the films, as well made and as great as they are, are the shadow, the copy, the hollow part, whatever you want, compared to the books.
I'm not dissing the films in any way! It's the way I see the characters (for the most part) when I read the books now. (But that's probably because I saw the movie in 2001 before I read the books) The films are awesome... but I believe that because of that awesomeness is because of the books...
But the true form, the most epic of the two, is the original source. It's vast, it's big, no matter what you think, it's more epic than the films.
Sure the director and writers obviously had to slim the vast amounts of rich information the books contain to make the films, well, films. I understand the changes made for smooth-story and dramatic film-rule purposes, but many things could have been left intact and excecuted in a way that probably DOES break book-to-film rules but could be pulled off very dramatically and probably better.
For example, it would have been more of a risk, and if done properly, alot better, to have had the Shelob sequence (I really didn't like the lighting on that scene... blargh) be the actual climax of The Two Towers, and have the siege of the Deep be a middle-part of the story. Sure, that would be a hard nut to crack, but I feel that it would be able to have been pulled off, and to a much more accurate and greater effect dramatically. Leaving the 'tension/suspence' thing for ROTK's Siege of Gondor. I understand it would be a big risk and that they were trying to get Two Towers to be as 'whole' of a movie as possible.
If there were a 'Shelob Climax' then obviously the scene would be a bit different to the existing one in ROTK... including all the rest of the hobbit's journey from Faramir. Speaking of Faramir, his role would have to be squished back into his normal 'book form'... so there won't be an osgiliath scene, and Faramir would act as he does in the books.
also I think inserting the Elves into Helm's Deep is an unessecary addition. I understand as well that the filmmakers felt that we needed to be reminded of the elves and of their presence in the movies so they won't be forgotten for a long time, but we saw quite a few elves in 'The Two Towers' film already. Recall the Arwen subplot... Arwen's an elf, and Elrond's an elf, so is galadriel.... enough elves to be reminded of... Also, if using the 'Shelob scene climax' method, it would give more of a hopeless mood for the defenders of Helm's Deep with no elves coming to help out (Hey! That means Haldir stays alive!). Also, in the ROTK book, we do get help from, I think it was elves, and the swann knights of Dol Amroth before the siege takes place... instead of having elves in Helm's Deep.
Ok these were a few examples of what they could have left and re-structured and it would have also worked as well. Ok back to the topic....
I think the movies are good movie-versions of LOTR (could have left some things in), but the real version always beats the films, games, fanfics, etc, etc... that is the books!