The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug - 5 Unforgivable Deviations From The Novel

3. The Invention Of Tauriel

As well as handing Azog an expanded role in the films, Peter Jackson has set about inventing characters off the top of his head, not just taking a detour from Tolkien's writings but taking a total diversion. Tauriel, for instance, is a complete invention, created by Jackson and screenwriter Fran Walsh, the 'she-elf', as she is described by the Orcs, doesn't feature in any of Tolkien's writings. For purists, this one sticks in the craw. I am a big fan of Evangeline Lilly, and she contributed to the high-velocity action scenes, but her subsequent love affair with Kíli, an actual Tolkien character, takes things way too far, and tears to shreds Kili's original character arc. This plot feels totally manufactured and as such you have zero inclination to invest in either Kili or Tauriel for the remainder of the film. Had her appearance ended when the Dwarves escaped from the Elve's captivity, I perhaps could have lived with her inception and inclusion in the story, but as a focal character who interferes with Tolkien's original writings, I feel as though Jackson has crossed a line.