Official 'The Hobbit' Thread - Part 9

[regwec]

Maybe displays of bravado are important to maintaining social dominance in Orc bands.

 

[Octoberist]

I just seen the movie and I understand the complaints about the pacing being slow at the beginning but when it got going it was good, really good. I don't understand the CG complaints, everything looked great to me except maybe the eagles.

The Wargs were rushed looking too.

 

[terry78]

The Necromancer thing was basically to tie this into the other movies more or less, it seems like. Some foreshadowing or whatever.

 

[ThePowerCosmic]

For the White Council scene, that could have just happened when Gandalf goes off the first time. Some events would've needed to be switched around, but whatever.

Listen as a Tolkien fan I enjoyed all the extra padding in the movie. But the problem is that it is still a movie and that it all felt like padding. I mean yeah I enjoy all the extra stuff but I mean this was a short little fantasy book.

Honestly, I think between the two Rankin/Bass had a good handle on how to turn this story in a movie and I think they did it more effectively in terms of ADAPTATION.

Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy how Jackson connected all the dots here from this movie to the original trilogy. I like stuff like that, but the movie at times felt like it was navel gazing.

OK let's just take this for example. The Necromancer. We all know who the Necromancer is. But here's why it didn't work. It was a tangent that messed up the pace of the movie. Suddenly there's a new threat and a new villain that comes in. And yet midway through he's never addressed again. He's completely forgotten about. In terms of narrative, IMHO that's unacceptable. In the Rankin/Bass movie there is no Necromancer stuff. There's no Morgol blade. There's no Witch King. It didn't serve this movie to suddenly introduce a whole other plot thread, villain, and antagonist and just jettison and forget about it minutes later.

Radagast's introduction. He's almost attacked by giant spiders. And I'm like, WTF? What the frell are Shelob's cousins doing here? The spiders run away? Why? Where did the Spiders go? Are the spiders coming back for him? Spider issue is never dealt with again. None of this makes any sense.

And this is my problem with Jackson because he does stuff like this. He puts in all this crazy indulgent **** and doesn't properly explain it.

The Spiders will be dealt with in part 2, when Bilbo fights them and finally names his sword Sting. If those are the same spiders, that is.

 

[ThePowerCosmic]

In the book the company's time in Rivendale lasts a little over two weeks, and Bilbo speaks of great feasts, and council, and good times, but doesn't go into any detail. I feel Jackson could have kept it the same in the film. They go in they speak to Elrond they look at their map and they move on while Gandalf has his council meeting. Actually they could have removed Rivendale entirely, and replaced those scenes with one scene of Gandalf holding the map up to the moonligfht illuminating the runes. There was no need to see Elrond, and his glass alter was unecessary. The White Council scene could have taken place at a new location that the council has for meetings.

Changes like this would have moved the plot along faster.

Rivendell also had food and places for the Dwarves to get some rest, and wasn't Elrond the one who originally deciphered the map? I've only seen the animated version, so I'm not entirely sure. I liked the glass alter scene, as well as the music accompanying it.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

The Necromancer thing was basically to tie this into the other movies more or less, it seems like. Some foreshadowing or whatever.

I took the conversation to mean that the Necromancer would be handle in the sequels. Galadriel's words imply it. So I am thinking more will happen still. Why else would Cumberbatch be cast to play him?

The Spiders will be dealt with in part 2, when Bilbo fights them and finally names his sword Sting. If those are the same spiders, that is.

There are reports that Bilbo doesn't handle the spiders.

 

[DarkKnight88]

There are reports that Bilbo doesn't handle the spiders.

Those reports are wrong. He does. There's even a shot from the first trailer from that section.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Those reports are wrong. He does. There's even a shot from the first trailer from that section.

You mean the shot with the webs and the ring? Yeah, I know it exist. The problems is that footage shown at Comic-Con or perhaps even before that has shown that [BLACKOUT]Legolas and his fellow elves save the dwarves from the spiders[/BLACKOUT].

 

[Marvolo]

Rivendell also had food and places for the Dwarves to get some rest, and wasn't Elrond the one who originally deciphered the map? I've only seen the animated version, so I'm not entirely sure. I liked the glass alter scene, as well as the music accompanying it.

Yeah, Elrond deciphers it in the book. I still think they could have cut the scene. It isnt necessary to see them get food. We can assume they got food on the road or hunted. Eating and other bodily functions dont have to be covered in a film.

 

[Zatanna]

There's a LOTR marathon on TNT right now. All 3 films.

 

[RoboAmish]

You mean the shot with the webs and the ring? Yeah, I know it exist. The problems is that footage shown at Comic-Con or perhaps even before that has shown that [BLACKOUT]Legolas and his fellow elves save the dwarves from the spiders[/BLACKOUT].

Wait... what?

Sigh, I was disappointed enough that they changed bits of the Troll encounter. That'd push me right over the edge

 

[ThePhantasm]

I took the conversation to mean that the Necromancer would be handle in the sequels. Galadriel's words imply it. So I am thinking more will happen still. Why else would Cumberbatch be cast to play him?

More does happen. The armies of the White Council drive the Necromancer from Dol Goldur in the same year that Bilbo journeys to the Lonely Mountain. There will no doubt be a battle at Dol Goldur (probably in movie 3).

The Necromancer then escapes to Mordor and is revealed to be Sauron.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

More does happen. The armies of the White Council drive the Necromancer from Dol Goldur in the same year that Bilbo journeys to the Lonely Mountain. There will no doubt be a battle at Dol Goldur (probably in movie 3).

[BLACKOUT]The Necromancer then escapes to Mordor and is revealed to be Sauron.[/BLACKOUT]

I know. Didn't feel like spoiling a lot of the rest of the potential story, however.

 

[Shikamaru]

Saw the film last night. I loved the LOTR trilogy and I absolutely loved this film too. It's the best movie I have seen all year, though I still haven't seen Dredd or Skyfall yet so I don't know how they compare to The Hobbit.

I absolutely loved it. My biggest complaint with it is the pacing, which is ridiculously slow especially in comparison with the pacing of the LOTR trilogy. I think turning The Hobbit into a trilogy was a really bad idea to begin with. I haven't read the the book (though I read the LOTR books a couple of years back) but I know the book is only 300-400 pages long while the average LOTR book was longer by about 100 or 200 pages. So there is no reason why you couldn't adapt the whole book into one film, maybe two films if you really want to flesh things out but three movies? That is way too much. It's obvious the only reason why they're going for a trilogy is to milk the franchise further and make for money out of it.

Other than that, once again, fantastic movie. Great visuals, great acting especially by Martin Freeman and Ian McKellen who pretty much steal the show, great story (though once again, pacing is really bad), and great soundtrack.

 

[X Knight]

wait....was Legolas supposed to be in this film or in the sequel(s)?

 

[DarthSkywalker]

wait....was Legolas supposed to be in this film or in the sequel(s)?

Originally in this film. After the third film was added his intro was pushed back to the second film.

 

[X Knight]

Originally in this film. After the third film was added his intro was pushed back to the second film.

ah, I see. thanks.

 

[jacobed]

You mean the shot with the webs and the ring? Yeah, I know it exist. The problems is that footage shown at Comic-Con or perhaps even before that has shown that [BLACKOUT]Legolas and his fellow elves save the dwarves from the spiders[/BLACKOUT].

There's a Lego set of that scene already with no Bilbo in it

 

[DarthSkywalker]

There's a Lego set of that scene already with no Bilbo in it

I forgot about the lego set. Yep, you are right.

 

[CGHulk]

Me after watching The Hobbit!

 

[def28]

I dug it. Bout a 7/10 for me. Its def too long and the pacing was a bit off for awhile.But right when they got to Rivendell it sped up for me. One complaint I had were that the battles didnt seem as tactically put together as FOTR. IT seemed more just disorganized and just not that impressive even though the situations at hand would make you think otherwise. I was expecting it to be a bit goofier and I remember the Hobbit being more of a childrens book then LOTR, but I was just let down cause Jackson did such a great job in the originals with the aciton.

HFR was hit or miss. Clarity was great when it settled in and during the action, but most the time I felt I was watching a play or documentary footage instead of watching a film. It took away the cinematic feel for me quite a bit. Still think 3D and HFR are gonna go through alot of alterations before they get it where they want and its fully welcomed.

 

[craigdbfan]

Don't post bootleg/pirate material. If you've been here for 7 years now you should be more than aware of this.

 

[CGHulk]

 

[Kirmit]

I know in the book Gollum only features in the riddle scene but does anyone know if he's going to show up in either of the next two movies?

 

[jacobed]

Nope