So, just got back from seeing this. It was visually-stunning, action packed, and entertaining, as promised.
I'm slightly let down, though. While the Hobbit movies have been a good series of movies, they aren't the great movies that the Lord of the Rings movies were. Perhaps that's because the expectations bar has been set so high. I personally think Jackson did better when he hewed more closely to the original text in intent and dialog, and Hobbit -- particularly the last two movies -- diverged significantly more than the LotR series. A closer edit could make a world of difference.
Gripes, irritations, and observations:
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Legolas fanservice. *retch*
Alfred the comedy relief.
War sheep. Really, weren't war moose, war pigs, and war bats enough?
Tharanduil the Greedy. I prefer the wisdom of the original book quote: "Long would I tarry, ere we begin this war for gold."
Yet *another* orc beheading.
Goldmember as Dain.
Tauriel. Yeah, the series lacks female characters. But did we really need an elf-dwarf romance?
OK, why did the trolls in Movie #1 turn to stone in daylight, but the trolls in #3 don't?
Inconsistent Sting.
Orcish body modification fetish gone wild.
Despite all the fighting, Beornish badassery is largely ignored.
Radagast *still* needs to wash his face.
Rhosgobel rabbits, *again*.
Thorin descent into madness, well played.
Wizard v. Nazgul pwnage. Saved by uber-elf, *again*
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