10 Worst Changes Peter Jackson Made To The Hobbit

In order to turn a fairly simple and short story into three movies, Peter Jackson was required to pull from Tolkien's expanded writings. In the books, Gandalf disappears for a huge section of the narrative. We're told he had other business to deal with, but it's not integral to the plot. Tolkien basically sent Gandalf away in order to have the Dwarves and Bilbo face a few challenges on their own.

But with the decision to add another movie to the franchise, more material was required to justify the extended run time. Tolkien did specify that Gandalf was off dealing with the Necromancer during his absence from The Hobbit, so it made sense to make a nod to Sauron. But it only needed to be a nod.

It would have been far more satisfying to hint at the evil simmering away at the corners of the story, rather than blatantly forcing it down our throats. All it served to do was detract from the plot-lines, set up in movie one. It was hard to go back and take Azog, or even Smaug seriously when Sauron was presented as the true concern.

Sure, it was cool to see Elrond, Galadriel and Saruman duke it out with the Nazgûl, but it was little more than cheap fan-service.