Actually, I shall refrain myself from droning on about how popular and successful the films were. Y'all know my position in that regard. I shall merely limit myself to observing that surely anyone who saw the films in the cinema cannot deny that these moments generally elicited the intended reaction from large sections of the audience (myself included - albeit, admittedly, against my better judgment on occassion
).
This takes us back, I think, to the question of whether it is "right" to tinker with well-loved characters in order to enhance audience appeal (at least among those to whom these moments are primarily targetted).