One of my favourite parts in the books was the appearance of Aragorn. I remember reading it and thinking "ooh, who's this strange man then?" ...and a lifetime of 'gorn fandom was born.
So i was excited as to how they would introduce him in the film. I have to say that I did like the way they achieved this - and they made nice use of the tobacco in his pipe glowing red, contained within...a ring. Though something I've always been fascinated by was missing, the entrance of the dark figure who slips over the gate.
I liked the look of Bree in the sequence, but I was disappointed that they laid on the sinister aspect with a shovel, as I've always thought of Bree to be an extremely friendly place, just with some odd customers at the pub. I noted that there were no other Hobbits in the pub either.
I did laugh watching it on freeze frame as it appears Isildur is walking down the street hidden under one of those cloaks. Is it Aragorn? And is he standing at the bar smoking when the Hobbits walk in?
As for the dropping of Frodo's song and the real reason he ended up wearing the ring, I have to admit I'm disappointed but not at all surprised. In general, Frodo in the films is played as 'intense Frodo', and his one moment of silliness looks
very silly, his dancing at Bilbo's party. We know that Frodo was a light hearted and lovable Hobbit, with dreams, but not a permanent look of a 'rabbit caught in headlights' - he could have fun just as much as any other Hobbit. Here we get a Frodo who does not have much fun; all the instances of fun causing trouble seem to go to Pippin.