Ummm, it's tempting to say that ANY TIME you have characters who are intrinsically evil (i.e., monsters of any kind) -- as opposed to people who are evil by choice -- then you're talking about cheesy Hollywood stuff or one-dimensional kid's stuff.Now I'm positive you haven't read it. The main theme throughout the trilogy is the protagonist's struggle with the seduction of power and it's corrupting influence on the soul.
Might be a good idea to read it before you trash it.
The main theme throughout the trilogy is the protagonist's struggle with the seduction of power and it's corrupting influence on the soul. Not just the protagonist, and not just power. There are a great number of LOTR characters tempted by things they greatly desire. Some resist temptation and remain good. Some fail and turn to evil. Some fail and then attempt to redeem themselves. Even Sauron himself is evil by choice rather than nature (although this is not made clear in LOTR, it's very clear in the Silmarilion).
That was going to be my comment also: MarkWar must not have read the books. Even Sauron himself did not
begin evil, but was seduced into it by the love of power. (This happens well before LotR begins; there is more about it in
The Silmarillion.) The evil creatures in LotR are simply physical manifestations of evil in the heart. JRRT utilized the ages-old power of myth to tap into some human truths that lie very deep, to bring them up to the surface and make them vividly unforgettable by projecting them onto a complete world of his own creation. Whatever you think of the turbidity of his prose style (my kids could follow it perfectly around the ages of 8-10 during our bedtime book reading), this is
not a kid's story.
And while we're on Robert Heinlein, try "The Tale of the Adopted Daughter," in Time Enough for Love (1973), which is one of the most moving stories I've read. The Cat Who Walks Through Walls (1985) is also one of my favorites, but it's more of an action/adventure story. He was truly "The Master" of science fiction.