[wilas101]

This seems to be well received overall but I had issues that I'm having trouble shaking.

Spoiler!

Tauriel/Legolas. I suppose I can accept the need for action but the whole love triangle stuff with Kili? I just don't see the need at all.

Beorn. Why remove the story that Gandalf told him to get all the dwarves into his house? I don't see what it could have detracted from the movie. If it was a time issue then remove five minutes of the ridiculous barrel riding/battle and add it in. I always felt that crafty bit of thinking by Gandalf was as cool as the riddle contest with bilbo and gollum. Besides that, Beorn being as temperamental as he was, to come home and find a house full of sleeping dwarves would have mean a whole bunch of dead sleeping dwarves. You don't just walk into someone's house and hit the rack.

Here is something that was brought up to me by a buddy and I had no good answer for it. Gandalf goes into Dol Guldur and is suddenly faced with a crap load of orcs so he breaks out the magic and keeps them all at bay. Why didn't he do that shit on the cliff before eagles picked them up? It would have saved a lot of hassle with climbing trees and thorin being nearly killed, etc.

I agree with the poster that said they did a poor job conveying the trip through mirkwood and the capture by elves and subsequent escape. I'm not sure how I would have made that differently though so I've tried not to bitch too much about it.

Overall, this movie reminded me of one thing. Don't watch movies of books you love.