5. The facemelt....was definitely a surprise when I saw in the theatres. So much so, that I ran home and looked at every book I could get my hands on that talked about Thranduil or his father Oropher to see if they had gone dragon hunting in the north or something. I found nothing like that so this was obviously fabricated by PJ but I'm not opposed to it. Thranduil is no less greedy than the dwarves, though he may not be pro-active in his greed. I wouldn't put it past him to have tried obtaining his due treasure some other way. Dragons covet treasure so to find treasure, theoretically just find a dragon. If this is what happened, and Thranduil got burned (literally), this could have been his experience when he warned Thror. Perhaps a reason he did not come to the aid of the dwarves when Smaug came was so that they could learn a lesson that he warned them about. (I know that NONE of that last assessment follows the book at all, but I'm just trying to explain the face melt within PJ's boundaries and with what he has already given us).

The Elvenking had received news from his own messengers and from what the birds that loved his folk, and already knew much of what had happened. Very great indeed was the commotion among all things with wings that dwelt on the borders of the Desolation of the Dragon. The air was filled with circling flocks, and their swift-flying messengers flew here and there across the sky. Above the borders of the Forest there was whistling, crying and piping. Far over Mirkwood tidings spread: "Smaug is dead!" Leaves rustled and startled ears were lifted. Even before the Elvenking rode forth the news had passed west right to the pinewoods of the Misty Mountains; Beorn had heard it in his wooden house, and the goblins were at council in their caves.

"That will be the last we hear of Thorin Oakenshield, II fear," said the king. "He would have done better to have remained my guest. It is an ill wind, all the same," he added, "that blows no one any good." For he too had not forgotten the legend of the wealth of Thror. So it was that Bard's messengers found him now marching with many spearmen and bowmen; and crows were gathered thick above him, for they thought that war was awakening again, such as had not been in those parts for a long time.

But the king, when he received the prayers of Bard, had pity, for he was the lord of a good and kindly people; so turning his march, which had at first been direct towards the Mountain, he hastened now down the river to the Long Lake. - Fire and Water

And:

"Fools!" laughed Bard, "to come thus beneath the Mountain's arm! They do not understand war above ground, whatever they may know of battle in the mines. There are many of our archers and spearmen now hidden in the rocks upon their right flank. Dwarf-mail may be good, but they will soon be hard put to it. Let us set on them now from both sides, before they are fully rested!"

But the Elvenking said: "Long will I tarry, ere I begin this war for gold. The dwarves cannot pass us, unless we will, or do anything that we cannot mark. Let us hope still for something that will bring reconciliation. Our advantage in numbers will be enough, if in the end it must come to unhappy blows." - The Clouds Burst

The Elvish folk of this realm had migrated from the south, being the kin and neighbours of the Elves of Lórien; but they had dwelt in Greenwood the Great east of Anduin. In the Second Age their king, Oropher [the father of Thranduil, father of Legolas], had withdraw northward beyond the Gladden Fields. This he did to be free from the power and encroachments of the Dwarves of Moria, which had grown to be the greatest of the mansions of the Dwarves recorded in history; and also he resented the intrusions of Celeborn and Galadriel into Lórien. But as yet there was little to fear between the Greenwood and the Mountains and there was constant intercourse between his people and their kin across the river, until the War of the Last Alliance.

Despite the desire of the Silvan Elves to meddle as little as might be in the affairs of the Noldor and Sindar, or of any other peoples, Dwarves, Men, or Orcs, Oropher had the wisdom to foresee that peace would not return unless Sauron was overcome. He therefore assembled a great army of his now numerous people, and joining with the lesser army of [Amdír] of Lórien he led the host of the Silvan Elves to battle. The Silvan Elves were hardy and valiant, but ill-equipped with armour or weapons in comparison with the Eldar of the West; also they were independent, and not disposed to place themselves under the supreme command of Gil-galad. Their losses were thus more grievous than they need have been, even in that terrible war. [Amdír] and more than half his following perished in the great battle of the Dagorlad, being cut off from the main host and driven into the Dead Marshes. Oropher was slain in the first assault upon Mordor, rushing forward at the head of his most doughty warriors before Gil-galad had given the signal for the advance. Thranduil his son survived, but when the war ended and Sauron was slain (as it seemed) he led back home barely a third of the army that had marched to war.

And:

A long peace followed in which the numbers of the Silvan Elves grew again; but they were unquiet and anxious, feeling the change of the world that the Third Age would bring. Men also were increasing in numbers and in power. The dominion of the Númenórean kings of Gondor was reaching out northwards towards the borders of Lórien and the Greenwood. The Free Men of the North (so called by the Elves because they were not under the rule of Dúnedain, and had not for the most part been subjected by Sauron or his servants) were spreading southwards: mostly east of the Greenwood, though some were establishing themselves in the eaves of the forest and the grass­lands of the Vales of Anduin. More ominous were rumours from the further East: the Wild Men were restless. Former servants and wor­shippers of Sauron, they were released now from his tyranny, but not from the evil and darkness that he had set in their hearts. Cruel wars raged among them, from which some were withdrawing west­ward, with minds filled with hatred, regarding all that dwelt in the West as enemies to be slain and plundered. But there was in Thran­duil's heart a still deeper shadow. He had seen the horror of Mordor and could not forget it. If ever he looked south its memory dimmed the light of the Sun, and though he knew that it was now broken and deserted and under the vigilance of the Kings of Men, fear spoke in his heart that it was not conquered for ever: it would arise again.

And:

When a thousand years of the Third Age had passed and the Shadow fell upon Greenwood the Great, the Silvan Elves ruled by Thranduil retreated before it as it spread ever northward, until at last Thranduil established his realm in the north-east of the forest and delved there a fortress and great halls underground. Oropher was of Sindarin origin, and no doubt Thranduil his son was following the example of King Thingol long before, in Doriath; though his halls were not to be compared with Menegroth. He had not the arts nor wealth nor the aid of the Dwarves; and compared with the Elves of Doriath his Silvan folk were rude and rustic. Oropher had come among them with only a handful of Sindar, and they were soon merged with the Silvan Elves, adopting their language and taking names of Silvan form and style. This they did deliberately; for they (and other similar adventurers forgotten in the legends or only briefly named) came from Doriath after its ruin and had no desire to leave Middle-earth, nor to be merged with the other Sindar of Beleriand, dominated by the Noldorin Exiles for whom the folk of Doriath had no great love. They wished indeed to become Silvan folk and to return, as they said, to the simple life natural to the Elves before the invitation of the Valar had disturbed it.

Thranduil's sudden scars reflect a little-emphasized facet of J.R.R. Tolkien's lore: elves' "Fëa" (a metaphysical concept analogous translatable as "soul") occasionally influences the "Hröa" (the fleshly, physical body), particularly under moments of extreme stress. This can manifest as extreme physical changes that reflect the mind's state, in this case deep war scars.

2b. What do you think of the Elvenking's lines (eg the use of the word "prosaic", was the double-entendre intentional) and the delivery? What about his body language? What impressions do you get from his interactions with Thorin?

Thranduil is noted continually standing with his arms behind his back. This stance, I feel, is designed to be intimidating, defying any gesture of welcome or even a show of ‘political friendship’ where the arms may be more outspread, active, expressive. Certainly in our world, it would imply someone who is unwilling to shake hands. It gives him a stern façade, show of power, an impenetrable wall topped by broad shoulders and strong – if concealed – biceps. The impression is one of interrogator – prisoner, rather than the political meeting that would probably be more seemly between two powerful leaders.

3c. What was your impression of the Elvenking's apparently complete but quick change in moods from his amusement at Thorin's discomfort to have his true objective laid bare, his smile while expressing empathy for Thorin's desire to find the Arkenstone, to his rapture about the White Gems, and his solemn offer of help?

Political charisma.

4e. What do you think was going through the minds of the Elven-guards or indeed any Elves within earshot at the exchange thus far?

‘Bring it, shorty!’

5d. Again, what do you think was going through the minds of the Elven-guards or indeed any Elves within earshot at the facemelt of their King?
‘Ah, the party trick that keeps on giving.’

3c. What was your impression of the Elvenking's apparently complete but quick change in moods from his amusement at Thorin's discomfort to have his true objective laid bare, his smile while expressing empathy for Thorin's desire to find the Arkenstone, to his rapture about the White Gems, and his solemn offer of help?

Well, my mom thought he seemed crazy. I just thought he seemed wild and unpredictable, like a wisp of smoke that is just barely under control, as we have discussed before.

and

KIM:
It’s like he couldn’t wait to jump on a chance to get those jewels after all this time, and he figures he’s holding all the cards, so he can dangle the offer of freedom, but can’t really hide what he wants so badly.

1a. Why did the Dwarves think they could body-slam their way out of the locked cells? What did you think of the details like KiliFili's hand proportion to the rest of him?
Body slams are the dwarves’ answer to everything. Can’t get thought the door? Body slam it. Hungry? Do a body slam. Want to make the cute lady dwarf who lives next door fall for you? Body slam her.

3a. Why did the Elvenking offer the deal to Thorin? He seemed to think little of Thorin's chances for success, judging from his tone and attitude thus far.
If the dwarves want to waste their time trying to take back the mountain, they might as well do something useful while they’re at it.

3b. What is going through Thorin's mind as the Elvenking talks about the white-gems?
I thought the look on Thorin’s face when Thranduil’s eyes started sparkling said something like, “How the heck is he doing that?”