In a way, it was effective for me the first time I watched the movie because it was SO VERY WRONG and strange that after that I had no idea what was going to happen. So even though I'd read the book by then (I hadn't when I saw the first two movies) I was in horrible suspense through that whole thing until after the Tower of Cirith Ungol.

But yeah, not terribly in character for either of them. Ah well.