13 Problems That Almost Ruin The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies

4. Alfrid Lickspittle

Is this the most annoying character in the last decade of blockbuster films? That might seem like a grand, empty statement - unquantifiable hyperbole for the sake of criticism - but Alfrid is a horrendous addition to the Hobbit. Having been impressed enough with Ryan Gage to expand his role from Bilbo€™s father to a more prominent screen presence, Peter Jackson unfortunately went full Jar-Jar on the snivveling, weasle-like Laketown resident. He€™s a grotesque, a conniving sycophant who is unfortunately and unfairly given more screen time than Stephen Fry€™s Master and sadly it seems the director believes the worthiness of the character a little too much. Alfrid is used for uneven comic relief - much like Binks - and he€™s wholly unnecessary; another new element given way too much focus at the cost of something far more welcome.