The Breakdown

  • Heroic sacrifice and duty as core themes
  • Added Tauriel romance deviates from source
  • CGI armies carry too much of the load
  • Pacing suffers from trilogy finale sprawl
  • Practical sets and Jackson's signature scope

Side Effects

ancestors sighing at the dragon CGI budget

Watch Instead

Loved this? Mainline the original LOTR trilogy instead — tighter storytelling, fewer added subplots.