Turning Ribeye Steak into a BK Whopper

Rating: 2/10 (14 December 2013)

The first installment of the Hobbit at least was kind of okay as an action movie, even if it mangled the book. This time, the person next to me nudged me and asked whether I wanted to leave about one and half hours into the film. I was tempted. Very tempted but stuck it out. However, by the time it was finished, it was a relief it was over.
I am not going to repeat all the same points from my review of the first Hobbit film, but instead will think of a 'what if?' scenario.
What if Jackson had made a single film, about two and a half hours long (or three?) and had stayed true to both the spirit of the book and the story? You see, the book has sold year in and year out for decades. This is because it is a VERY GOOD STORY. Just think about what could have been made.....it was possible that he could have made a classic film that would stand the test of time of decades of being watched and loved, and would have sealed his reputation as one of the greats.
Do not get me wrong - I love dumbass action films. My enduring recent favourite film is Battleship. I like action, I like fantasy, I like fun films. However, instead of any of these, we are fed a bloated, overblown version of the story. As an analogy, Jackson had a recipe to make a gourmet rib eye steak sandwich and instead chose to mince the steak to make a Burger King Whopper.....
....and whilst a beautiful rendition of a steak sandwich may be remembered, who remembers a Burger King dinner....it kinda satisfies for a short while, but in the end it is just junk.