: On reflection, I tend to disagree, however. I think Frodo's realization is more gradual and starts, if anywhere, when he talks with Gildor at Woody End. But it's a reasonable argument; clearly it does grow at Bombadil's House. Don't get me wrong -- Bombadil is one of my favorite characters. The Old Forest is the first time the Hobbits venture outside the Shire. It would be a shame to lose...but if he's keeping the first movie to two hours, there's still a lot of ground to cover even without most of the expository text and "down-time" in the journeys. 2.5 to 3 hours, and maybe it would be a different story.

One must always remember that this is Jackson's interpretation. While I throughly enjoy the Bombadil episode i would cetainly cut it if i were making the movie. As for the argument about the hobbit's sword I would suggest that the simply appear at their sides when the company departs Rivendell with the unspoken suggestion that they acquired them from the elven smiths.

Cirk Bejnar