In The Hobbit, fans saw the familiar Shire again. But soon they were taken from the comforts of the Shire to cross snow-capped mountains, explore dark caves, wander among the trees of a spider-filled forest, and finally marvel in the great halls of ancient dwarf kingdom. Overall, the settings seemed dark and eerie. Plus, the CGI wasn't as impressive, surprisingly, as in Lord of the Rings. The orcs weren't as scary or realistic. The overuse of special effects made it difficult for films to be taken seriously. Especially when Legolas was running over blocks of stone falling from a ruined ground.