[Nerwen]

I would say they're deliberate aiming for a hyper-real look, to go with the 3d. I mean, I think most of the commenters on the linked article (both for and against) are missing the point– in real life you *don't* see fast motion smoothly– your eyes just can't track it. And, of course, filmmakers know this perfectly well– so whatever Jackson's trying for with this, it's not straight realism.