[The Saucepan Man]

I can see it all now. The eagerly anticipated film will be released. There will be rave reviews in the media and it will be a massive box office success. <P>But there will be plot changes, some favourite characters and/or scenes missed out (*cough*Scouring of the Shire*cough*). Many of the character changes already evident will continue to rankle with those who have been disappointed by them so far. Perhaps Faramir will not be sufficiently redeemed for some tastes. Perhaps a favourite character newly introduced will not live up to expectations.<P>And Tolkien fans the world over will delight in debating all of these points back and forth, and back and forth again, for months afterwards. Some will be outraged at the changes. Some will like the film overall but have their particular gripes. Others will be accepting of the changes, perhaps understanding why they were made. And the debates will continue for many months after ... <P>Personally, given the quality of the two previous films (as films), the material Jackson has to work with (much of which will undoubtedly lend itself to great cinema) and the fact that this film represents a resolution of the story (and therefore has somewhere to go), I have no doubt that I will enjoy it immensely. Yes, I am sure that I will have one or two personal gripes, just as I have with the two previous films, but I am confident on previous form that it will not fail to delight me.