The real disappointment was the lack of back and forth between Bilbo and Smaug (and Bilbo being a TERRIBLE thief. who walks into a known dragon lair and yells 'HELLO'/whatever he yelled? YOU'RE FIRED, BILBO).

The riddles back and forth between them in the book were legitimately my favourite bits of the ENTIRE book. While they did have some in the film and I got to appreciate Smaug's beautiful facial structure and subtle detailing/movements it wasn't enough. Especially when what we were given instead was...a chase scene. A chase scene that ended in a BEDAZZLED DRAGON AND THE WORST CGI GOLD I'VE SEEN SINCE THE EARLY 90s.

Bilbo using Underhill as his name during the riddles at the VERY LEAST would have been nice. There are so many tiny things that are references to LOTR and all they went with instead of showing the eye over and over. But the lack of ramp up and back and forth between the two took away any and all of Smaug's character. He because just a dragon. Just another dragon that was taken down in the most illogical fashion I have EVER SEEN.

I have lots of feelings about The Hobbit and these...'movies'. The entire trilogy, outside of maybe 2 or 3 scenes had no soul or feeling. The things that brought me back to see them in theatres wasn't the story that I love, but the tiny things like certain characters and seeing how things would be portrayed on screen...which disappointed me so, so much. By the third movie I went to see how absurd it would be...since by the end of the second I was just sitting there like 'are they even trying?'. 8c

yeh ultimately the movies just...stopped caring before they even started. I wasn't surprised tho. There is legitimately not as much care for this trilogy as the first one, and it shows. The first Hobbit movie was 'great' cause of the introduction and lack of an attempt at hollywood-level action (although it still went with the 'THEY'RE GETTING CHASED!' trope, which isn't needed for The Hobbit). Every scene that would have been a calm, settle down after action moment was turned into absurdity in an attempt to keep people invested (when instead it completely detached me). The MAIN SCENE I'm referencing that had this approach was the barrel scene. It was absurd, it was slapstick, it was unnecessary. Legolas being added was unecesarry and brought in plot that just...why. Why was there a love triangle. and I loved Tauriel but she was legit added JUST for romantic tension (despite the actress NOT WANTING THAT and being PROMISED that wouldn't happen).

It's tropey hollywood bullshit instead of a true, loving book to film adaptation. The battle for 'SPENT THE MOST AND GOT THE MOST' with movies is really killing their quality. Nevermind that they were rushed (ridiculously so. the behind the scenes shows them doing what should be early editing work THE NIGHT BEFORE DEADLINES) you could see the exhaustion and detachment from the subject matter in the crew. Even if people cared and loved what they were working on they weren't able to direct that appreciation anywhere. And that sucks? Cause now that we have this trilogy no one is going to touch it again. So we're stuck with this let down of a trilogy. :c

I lost myself there, sorry. I just...guh. The Hobbit movies make me sad. And not in the way the LOTR trilogy good (aka, the good, weeping because I FEEL THINGS sad).

ALSO like...95% of the films were made up. I understand altering a story for a movie is needed for time reasons but that isn't what they did. They LEGITIMATELY MADE SHIT UP AND CHANGED SO MUCH. in a BAD WAY.

(the first movie was good because andy serkis was an assistant/creative director. he had other projects he had to leave for during the others. he was that last bit of hope for them and he brought a lot to the first...especially Riddles in the Dark...oh goodness that scene)

Loving characters with all your heart makes viciously critiquing and tearing apart bad adaptations of them even better, if you ask me!