Do you think the lord of the Rings book is better than the film?

[ainur]

Books are usually better than their movie counter-parts, except when the book was based on the movie. (Those are usually horrible) These movies are excellent adaptations of an exceptional story. The few changes that P.J. made are (in my opinion) the weakest flaws in the movies. (Arwen is half mortal and should fear the Nazgul; Frodo knows enough elvish--both Quenya and Sindarin--that he shouldn't have to ask the word for "friend" but Merry should. etc.) We all know what changes were made. In every case of every change I noticed from the book, no matter how minor, it weakened the film because it fell off from the story-logic that Tolkien originally envisioned.

But they are still great films. Most film makers would consider Tolkien unfilmable, impossible but P.J. succeeded in creating some great movies out of this "impossible" story. But they can never be as good as the book. Especially when changes are made.