[Elladan and Elrohir]

Interesting discussion. Frodo is definitely one of the characters who was changed the most in the book-to-movie transition.

First off, I love Movie Frodo. Despite all the differences, despite the high-pitched voice, the helplessness, the rolling eyes . . . Elijah Wood has still managed to become Frodo for me. Not to say that he enters my head every time I read the book, mind you! Through no fault of his own, he hasn't defined the character the way Ian McKellen did Gandalf (the Grey), or that Sean Astin did Sam. But he's still phenomenal, and he is Frodo.

Having said that, I must agree that Movie Frodo is radically different from Book Frodo. All his major opportunities to be heroic seem to have been taken away. The "touch and go" situation in the Barrow - gone. The confrontation with the Nazgul at the Ford of Bruinen - given to Arwen. His greatest feat of all, walking steadily down to meet the eyes of Shelob while holding the Phial of Galadriel - gone.

And of course, this Frodo trips and falls while trying to flee the five Ringwraiths on Weathertop; he trips and falls again repeatedly while trying to flee Shelob -- and he is very visibly consumed by the Ring by the time he gets to Sammath Naur.

But in spite of all that, through it all, I still see the Frodo of Bag End: "What must I do?" And again, the Frodo who makes the decision to set out alone at Parth Galen, just like in the book: "All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you."

Frodo is made a victim, yes. But not an utterly helpless or lifeless victim. He's a character that I can still genuinely like and root for and cry over, just like Sam or Aragorn or any of the others.

Beginning early in TTT, Jackson chooses to show a much quicker consumption of Frodo by the Ring than the book gives. Again, this emphasizes the power of the Ring -- a pivotal theme from the book which, all things considered, is miraculously affirmed again and again throughout the films.

Frodo is certainly made more ordinary in the films. Jackson repeatedly makes his characters more conflicted, less heroic, because he wants his audience to be able to truly relate to them. Whether that's the right way to go about it or not, I will not deign to say here.

In the end, I like Frodo. No, he's not nearly as good as in the book. What do you expect? A movie that matches the book in brilliance, beauty and majesty?

Finally, please don't refer to PJ's work as "fan fiction." This may or may not be an accurate term depending on your interpretation of the meaning of the phrase, but it hardly seems fair to a team of thousands that worked diligently for years to bring Tolkien's world to life. I don't see anything about the work of PJ or any of his team that even remotely brings "fan fiction" to mind.