The hobbit contradictions...

[Morsul the Dark]

I don't see the contradiction the ran from a few orcs and wargs and ran from a Bunch of goblins...

[Aganzir]

When you think of blockbusters, it's not like many of them had a coherent and realistic plot anyway. There are certain things that are supposed to happen in the movie, and the characters and the realism value have to bend in order to carry out the plot with all its holes. When you go to movies, it sometimes feels as if everybody was telling the same story, only with different faces and details.

The problem with doing The Hobbit after LOTR is that even though it's technically a prologue, everything should be bigger and more important so as to attract audiences (PJ seems to think) even though killing Smaug is nothing compared to Sauron. Thus we have huge orcs half a century before Saruman bred the Uruk-hai and so forth.

About the 15 or so orcs/wargs... in the dwarves' defense, they were in the open, and the wargs are fast and strong and would probably have done more damage than the orcs themselves. The elves (who were also quite few) had horses and bows which made the situation a bit more even... but my inner khazad still disapproves of them stealing the thunder. And Gimli killed 42 Uruk-hai in a melee that lasted an entire night and was in a place that he was defending against attackers, which gave him more room for maneuvering. These are just possible explanations for why the dwarves ran - but I still agree it's ridiculous they were so okay with, and good at, fighting in the Goblin Town then!

Originally Posted by Ulvenok

Anyone on this forum would be able to do it better I'm sure...

Well I would certainly make as good a Fili as Dean O'Gorman! I seriously consider working out in order to get more muscles and be therefore a more believable dwarf!

[William Cloud Hicklin]

Ahhh- but the question then is-

why did the Dwarves run away from the fight between Rocktimus Prime and Granitron?

[Alcidas]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin

Ahhh- but the question then is-

why did the Dwarves run away from the fight between Rocktimus Prime and Granitron?

Because they were stoned?

[alatar]

Twice now, when I randomly turned on HBO I was treated to the 'Escape from Goblintown' scene from AUJ (starting around the 14 hour timestamp). I saw this as a portend, calling out to me, asking that I view and make commentary. So here we go:

• When Gandalf reappears when things look darkest for the dwarves, he uses some spell or other to flatten both friend and foe. Is he limited to using this spell only once an Age, as to me it might have come in handy in his later years in Moria, in Gondor, at the Black Gate...
• During the second viewing, I tried to determine the number of goblins killed by Gandalf and the Dwarves. I assumed that any goblin hit with a weapon or pushed from a ledge was killed. Eventually I gave up counting. These dwarves and wizard are a killing juggernaut. If only Elrond had sent a few dwarves to Helm's Deep...
• While the Company slaughters their way to the exit, I couldn't help but notice that the dwarves seem to use more swords than I'd think this race was known for. Where are all of the axes?
• Why, towards the end, when the large goblin force descends on them, are they suddenly concerned? Couldn't a few simply hold a narrow passage while the others escape, and then Gandalf bring the ceiling down?
• Where is this ferocity once they leave the caves and are confronted by Azog? Maybe they gave all leaving Goblintown, and so have nothing left.

Another thing that bothers me, and I mention is here as it's within this part of the movie. Bilbo, in the movie, basically steals the Ring. In the books, from memory, he stumbles upon it as Gollum has dropped it long ago and obviously didn't care enough to find it until it was needed.

Anyway, so how can I feel good about Bilbo and bad about Gollum when the former truly stole from the later?

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by alatar

While the Company slaughters their way to the exit, I couldn't help but notice that the dwarves seem to use more swords than I'd think this race was known for. Where are all of the axes?

That's something that puzzled me from the book as well. Thorin's use of Orcrist seems impractical.

We are told in FOTR that Hobbits generally were between 3 and 4 feet tall, and "not much shorter" than Dwarves. Bilbo was able to use the dagger Sting as a short sword. How could Thorin effectively use a full size sword? I'm quite a bit taller than a Dwarf (though hardly Thingol-sized), and a longsword would be a bit cumbersome for me. Also, Orcrist was made for the Noldor in Gondolin, who were pretty tall. Was Thorin trying to compensate for something?

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

That's something that puzzled me from the book as well. Thorin's use of Orcrist seems impractical.

We are told in FOTR that Hobbits generally were between 3 and 4 feet tall, and "not much shorter" than Dwarves. Bilbo was able to use the dagger Sting as a short sword. How could Thorin effectively use a full size sword? I'm quite a bit taller than a Dwarf (though hardly Thingol-sized), and a longsword would be a bit cumbersome for me. Also, Orcrist was made for the Noldor in Gondolin, who were pretty tall. Was Thorin trying to compensate for something?

Elvish blades might have the 'magical' - though I know Elves don't do magic - ability to size themselves to the beholder.