Official 'The Hobbit' Thread - Part 5

[Kane52630]

There are freakin bunny sleds, how is that not awesome?

 

[CapedCrusader14]

I quite enjoyed the trailer.

But honestly? The Riddles in the Dark scene looks nothing like how I imagined it. Gollum isn't frightening and Bilbo isn't scared for his life.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

Don't get me wrong, I think this will be a great movie, but they missed an opportunity to alter Gollum's appearance to make him more physically threatening.

Remember, by the time we see him in LOTR, decades upon decades have passed, and he's been thoroughly and systematically tortured by the orcs. So it's not like he'd be the same man in any event.

Furthermore, after not being exposed to the Ring for a while Gollum was said to be less thin and a bit more approachable (at least not as psychotic) in the books. So Gollum in the Hobbit should be at his most hideous, with the Ring's hold over him most intoxicating.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

The Gollum stuff is funny, but it really shouldn't be funny. Completely nonthreatening. The film looks really CGI heavy. Some stuff looks neat, others stuff not so much. I do like that there seems to be a more child friendly feel to the film as whole though.

 

[Spider-Who?]

The whole scene seems ill conceived to me. Where is the frightening Gollum that makes Bilbo utterly unnerved and witless?

For me, what makes Gollum interesting and potentially scary is his two personalities. In this latest trailer, we're obviously seeing more of his Smeagol whereas in the teaser, he's much more Gollum. I imagine that we'll see him shift rather manically between the two during this scene, which will give us the creepy factor (i hope, anyway).

 

[DarthSkywalker]

For me, what makes Gollum interesting and potentially scary is his two personalities. In this latest trailer, we're obviously seeing more of his Smeagol whereas in the teaser, he's much more Gollum. I imagine that we'll see him shift rather manically between the two during this scene, which will give us the creepy factor (i hope, anyway).

They scene in the prologue looks more effective then this. Also why are Riddles in the Dark not taking place in the dark?

 

[Boom]

Yeah. I'm incredibly disappointed that they failed to capture the spirit of the chapter.

 

[CapedCrusader14]

Wasn't Gollum on a little row boat and he was slowly approaching Bilbo during the riddles? I remember that and I thought it was creepy as ****.

 

[Marvolo]

There are freakin bunny sleds, how is that not awesome?

Because that stuff belongs in Narnia and not Middle Earth. I know the Hobbit is a lighter book but bunny sleds do not seem Tolkien at all.

 

[terry78]

I think we're just seeing a snippet of it here to showcase how real world scenario that whole chapter is. Two guys playing a game with each other and getting more and more frustrated because neither of them is actually playing fair.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Because that stuff belongs in Narnia and not Middle Earth. I know the Hobbit is a lighter book but bunny sleds do not seem Tolkien at all.

True enough, but let's not try to make the movie reflect Tolkien's world views too much. Otherwise the LOTR movies themselves would be, to put it mildly, very boring and slightly racist. Tolkien was of his time, this movie is of its time, each one reflects its own sensibility.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

Imagine how cinematic that could've been: a shot of Bilbo sitting down struggling to answer a riddle as we hear the water splashing, cutting to a reverse shot of a boat with a figure obscured by darkness save for two pale, mischievous eyes getting closer and closer.

 

[redhawk23]

Because that stuff belongs in Narnia and not Middle Earth. I know the Hobbit is a lighter book but bunny sleds do not seem Tolkien at all.

Is it really that much diffferent than Tom Bombadil?

 

[Pink Ranger]

Is it really that much diffferent than Tom Bombadil?

To this day, I tend to think that Tolkien put Tom Bombadil into those books just to amuse himself.

 

[Kane52630]

Because that stuff belongs in Narnia and not Middle Earth. I know the Hobbit is a lighter book but bunny sleds do not seem Tolkien at all.

Yeah in the world of talking tress, dragons, and giant spiders, giant sledding rabbits is too much...

 

[Marvolo]

True enough, but let's not try to make the movie reflect Tolkien's world views too much. Otherwise the LOTR movies themselves would be, to put it mildly, very boring and slightly racist. Tolkien was of his time, this movie is of its time, each one reflects its own sensibility.

Im not talking about his world views at all. Im talking about the universe he created. The movies should reflect that world and in that world there are no bunny sleds.

 

[Boom]

Imagine how cinematic that could've been: a shot of Bilbo sitting down struggling to answer a riddle as we hear the water splashing, cutting to a reverse shot of a boat with a figure obscured by darkness save for two pale, mischievous eyes getting closer and closer.

It would've been too good to be true .

 

[Marvolo]

Yeah in the world of talking tress, dragons, and giant spiders, giant sledding rabbits is too much...

Apparently otherwise Tolkien would have included bunny sleds. And dont take me the wrong way. If it looks ok in the film and fits contextually il go with with it. I just have a hard time taking giant bunnies pulling a sled seriously. Humungous bugs i can deal with. After all, millions of years ago this very planet had giant bugs. Talking trees go back to elementals which are big parts of mythology and pagan religions.Dragons are common place in mythology and tales. All that stuff is Tolkien through and through and is easy to swallow. Giant sled bunnies is silly to the point its doesnt seem tolkien.

If tolkien had come up with it id go with it more readily. The fact Jackson came up with it and its an unnecessary visual effect makes it harder for me to go with it.

 

[<(o_o)>]

There are freakin bunny sleds, how is that not awesome?

Those were some giant assed bunnies. They could have at least put antlers on them to make them jackalopes.

 

[Spider-Who?]

Also why are Riddles in the Dark not taking place in the dark?

Looks to be pretty dark in the shots I saw. Are you suggesting we "see" an entire scene played out in total blackness?

Yeah. I'm incredibly disappointed that they failed to capture the spirit of the chapter.

If you were to say this after actually seeing the movie, I'd simply nod and say "Ok, that's your opinion, cool", but we've seen 10 seconds worth of an entire, major scene, how on earth can you honestly judge it as failing anything?

 

[Marvolo]

Looks to be pretty dark in the shots I saw. Are you suggesting we "see" an entire scene played out in total blackness?



If you were to say this after actually seeing the movie, I'd simply nod and say "Ok, that's your opinion, cool", but we've seen 10 seconds worth of an entire, major scene, how on earth can you honestly judge it as failing anything?

Gollum shouldnt be lit that much. He should have remained mostly in shadow with his eyes reflecting what little light there is in the cave. You know, creating atmosphere. Having Gollum fully lit and up close like that takes away the unnerving creepiness of the chapter.

 

[Boom]

If you were to say this after actually seeing the movie, I'd simply nod and say "Ok, that's your opinion, cool", but we've seen 10 seconds worth of an entire, major scene, how on earth can you honestly judge it as failing anything?

Hey, if PJ can suddenly turn that scene around and make it genuinely frightening, all the power to him. I'll happily eat crow on that one. I don't think it likely, however. I'd wager that the tone we see in the trailer is pretty much what we're going to get.

 

[Spider-Who?]

Again, we are seeing barely a fraction of the scene. I'm SURE the scene will begin with Gollum in the shadows until a well timed reveal. It's called creating tension, as you said, and tension does need to be released. You can't have an entire scene with only Gollum's eyes being shown.

 

[ThePowerCosmic]

Even in the teaser, we see Gollum hidden in shadow and crawling up from behind Bilbo. Pretty creepy.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Yeah, it's going to be hard for the audience to buy that Bilbo is genuinely at risk of being killed and eaten.

Knowing he's alive and well in LotR isn't going to clue them in?