So, we all have our own opinions, what do you think about Smaug, was Jackson right to give him 2 legs or did he make a mistake.

Personally, I can't stand a 6 limbed dragon, they look clunky, and I love the way Smaug was done. What do you all think?

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Personally, thought his face was ok but the Wyvern/Pterodactyl look is a big fail if you ask me, I shan't be buying any model of him should gw release it.
I will sculpt my own and forget the second hobbit film ever happened.
With looks like that I'll be glad to see him die!
Sorry for the overwhelming hate, but it's visceral.

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I think the term "insectoid" gives the wrong impression, personally.
A four-legged dragon, to me, makes more sense simply because of balance issues of a creature so massive. This is probably why Tolkien illustrated Smaug with 4 legs and two wings.

Secondly, a fantastical creature does not have to be realistic. If it were completely realistic, it could never stand under its own weight, let alone fly. A six-limbed dragon is more jarring to the sensibilities because it is so alien to other creatures in the animal kingdom.

But in fairness, I have not yet seen the film or how Smaug was rendered. These are my impressions before seeing the finished product. I may change my mind once I see how PJ envisioned the Greatest of Calamities.

havent seen the film yet but i was hoping for the 4 legs as even in tolki8ens drwings he has 4 legs..... MAD

Maybe this is the reason why we have not seen a smaug model yet.
Games Workshop probably made a 4 legged smaug, and had to change it.
Sounds more logical to me than the 'not big enough' story.

Insectoid gives me an image of Smaug with 6 legs and 2 pairs of wings. Now that would be proper weird. 'Oh Smaug, the greatest of dragon..flies.'

Still, yeah, big lizard with wings is my dragon of preference. Can walk, grab and smash. Several rows of pointy teeth, as well as sharp claws (in addition to fire and all that). More flexible in mobility and attacks, more stable, more threatening. Also what you've come to expect from all the classic drawings, that helps too.

I'm far more partial to what I have seen far more of in my lifetime which is the 4 legged lizard with wings so to speak, more like the GW Dragon, thats what I've known the best as a "Dragon"

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I like what they did with the design. It makes it look like Fell Beasts are somehow related to Dragons and I've always fancied that idea more.

Not yet seen it, but a dragon has four legs and two wings or none of the above. A wyvern has two legs and two wings. Tolkien's illustrations have four legs and two wings.

Personally, I prefer a European style (four legs, two wings), but I'd have to see the rendition to decide.

In my mind a dragon does have four legs, however, I really liked J's version with only two. In my opinion it makes Smaug more menacing - he's constantly leaning forward as he's on his wings. He's also more serpentine, which is evil-er inmho. The cat like 4 legs look can look slinky and evil too, but I just really like how PJ has portrayed him.

My advice is not to bash two legs until you see the movie. You may still not like it, but I certainly am more than fine with the change.

[quote="Seren Nishiyama"]I think the term "insectoid" gives the wrong impression, personally.
A four-legged dragon, to me, makes more sense simply because of balance issues of a creature so massive. This is probably why Tolkien illustrated Smaug with 4 legs and two wings.


I couldn't agree more!

It bugged me that all the way through the first two movies they talked about a 'dragon' then at the end of Desolation we were greeted by.... a wyvern. If they didn't mention he was a dragon it would have been fine, but the continuity was the problem.

Did Tolkien ever refer to Smaug as a dragon or just a 'wyrm'?

VG

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As previous posts have said, Tolkien drew Smaug with 4 legs, 2 wings, I have seen the filmed and loved it, but, imo PJ could show a little respect to Tolkien and incorporate his imagery.

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4 legs or 6 - neither is a problem for me, as long as he was huge, crafty and malicious, and terrifying.
PJ's renditon of Smaug ticked all 4 of those boxes (for me).

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Whilst I like the classic Dragon style, I think Smaug worked all the more because he felt real - there was no part of my brain saying "that looks daft" the way there might have been had he had a skeletal structure completely alien to anything else in the world. If flying, firebreathing reptiles existed, they'd look like that, and to me, that makes the visual experience of the film much more effective.

It doesn't matter to me either way, as long as it is well done, and it certainly was! The way movie Smaug moved about reminded me a little of the way a bat does. Quite believable.

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I will explain why I used the word "Insectoid" A 4 legged, winged dragon has 4 shoulder lades (which looks weird and clunky imo but to each his/her own) and I can't think of a single vertebrate that does, so I call them insects because to my mind they are big insects not reptiles.

Two legged dragons are not clumsy and imbalanced because their wings are their forearms and the walk as bats and pterosaurs.

Anyway, slight divergence, carry on people.

Oh and does no one think he shouldn't have any legs at all, just wings?

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"I am the Flying Spagetti Monster. Thou shall have no other monsters before me"
-FSM.

A pegasus?


Nah, works well for the venerable Quetzalcoatl, but not dragonlike at all. Besides, Smaug is described as having claws, so that's a bit tricky without hands or feet.


Tolkien refers to dragon many more times then any other term for him in The Hobbit. Indeed, he even says:
"They were come to the Desolation of the Dragon, and they were come at the waning of the year."

I think Smaug should have no legs and no wings. No head either. I always imagined him to be a huge p****d off sausage.

Very true SF, I think thats what Tolkien intended and am frankly appalled that P.J. didn't follow the spirit of the book!