There are six words too many on the title screen pictured above, their presence summarizing what many feel to be the crucial overall problem with Peter Jackson's version of The Hobbit - it should have been one film. Of course, we all know why this wasn't to be - for one thing, following on from the success of The Lord of the Rings it was inevitable that the studio would want to make as much cash as they possibly can, and spreading out the story over a trilogy is a guaranteed way to make huge piles of money. Jackson was equally keen to draw on as much of the additional Tolkien material as possible in order to make this another epic, and clearly relishes spending as much time as he can in the Middle Earth universe. Unfortunately, virtually every problem The Hobbit suffers from can be summed up by the decision to make it a trilogy, and had it been made as a single movie it would have been a far more pleasurable - if briefer and slighter - experience. The padded exposition, the overlong action sequences and the serious pacing issues would have all been resolved, creating a more streamlined and entertaining film far more appropriate to Tolkien's original book and one which many fans would have been far more satisfied with. Do you agree with these suggestions on how to fix The Hobbit? Why not share your thoughts with us in the comments below?
