The Eagles were important examples of Deus ex Machina in both the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings stories. They were used as some sort of last resort to save the characters from impending doom, and appeared to be more or less all-powerful characters. One of the biggest criticisms of both of Jackson's film series is that there was no explanation for how the Eagles were used. The film saw Thorins company dropped off on a rock of sorts, without offering any explanation. Yet those viewers who have never read Tolkiens book have often asked why couldnt the Eagles just carry them far closer to the Lonely Mountain? An explanation for this plot hole was given in Tolkiens book: The Eagles (who could talk, which was another important characteristic from the book Jackson omitted), and told Thorins group that the closer they got to the dwellings of men, the more likely they were to get shot at by arrows. As such, they feared flying too close to wherever humans lived. None of this was explained in the films, even though Gandalf couldve offered one line to explain this, and a major plot hole couldve been covered. Instead, viewers were treated to more running and more attention to new characters (more on that later).