I think what Tolkien would have hated the most was Aragorn murdering the Mouth of Sauron. Stylistic choices are one thing, but turning morality on its head is on another scale.

That's scene is extended edition only tho

This is wildly unrelated and I apologize but it reminds me of Apollo 13 vs From The Earth To The Moon (which Tom Hanks directed so one suspects he had more creative freedom)

FTETTM has artistic license. There's no record of Collins (Apollo 11) saying "If you had any balls, you'd say 'oh my god! what is that thing?', scream and cut your mic" but it's very in line with his general character, you can imagine it happening

Apollo 13 put in a bogus argument with Swigert after the oxygen tank exploded

I will never not despise "artistic license" which is just simply wrong