The Hobbit: 20 Blunders That Ruined An Unexpected Journey

13. Azog's Role

The inclusion of Azog the Defiler as the main antagonist of An Unexpected Journey is a beguiling choice to anyone who has read the book, given that it makes it abundantly clear that he is killed during a war between the Orcs and the Dwarves, with his head being removed from his body. Jackson apparently decided that he had a better idea, and miraculously resurrects Azog from the dead, having him survive the battle for unspecified reasons and show up to stalk Dwarf leader Thorin with a dogged determination. Fans are already up in arms about how a relatively minor character of the book has been promoted to such a major part, even being inserted into set-pieces of which he was not a part in the novel, such as the film's climax, where Bilbo, Gandalf and the Dwarves find themselves stuck up a tree. Is there really any rational reason for this beyond Jackson arrogantly thinking that he's a better storyteller than Tolkein?
 
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Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.