I can easily add some nagitive critical response to Lego. Oh yeah, I'm not a fan of the use of Legolas in these films at all, but this began in TTT as well. I was not a fan back when he was skate boarding on shields or taking down giant Mumikil at ease. The overall use of Legolas in all these films have always troubled me, so I was not surprised to see him acting like the super Elf hero this time around, but I've always felt what's the point of Gimli and Aragorn when you have super Elf that can do virtually anything?

Even for being completely fabricated, I thought Tauriel made a far better elf than Legolas, and Thranuil was even better. My biggest complaint on the Hobbit trilogy would be the loss of feeling like the characters are in serious trouble, AUJ mostly did this though. The over the top stunts do not stop at Legolas, for I really did not like Thorin sledding over hot molten gold like it was a water slide at an amusement park either. The happy fun escape from the goblin tunnels were all too easy too.

As for straying form the source material of the original book though..not really bothered by much of what has been done. I grew up on the book and the cartoon way before getting into LoTRs so it is not because I never read or loved the book. by the time he published The Lord of the Rings Tolkien was already unhappy with The Hobbit and he planned on doing a rewrite of it to match the more adult theme of Lord of the Rings. This was never a secret. He was working on connecting his books together more. We know enough about Dol Guldur for it to be in the movie, and it makes sense completely. Those changes not only do not bother me in the least, but I'm happy they are given there place.

Azog and Tauriel are written in with still the spirit of Tolkien's world so I don't mind their additions as much as some, but I would if they were portrayed as ridiculous as Legolas and some of the insane stunts Peter Jackson has allowed the characters to do. I do wish someone had been there to draw the stops when Peter Jackson was getting out of hand. It's like he knows he's going over the top sometimes, but can't seem to control himself. Giant golden dwarf, Gimli and Pippin farting, The army of the dead looked terrible and Gimli's comedy during that section was not needed, Gimli portrayed as comedy relief in general, bird poo on Radagast, cheesy Disney Great Goblin King...nope, not a fan of that either. But there was less in Lord of The Rings because he knew there was much at risk. It's almost like he feels in the clear, and he's free to go over the top, because it does not matter anymore. At any rate, I do love the film and this trilogy. The things I enjoy far out weigh the things I do not like.