10 Worst Changes Peter Jackson Made To The Hobbit
3. Turning The Barrel Sequence Into A Water Ride
H*ly s**t was this scene terrible. Put aside the fact that every bit of action defied the laws of physics, forget about those low quality GoPro shots, and ignore the fact the sequence looked like a computer game cut-scene, this was just utterly boring.
Jackson seemed comfortable taking his time to engross you with The Lord of the Rings world. It was enough to see the captivating landscapes and the strange cultures, but apparently he thought an audience needed cheap thrills to keep them entertained for The Hobbit.
Everything that was wrong with The Hobbit can be summed up in this sequence. It was bloated, he looked fake; it didn't obey the in-world-rules and just became more ridiculous and tedious as it dragged on.
This was an iconic moment in the books, when admittedly not a lot happens. Bilbo hides the dwarves in the barrels and sends them down the river, making their silent and sneaking escape. But that's just fine, we didn't need to have this turn into a big action sequence.
As we've mentioned, Jackson needed to flesh everything out to warrant the three-movie format. The result looked like an advert for a trashy ride at a Middle-earth theme park - which no doubt, will get made someday.