Everything you described is very common in fan fics and why I called it as such. I don't disagree with your points (most of them), but I do disagree with the severity of the condemnation for those points. I thought it was fine, not stellar, not terrible, it was fine and enjoyable for what it was. A high budget fan fic made by people who respected the lore but wanted to do their own take. Which is what Rankin/Bass and Jackson both did as well. Those are fun too. A huge amount of book fans were livid with Jackson for the changes he made in his adaptation too when the films released. If you think ROP is inaccurate then definitely don't go back and watch the Rankin/Bass cartoons, you might blow a gasket.