Yes, Merry and Pippin are funny in the books too at times, but that's not all they are. But then again, if you took out their comic relief parts in the films, they would be pretty dark, so... it's complicated :)

In the books the sword was reforged before they left Rivendell. The symbolism was pretty good in the films, true... but I'd have had Elladan and Elrohir take it, because I find it so strange that Elrond would leave Rivendell without his elven-ring's protection right then!