on the hobbit and lotr, given how successful the trilogy of films of the latter was I think it would be a big surprise if Jackson didn't adopt a similar approach tone wise. I liked the book but am perfectly happier to see a much darker version of it on screen.
Strangers on a Train - good, but didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I might, possibly a case of hearing about a film"classic" so often one builds expectations up too far, but still enjoyable though, and marks the start of discovering Hitchcock mode. ( Have already seen Psycho and The Birds )