Yes, yes, before you say anything we do appreciate that The Hobbit is all about a journey, and a few shots of the characters traversing from one place to another is inevitable and sometimes necessary. But did there really have to be so many of them? Sure, the landscapes look great - when don't they? - but if you were to add up all these shots together you'd realise just how much they form a part of a larger problem, and that is Peter Jackson's propensity for unnecessary padding. After all, what better way to extend the running time than by constantly showing your protagonists heading from A to B? Cutting back on some of these shots - which were problematic in The Lord of the Rings trilogy just as they are here - might have reduced the boredom many in the audience felt as they slogged their way through the first two movies.
