Fun Film - Read the Book Instead

Rating: 5/10 (20 January 2015)

I've been a LOTR and Tolkien fan since I was a kid. Probably longer than your average fan. I was thrilled at the idea this great book was going to be made into a film. I was less than thrilled to learn that it was going to be turned into a 3 movie trilogy. After seeing all three films, I was not wrong to think that way. So much substance of the book that made the story what it is was either stunted,simply glazed over or left out altogether. The decision to include Legolas in these films when he otherwise does not exist was a poor choice. The invention of Tauriel's character was also very poor. If that was not bad enough, the impossible romance between Tauriel and Kili was a violation of all things Tolkien. If you like a good pop corn film, this is the one for you, as is the case the 2 previous installments. The only thing that saved this film was the top notch performances by the entire cast. The CGI was good, although some would debate this point. In all, this film (and the others) leaves me with the feeling they were not put together with the same enthusiasm that went into the LOTR films. They seemed hurried and rushed. The truly sad part is if there was ever any glimmer of hope that the Tolkien Estate would release the rights to the Simarillion, that possibility was certainly extinguished by the way Mr. Jackson chose to present The Hobbit. The Simarillion would have most definitely been a great series to watch on one of the pay channels in the tradition of Game of Thrones, The Borgias etc. I cannot give these films more than 5 stars and retain any semblance of conscience.