h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Nit-picking here, I know, but just how does Boromir "know" Aragorn before they are formally introduced at the council of Elrond? Yes he happens upon Aragorn whilst looking at the shards of Narsil, but he hardly point out his lineage at that point. When the council meets he referes to him simply as a ranger until Legolas names him.

Sorry, Nylarthotep, didn't see you there.

To answer your point:

In the book, Aragorn is presented as a Ranger with his lineage known to none but his fellow rangers, the Elves, Gandalf and only a few other characters, like Bilbo.

On the other hand, the people of Minas Tirith are presented as being entirely unaware of his existence, let alone his name.

At the council Aragorn introduces himself to Boromir and is named as Isildur's heir by others.

In the film, Aragorn merely introduces himself at the council and Boromir immediately identifies him as Isildur's heir.

Separately I've seen others remark that the actor playing Aragorn is too young. In my view I think that Jackson isn't too far adrift. Aragorn is supposed to live for a couple of hundred years and is about 60 when introduced in the book. So he should look to be around 30.

What do you think?

Yes.

I heard that the actor orginally cast to play Aragorn was Stuart Townsend (Shooting Fish, Queen of the Damned...) who is even younger (not that I've been watching the DVD too much!

He might have carried it off, who can tell?

I doubt it as he managed to balls up the role of Lestat in the latter movie.

The casting of Vigo Mortenson as Aragorn was a good move as it brought a relative unknown to the fore and allowed his interpretation of the character to shine rather than the ego of a more famous actor. The same is true of the role of Gandalf as Sean Connery was proposed, but McKellum plays the role so well I can't imagine another actor in the role.

As for Aragorn's age, Jackson evidently sees him as the action hero/sensetive modern man of the piece and Mortenson fits the role. I have thought that in the past people have been too quick to cast a haggered older man as Aragorn. The character in the animated film looked like a pensioner for god's sake.