Official 'The Hobbit' Thread - - - - Part 13

[jacobed]

Yeah not good

 

[terry78]

It makes me miss Sloth-Orc. Frankly the only things that need to be CG in this series are characters that could never be played by a person in makeup.

 

[craigdbfan]

I don't understand what happened to Peter Jackson in that regard. He's become incredibly obsessed with CGI characters. He's still pretty damn good when it comes to mixing live action and CGI for backgrounds and setting but his compulsion for CGI characters is becoming a bit unsatisfactory.

I loved AUJ and I have a feeling I'll love Desolation too but I do find that to be a relatively big issue.

 

[terry78]

Fanboys are slowing calling him George Lucas Jr.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

It makes me miss Sloth-Orc. Frankly the only things that need to be CG in this series are characters that could never be played by a person in makeup.

The Balrog, Shelob, the big ass dragon, etc.

I don't understand what happened to Peter Jackson in that regard. He's become incredibly obsessed with CGI characters. He's still pretty damn good when it comes to mixing live action and CGI for backgrounds and setting but his compulsion for CGI characters is becoming a bit unsatisfactory.

I loved AUJ and I have a feeling I'll love Desolation too but I do find that to be a relatively big issue.

The same thing that happened to Lucas. He isn't desperate anymore and thus he doesn't need to worry about story and doesn't need to kill himself to make films anymore. He can simply go the easy route and pursue his passion for the technology of filmmaking as opposed to the storytelling and creating an authentic world the good old fashion way.

 

[Marvolo]

This was so much better. At what point would anyone think that is better than this?

I will say this. The prosthetic design is so much more badass, but sticking those prosthetics and makeup next to a bunch of cgi orcs is gonna do two things. Make the prosthetics look even more like prosthetics and the cgi to stand out even more. Personally I prefer a little uniformity so I'd rather have all cgi orcs or all prosthetics rather than a mixture. Magbe its an ocd thing idk but in AUJ the orc pack leader that azog fed to his warg stuck out like a sore thumb imo. I'd much rather him been cgi. I just wish they would have translated the original bolg design to cgi rather than going for a different design all together. Also while that orc fits the new bolg description I don't think that is bolg. The orc behind him looks almost identical with the metal in his head and everything. I'm thinking Bolg is going to stand out from his soldeirs a little more than that.

 

[redhawk23]

http://badassdigest.com/2013/12/09/the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug-movie-review-ugh/ Absolutely no love from Badass Digest, and Faraci is a big LotR fan.

 

[redhawk23]

The Balrog, Shelob, the big ass dragon, etc.


The same thing that happened to Lucas. He isn't desperate anymore and thus he doesn't need to worry about story and doesn't need to kill himself to make films anymore. He can simply go the easy route and pursue his passion for the technology of filmmaking as opposed to the storytelling and creating an authentic world the good old fashion way.

See the thing is Jackson pretty much knew this, that he couldn't put himself out with the level of commitment that he did for the original LotR films, which is exactly why he never planned to begin with. Essentially he made these films for his companies, his ties to other stuidos and also for New Zealand.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I will say this. The prosthetic design is so much more badass, but sticking those prosthetics and makeup next to a bunch of cgi orcs is gonna do two things. Make the prosthetics look even more like prosthetics and the cgi to stand out even more. Personally I prefer a little uniformity so I'd rather have all cgi orcs or all prosthetics rather than a mixture. Magbe its an ocd thing idk but in AUJ the orc pack leader that azog fed to his warg stuck out like a sore thumb imo. I'd much rather him been cgi. I just wish they would have translated the original bolg design to cgi rather than going for a different design all together. Also while that orc fits the new bolg description I don't think that is bolg. The orc behind him looks almost identical with the metal in his head and everything. I'm thinking Bolg is going to stand out from his soldeirs a little more than that.

I agree on uniformity. I'd be fine with all cgi if the cgi was strong on the main orcs especially. That is horrible.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

See the thing is Jackson pretty much knew this, that he couldn't put himself out with the level of commitment that he did for the original LotR films, which is exactly why he never planned to begin with. Essentially he made these films for his companies, his ties to other stuidos and also for New Zealand.

Yep. You can see it in the appendices. So reluctant and you can see it in the films. I can't blame him, I know why he did it. but it still hurts the films imo.

 

[jonathancrane]

Unless the film is Gravity, its CGI is going to suck. Cuaron seems to be the only one who can use it well. I would add del Toro to the list, but his films have been hit or miss in this regard.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Unless the film is Gravity, its CGI is going to suck. Cuaron seems to be the only one who can use it well. I would add del Toro to the list, but his films have been hit or miss in this regard.

There is plenty of films with fantastic cgi. Go watch the Harry Potter films from 3 on. Fantastic and a few off those are close to a decade old. Scott Pilgrim is cheap in comparison and it CGI is perfect. Same with District 9.

 

[craigdbfan]

The Harry Potter films are a great example. The VFX in those films haven't aged a day. Now that's quality.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

The Harry Potter films are a great example. The VFX in those films haven't aged a day. Now that's quality.

The first film, and bits of the second film do not meet the standards of the later films. But from PoA on, it is quality. Does anyone doubt that magic is real in those films? Amazing.

The duel between Gandalf Jr. and Emperor Jr. is a sight to behold.

 

[vinsanity]

That's the problem with these Hobbit films, the CGI orcs are going to age way faster than the prosthetics ones in the LOTR movies.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

That's the problem with these Hobbit films, the CGI orcs are going to age way faster than the prosthetics ones in the LOTR movies.

They already have. And as the comparison lives, it will make it worse.

 

[craigdbfan]

The first film, and bits of the second film do not meet the standards of the later films. But from PoA on, it is quality. Does anyone doubt that magic is real in those films? Amazing.

The duel between Gandalf Jr. and Emperor Jr. is a sight to behold.

Yup.

Such a great battle. One of the best really.

[YT]URbvT_pkAjI[/YT]

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Yup.

Such a great battle. One of the best really.

[YT]URbvT_pkAjI[/YT]

It was complete wish fulfillment for me. When I was little I always wonder what Yoda and the Emperor fighting would be like. This is the kind of battle I imagined. I own it like three different ways on DVD and blu-ray, and yet I still watch it every time it is on television.

 

[jacobed]

Unless the film is Gravity, its CGI is going to suck. Cuaron seems to be the only one who can use it well. I would add del Toro to the list, but his films have been hit or miss in this regard.

Wow that statement is wrong on so many levels

 

[Marvolo]

http://badassdigest.com/2013/12/09/the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug-movie-review-ugh/ Absolutely no love from Badass Digest, and Faraci is a big LotR fan.

That guy needs to pull the stick out of his ass, and have a little fun. Yeesh.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

That guy needs to pull the stick out of his ass, and have a little fun. Yeesh.

I expect nothing else considering the source.

 

[Tequilla]

http://badassdigest.com/2013/12/09/the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug-movie-review-ugh/ Absolutely no love from Badass Digest, and Faraci is a big LotR fan.

I expected nothing else considering the atrocious that was the previous movie.

 

[Man in the Suit]

That guy needs to pull the stick out of his ass, and have a little fun. Yeesh.

He'd be proclaiming it the funnest and "The next ________!" if Guillermo still directed it.

I can't take anything on that site seriously because it's all group think. Articles and comments.

 

[Persona]

i will have to reserve judgment on the quality of execution of CG for Bolg as i have seen virtually nothing. prosthetic/make-up effects age just as much as CG, the difference is that CG has a much higher ceiling and is developing more rapidly. some day all prosthetic/make-up effects for non-human characters are going to be considered outdated. today's cutting-edge CG effects will, too, but at least they'll be at the ground floor of how VFX will be done for as long as movies exist.

right now it's at that transition point where the filmmakers have to choose, is it better to do this particular scene or character with a practical effect or a CG one? obviously, Jackson forced his own hand a little bit with the HFR 3D format, limiting the number of practical effects that would work well under that scrutiny. but also there are pros and cons of dynamic movement, less humanoid forms, detail work, etc. vs. the weight and tangibility of the practical effects.

like i said, in terms of execution, maybe CG Bolg will fall short of prosthetic Bolg, i dunno, but in terms of the design i think i prefer CG Bolg. it's still striking but less jumbled and overworked. sounds like the movie will have plenty of over-the-topness, is it so bad that Bolg's design is now much less OTT? old design was cool in its own ridonkulous way, but i think the new design will be less of an attention-hog and eye-trap.

i'm sure Devin's feelings on this movie will echo how some on here will feel and other people out there, too, though i can't make sense of how he thinks he's being intellectually honest considering he's taking this movie to task for things that happen in a bunch of other current movies he loves...but the biggest issue for me with his review is that final line. he basically shot himself in the foot with that one because the review went from reasonable enough to suddenly sounding like a petty child who is unhappy because the filmmakers didn't make the movie he wanted them to make, so they must not care about the story they're telling.

anyways, so far Devin is in the very small critical minority on this one (heck, even the Village Voice liked it!), so whatever. there will be a contingent of people that agree with his take, i hope i'm not one of them. probably not since i like AUJ, King Kong, etc.

 

[Persona]

The first film, and bits of the second film do not meet the standards of the later films. But from PoA on, it is quality. Does anyone doubt that magic is real in those films? Amazing.

The duel between Gandalf Jr. and Emperor Jr. is a sight to behold.

i LOVE Prisoner of Azkaban. the others, not so much.

lots of warts in the FX, too, maybe not quite as much as your standard FX-heavy blockbuster, but they're there.