"I was going to note that Dunedain were beardless, being of partial Elvish extraction. Maybe CGI can replace Mortenson..."
I first read Tolkien's books (the four of them) back in 1966 and did an immediate re-read along with two other re-readings over the ensuing decade. I approached this film effort with great trepidation.
The first film, FOTR won me over and I actually got excited about seeing the rest. (My tolerance for modern, CGI dependent, explosion a minute films is very limited.)
Mortenson was without a question the weakest link in the chain of characters and that greasy, unkempt aura never quite gave way to anything resembling regal, especially alongside the superb kingly acting effected in the person of Theoden, King of Rohan. Mortenson left me with a vague feeling not only of not being kingly, but sexually ambiguous. It seemed like all the romantic effort was coming from Arwen.
Maybe my fantasies are running away with me here, but I think if I had been that close to Liv Tyler I could have mustered up a more impassioned response.
I actually think Jackson paid great fealty to Tolkien’s vision. Sure, he took some cinematic license, but in the main, he screened characters that embodied the virtues (and failings) of the Tolkien cast pretty well ... with the notable exception of Aragorn.
For example, Brad Dourif’s Grima was every bit the despicable opportunist Tolkien painted. And Sam — though occasionally heavy-handed — came through as an archetypal hero who doesn’t even comprehend his own heroism.
But probably the truest characterization was Ian McKellen’s stellar portrayal of Gandalf. An epic performance in an epic role he was born to. Too bad he’s a poof ...