So I saw the EE of the BOFA and... well I'm... I can't even believe I'm saying this but I'm really really disappointed
Begin spoilery discussion
Spoiler tags arent working and I can't change the colour of the text. So please don't read if you want to enjoy the movie for yourself.
[spoiler=]The chariot sequence, while funny in a sick way, was pretty ridiculous and ruined the flow of that section of the movie. Also it's really bizarre the amount of blood in that sequence. Earlier we see Dane using his hammer on an orc's head and somehow it doesn't explode, yet there's so much blood squirting and spraying everywhere and limbs and heads coming off and being eviscerated during the chariot sequence.
My main gripe, is the battle between the Dwarves and Elves... why on earth did they feel the need to do that? I personally thought that it was more dramatic and tense that they NEARLY came to blows, but here we see Elves and Dwarves fighting and pretty much the Elves being slaughtered horrendously by the Dwarves... and then there's no resolution to that conflict. In my eyes, it undoes everything that's going to come in LOTR. Maybe I'm overreacting but... I'm kinda surprised by it and it's also ruined the Dwarves for me because I saw them as this noble race and I'm just thinking... how on earth could Legolas and Gimli be friends, but also how can viewers accept their friendship? There's no resolution between Dane and Thranduil. Thranduil isn't even at Thorin's funeral to place Orcrist on the tomb like in the book which also disappointed me because that was quite an iconic moment and also symbolised the change in Thranduil's character. I will say that Lee Pace's acting during the battle sequence between the Elves and Dwarves was pretty great, even though it was only mostly expression based. I think he perfectly reflected the guilt and horror that Thranduil would have been feeling in that sequence watching his people being slaughtered.
It never explains that the lasgalen jewellery belonged to Thranduil's wife, and he never receives them back. I know the point of it was in the end he came to recognise Legolas as being more important... but it doesn't work and I honestly don't think the majority of people who'll see it will understand that. The funeral scene wasn't needed and Dane's coronation was very lackluster... it was over in 5 seconds.
It was 20 minutes longer... but there wasn't much need in most of it. Beorn was pretty much given 2 minutes more screen time and I don't even think he had a line.
Alfrid's death was ridiculous. It was better that he slipped away I thought.
I'm also a little disappointed that Thranduil and Tauriel aren't given much of a conclusion and there's no real closure for their characters. Same with Radagast and Beorn. The sequence with the elven rings was interesting, but again... it wasn't needed. There was no conclusion to this and I personally felt like it fell flat. I was looking forward to the supposed sequence they filmed where Sauron was tempting Galadriel and I was sure that would make it into the EE but it's not there.
Little confession, I torrented the EE. I have the physical copy on pre-order and I still intend to purchase it primarily for the documentaries... but someone please please please tell me that the EE version available on torrent sites is fake
As sad as this may seem, I feel a little heart broken by this. I'm really disappointed. [/spoiler]
"All those moments will be lost, in time... like tears, in the rain..."