either.
Even so I love the movies.