Official 'The Hobbit' Thread - - Part 16

[Marvolo]

It would be like if the Eye of Sauron fell comically on top of Worm-tongue at the end of ROTK.

The Master was a scheming lying politician who had kept the people down while hoarding what little fortune the town had. The idea of him thinking he's gotten away and survived the ordeal only to then be crushed by Smaug (a treasure hoarding egotistical schemer) sounds great to me.

I really dont seewhat the problem is.

 

[Quasimod0]

Sorry, that came across as kinda snide. People in this thread have said before that cinematic adaptations are necessary because either the books or boring or the books deserve "to be brought to life" in other words. I just don't see it that way.

I understand that's not necessarily what you meant.

Its all good man. And I do agree with you. I've read hundreds of books that I have no desire to see turned into movies. Because most of the time, books are able to tell much better, more in-depth, stories. Books don't have a budget, and the only limit to them is the imagination of the writer.

 

[Quasimod0]

The Master was a scheming lying politician who had kept the people down while hoarding what little fortune the town had. The idea of him thinking he's gotten away and survived the ordeal only to then be crushed by Smaug (a treasure hoarding egotistical schemer) sounds great to me.

I really dont seewhat the problem is.

I liked how the Master's demise was handled. He definitely got what was coming to him. It was really his greed that killed him in the end.
Now if only the same would've happened to Alfrid.... [BLACKOUT]Perhaps his death is in the extended cut.[/BLACKOUT]

 

[ThePhantasm]

I really dont seewhat the problem is.

Its unnecessary, heavy-handed, and stupid?

 

[Marvolo]

Its unnecessary, heavy-handed, and stupid?

We'll have to agree to disagree. Smaug's death is supposed to be a moment to cheer and same with the Master. Smaug dying and the Master getting his comeuppance at the same time is fine with me. Giving the audience a moment to laugh, especially in a film so dark, and cheer is hardly stupid.

 

[Herolee10]

I couldn't figure out where else I cohld ask these two questions so I thought that I would try here...

1. In the FOTR, when Saruman confronts Gandalf on the top of his towere, Gandald says that there is only one Lord of the ring and that he doesn't share Saruman's opinion. Who was Gandalf referring about? Frodo? Aragorn?

2. Also, could someone explain to me on how Gandalf came back to life and why he was seemingly more powerful prior to his "death".

Thanks

 

[ThePhantasm]

1. In the FOTR, when Saruman confronts Gandalf on the top of his towere, Gandald says that there is only one Lord of the ring and that he doesn't share Saruman's opinion. Who was Gandalf referring about? Frodo? Aragorn?

Sauron, and he doesn't share power.

2. Also, could someone explain to me on how Gandalf came back to life and why he was seemingly more powerful prior to his "death".

Sent back by the Valar to fulfill his appointed task. He's more powerful because he has now replaced Saruman as the head of their order, and has now been given Saruman's original tasks in addition to his own.

 

[Herolee10]

Ah I see. Thanks for the info.

 

[Slushy]

Its unnecessary, heavy-handed, and stupid?

This. It was an over the top and pointless change. Just like Saruman's death in ROTK.

 

[Iceman]

Eh, Viggo's Aragorn is another can of worms for me. It was a commendable, committed performance, but I find the interpretation of the character to be very different to what I think the book fleshes out.

I would compare Viggo's Aragorn to Michael Keaton's Batman: great, but a bit wrong.

I think I get what you mean, or if not can at least see something similar. Film Aragorn is great to me in a typical true hero/chosen one style, but misses some of the subtler things that make the book character a little more unique and rough around the edges. Doesn't stop him being kind of perfect overall for me anyway as I guess getting what he got right was more important to me than matching what I got from reading about the character in the books.

And that's exactly how I feel about Keaton's Batman. Definitely something wrong with his Bruce Wayne especially, he kind of did his own thing but I love it regardless. Really glad those Keaton performances happened.

Bernard Hill was a brilliant find for the role. In that scene, I find him entirely believable as a world-weary but battle-hardened king who knows he is probably leading his men to their deaths, but somehow finds the words to put fire in their hearts.

The only thing that *slightly* sullies the scene, for me, is the continued cuts to Merry and Eowyn screaming at the camera. It seems to undercut the sense of building scale, momentum and energy.

I was amazed as up to that point I was cool with Bernard Hill as Theoden but certainly not his biggest fan, and then he blew me away with one of the best deliveries in the whole epic. And yeah those 2 do distract from the moment a little even if they are important.

One portrayal who was perfect on paper that I for some reason didn't love was Christopher Lee as Saruman. I have no idea why I don't find this performance awesome as I love Christoper Lee in general and his Saruman voice was really good. I'm sure in the minority on this one but for eg I even think he is great as Count Dooku in the SW prequels.

 

[Boom]

I'm gonna try and get a review up by tomorrow. It's going to be a long one and, frankly, writing lengthy posts on an iPad is infuriating.

Should go smoothly once I'm on a proper laptop.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Can't wait Boom.

 

[regwec]

Yeah, nor I. I have a lunch engagement tomorrow that I may even cancel.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Yeah, nor I. I have a lunch engagement tomorrow that I may even cancel.

You can cancel on Obama on such short notice?

 

[regwec]

I'll say North Korea ****ed up my diary.

 

[Boom]

Regarding Dain CGface.

Spoiler

It wasn't as appalling as it could have been. That's the nicest thing I can say. It still has just enough of an artificial quality about it that you spend the entire time staring at his face thinking, "Something is not quite right here." In that regard, it still ends up a distraction.

And it's not like it's just one shot, where you have to put up with it for a few seconds and then can move on. He gets several close-ups - a couple of which without a helmet to mask most of his face.

And yes, he is predominantly a humor character. Bear in mind that this is the dwarf that, in the text, goes on to become King of Erebor and play a major role in the War of the Ring. Here? A Scottish cliche wrapped up in pixels.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I'll say North Korea ****ed up my diary.

"North Korea messed up my ****" is the new, "my dog ate my homework".

 

[redhawk23]

Why did this film have so. much. focus. on Alfrid? Why the coin boobs?

Also, everything with Legolas went so far beyond the pale. I honestly feel Jackson was just messing around at that point. It honestly felt like Dead Alive levels of nonsensical purposeful excess.

I laughed so hard throughout this movie and I really didn't want to. That wasn't my aim. I don't riff on movies. This movie just happened to be hilarious.

 

[redhawk23]

I think people are getting too hung up on the line about Aragorn.

Spoiler

Its not about Aragorn. His father was a good man, he will be a great one. Its about Thranduil himself and his boy.

Its more of a matter that the line and the delivery were so clunky and unneeded.

 

[ThePhantasm]

I laughed so hard throughout this movie and I really didn't want to. That wasn't my aim. I don't riff on movies. This movie just happened to be hilarious.

I can think of only two movies in recent memory that have been so unintentionally funny in "serious" moments that I laughed in tears.

Taken 2
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

 

[Quasimod0]

The Legolas moments were hilarious. I laughed as well.
But I have to admit that I freakin' loved his crazy scenes.

 

[Victarion]

This. It was an over the top and pointless change. Just like Saruman's death in ROTK.

Wasn't he stabbed in the book, too, only like on the roadside or something?

 

[CGHulk]

This. It was an over the top and pointless change. Just like Saruman's death in ROTK.

He was killed in the book.

Wasn't he stabbed in the book, too, only like on the roadside or something?

It was in the Shire by Grima Wormtongue. I found the the scourging of the Shire to be completely lame. In my opinion the way the movies handled the death Saruman was a lot better.

 

[Victarion]

Yeah, and Grima stabbed him atop the tower, if I recall correctly? So it is basically the same death as in the book.

 

[CGHulk]

Yeah, and Grima stabbed him atop the tower, if I recall correctly? So it is basically the same death as in the book.

Yeah!