The Return of the Flashback

[dancing spawn of ungoliant]

Here are some of my thoughts. I like that, how there's a flashback at the beginning of all three films. It makes a nice "soft" start and kind of transports you in Middle-Earth (though I found the Smeagol strangling Deagol part very creepy).

When I first read the books, I was furious since Aragorn got married to some mysterious and strange elf instead of Eowyn. When I read the appendix, I was very contented with their marriage. So, if I hadn't read the story, without those Aragorn&Arwen flashbacks, I would have been quite confused. But somehow I think PJ gave the audience too much of their relationship (the horse-kissing part was quite superfluous).

In TTT EE the flashback of Gondor's victory is amazing (and there's the theme of Gondor playing...how could I not like it?). It's a little disturbing, though, that both Denethor and Boromir seemed to be very well informed about the Ring and it's powers. But the scenery is just breath-taking. And the scene is in my opinion very well placed in the movie. It's like we could peek into Faramir's mind.