SuicidalMarsbar wrote:
If the elves truly are a higher race, as Draugluin said, they should not be holding a grudge against a 'lesser' species. Thror was a descendant of Durin and had a right to rule his dwarves. If Glorfindel can slay a balrog then, let's be honest, why can't one of Thrandy's thousands of soliders kill a dragon, or at the very least help the dwarves :'( (like if u crai every tiem)
Okay not all elves are a "higher race" only the Noldor can be even considered that because they have spent time in Valinor and many interbred with those that lived there. The Sindar where those who made the trip to the coast and decided not to leave and set up their kingdoms there in Belerand. Oropher and Thranduil where Sindars who, after the fall of Doriath went into the lands of the Silvan Elves (most of the mirkwood elves are these and on another note there is no mention of Thranduil or his father being related to Luthien so they shouldn't have any relation to Melian) and decided to live the simpler life that the Silvan Elves lived; thus they don't posses that inner light that the Noldor have. And no where in the books was a dragon easy to kill by anyone. Glorfindel I'm leaving out of this as its already been covered.
Draugluin wrote:
...Thranduil did what any smart king would do, he allied himself with a more powerful nation, just like Rohan did with Gondor.
When did it ever say that he allied with them? Was it in the movie and I missed that, I know they show him bringing gifts to Thror but I've only seen the movie once. And I'm pretty sure that they make no mention of any oath such as that sworn by the people of Rohan.
Draugluin wrote:
However If he couldn't forgive an entire race for something that happened 6,500 years before, then he's being more stubborn than a dwarf. If he had pledged to aid the kingdom of Erebor, then he went back on his word if he just sat there and didn't offer aid of any kind, which would make him a traitor who can't be trusted.
Thranduil is old enough to have seen his realm attacked and thus had a distrust of them (in the hobbit it does say he hates them from the wars fought in the past just a distrust).
Zogash wrote:
Even when looking entirely at the film, I think Thranduil still took the prudent decision. There was no way his lightly-armoured warriors could have done anything about a great Fire-Dragon entrenched in a fortress with only one (non-secret) entrance - they'd have been butchered!
I completely agree with this and have said things pretty close to this myself
But I'm pretty sure the next two movies will have Thranduil abuse the Dwarfs while they are imprisoned just to make you hate him even more. I hope my low opinion of PJ and Co. is proven unfounded.