Top 10 Improvements and Mistakes in The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Movie Adaptations

I love the LOTR movies. The only unforgivable problem is Faramir. He is one of the great heroes from the books, a figure of ultimate faith and nobility, in stark contrast to Borimir. In the books, he does not seek the ring, unlike the movie, which misses a fantastic line from Faramir when he states, 'I would not take this thing if it lay by the highway.' He provisions Frodo and sends him on his way. By ruining Faramir, the scene where Denethor tries to burn him lacks the emotional impact it should have had – who cares about just another loser? But if Faramir is a hero, then the scene would move hearts.

No Dwarves and Elves Falling in Love?

Apart from Faramir, numerous other differences between the books and the movies demand our attention. For instance, in The Hobbit, there is no faded romance between dwarves and elves; books like Maps and Legends by J.R.R. Tolkien were the only mentions of such couples. Tauriel, a character from The Hobbit movie, was introduced and made overexposed, adding an element that was non-canonical.

No Young and Attractive Dwarves?

In the books, dwarves like the one found in The Lord of the Rings were the norm. The introduction of younger dwarves, with more attractive and youthful looks, sloppily censored out these authentic portrayals. We should also have seen the battle where Beorn, in an epic showdown, mowed through the orcs and killed Bolg, an opportunity missed in the films.

The Azog-Bolg Dynamic

When it comes to orphans in the villain lineup, Azog makes more sense than his son Bolg. Bolg was nasty enough, but replacing Azog with his son undermines the subtle and complex character dynamics of the orcs in the books. In The Hobbit, we should not have seen Del Toro as a character, or Tauriel, overshadowing the faithful elders with a sword in hand who, in the story, are as formidable as heroes.

Boring Thorin?

Thorin from the books is far from the btech-savvy character we see in the movies. His bipolar greed makes him less believable and his death, with that emotion, should have moved the characters in the books as it diminished the emotional resonance. He should not have been the focal point, as he would have been a better hero if he had been more grounded.

Bad Smaug?

Smaug's rendering was simply off. In the books, Smaug is actually 67' long and 41 tons, a far cry from the size in the movies. The time-scaled representation of Smaug as Ancalagon looks unimpressive and exaggerated.

Misleading Gandalf and Bilbo Sauron

In the books, Gandalf the Gray and especially the White are depicted as powerful Maia, with a glowing yellowish-white light shining from his eyes when mowing through orcs and trolls. His sword, Glamdring, was used for battles and not as a staff, the staff left for dramatic yet impractical moments. No matter how terrific it looks, it borders on inaccuracy. The Sauron-radiating scenes could have been handled better, with more emphasis on emotional and psychological confrontations, and less on visual effects.

Honor Mentions

The last honorable mention goes to the omission of Tom Bombadil from the Fellowship of the Ring. While Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens rejected this idea to avoid a potential storyline plot-hole, the idea of Tom Bombadil playing a significant role would have made other considerations more tangible.

These are just a few of the many observations and criticisms that come to mind. I’d love to hear your thoughts to further refine and expand this article. What are your honor mentions for movies that added value or were ruined?

- Namarie Mellon