The comparison doesn't really work since in the bottom picture we have a closeup of Gandalf and in the above he's far away and you can barely make his face out. Even then I find myself more drawn to the above.
Furthermore this article is less about comparing the new with the old and judging the new by itself to reassess their view and see if they draw the same conclusion since I have seen on many occasions how nostalgia affects the mind whether we're aware of it or not. And I'm happy to see people have already done just that.