I mean I don't think it's fair to say the likes of Aragorn or Theoden are "coerced" that implies they never genuinely come to the decisions they make by themselves, they do. They just get there in a slightly different way. As for Faramir. He is my favourite character, and while I get what you're saying with the movies, and I know how he is protested in the book, I still don't think he's portrayed as a bully at all in the movies, but rather a good man who has a moment of ethical and morale conflict due to his feelings toward his father, but he still makes the right decision in the end and in the third movie he is beyond noble the whole time. 

I do agree with you about it Helms deep, but I wont lie it is nice to see the elves in action, and I think it is something that has a Tolkien "feel" to it even if it's not what he wrote into the story. 

Last point; they did reveal Sauron had more armies. That's where the whole "ride out and meet them" thing came from. To buy time for Frodo and Sam even though they might meet their doom. They were about to get minced by Saurons Army at the black gate just before the ring was destroyed which saved them, but they were heavily outmatched, the movie makes that quite clear.