5. Don't Try To Live Up To LOTR
Again, this is really a problem with Jackson's overall approach moving forward, and one that is basically going to be impossible or very difficult to fix at this production stage. Critics have been lambasting The Hobbit for not measuring up to the excellent of The Lord of the Rings films, and are we surprised? The source material is so different; LOTR is a sweeping epic and The Hobbit is a smaller, more swift adventure story, something that Jackson has very consciously attempted to hew away from by distending the story's length and consulting Tolkein's LOTR appendices for more information. The problem is that such an approach is not really compatible with the story; it is somewhat arrogant to try and mutate the core of Tolkein's work, and of course, the overarching feeling with fans and the general press has been that it's just a move motivated by studio greed, which with one film down, so far seems totally on the money (pun intended). What Jackson should be doing is not trying to compete with his own previous trilogy; fans are going to be patient and appreciate that The Hobbit is a different, smaller story, but alas, he may well have fashioned a trap of his own making.