Official 'The Hobbit' Thread - Part 9

[tek]

thanks for the input cghulk. i don't think that deeply about it, just a immediate reaction, perhaps unreasoned, but i was just struck by how slow and uninformative the film was at the beginning. lacking tension was a good description. perhaps i may give it another look

 

[CGHulk]

I cannot agree. Everything in FotR is necessary, strong and pushes the story and characters forwards. Even in the "slower" scene it has a momentum that The Hobbit just can't match. I'd say FotR is one of the finest paced films I have ever seen.

That's because you enjoyed Lord of the Rings. But the average viewer found the film boring/slow. When the movie came out all I could hear from friends and family and co-workers how slow and boring the movie was. But those who love Tolkien and those whole fell in love with the world after watching the movie, developed an interest. When the Two Towers came out a lot of people were happier with that film because it wasn't boring. I prefer the Fellowship of the Ring to all three of the films. I like boring slower paced films. The Fellowship of the Ring in my opinion is the finest made film in the series, like a fine wine. Any other Tolkien film has a lot to live up to, it to beat it, in my opinion of course.

thanks for the input cghulk. i don't think that deeply about it, just a immediate reaction, perhaps unreasoned, but i was just struck by how slow and uninformative the film was at the beginning. lacking tension was a good description. perhaps i may give it another look

 

[AnneFan]

I have still yet to see this movie. I will head out on the weekend to do so. I am aware of the film's perceived weaknesses. I'm just going to head into the cinema and what will be will be.

 

[Still Wynning]

I'm noticing a general trend. People who loved The Lord of the Rings trilogy, particularly FOTR, either liked-but-didn't-love The Hobbit or thought it was just decent or meh, and people who didn't like The Lord of the Rings loved this film.

Would you say that is a pretty fair assessment, or am I overgeneralizing?

 

[CGHulk]

I'm noticing a general trend. People who loved The Lord of the Rings trilogy, particularly FOTR, either liked-but-didn't-love The Hobbit or thought it was just decent or meh, and people who didn't like The Lord of the Rings loved this film.

Would you say that is a pretty fair assessment, or am I overgeneralizing?

There are some who feel this way. That Guy With Glasses likes The Hobbit more than the Lord of the Rings. http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/vi...ling-rivalry/37699-sibling-rivalry-the-hobbit

 

[C. Lee]

I'm noticing a general trend. People who loved The Lord of the Rings trilogy, particularly FOTR, either liked-but-didn't-love The Hobbit or thought it was just decent or meh, and people who didn't like The Lord of the Rings loved this film.

Would you say that is a pretty fair assessment, or am I overgeneralizing?

Not for me. I loved the trilogy and I love the Hobbit too.

 

[jmc]

My mother and sister seemed to love it more than LOTR.

 

[Doc Ock]

I'm noticing a general trend. People who loved The Lord of the Rings trilogy, particularly FOTR, either liked-but-didn't-love The Hobbit or thought it was just decent or meh, and people who didn't like The Lord of the Rings loved this film.

Would you say that is a pretty fair assessment, or am I overgeneralizing?

No, FOTR is one of my favorite films of all time and I love and adored the Hobbit. There is no so-so or just liking for this movie. I enjoyed it THAT much!

 

[Quasimod0]

I love the trilogy and also loved the hobbit because it was a return to that same world and had the same feeling, but with a slightly lighter tone, which i loved

 

[danoyse]

I loved the trilogy and I loved The Hobbit. I was ready to see the other two movies as soon as this one ended. My dad's a big LOTR fan, and he's seen The Hobbit twice.

I saw Les Miserables for the second time today, and there was a guy sitting behind us who was raving about how good The Hobbit was before our movie started, even saying how great it was that that it was expanded to show what else was happening in Middle Earth at the time the story took place.

 

[Darkness Falls]

finally saw it yesterday
really enjoyed it, it matched how i envisioned it when i read the book many years ago and fit with the world jackson created in the lord of the rings trilogy

the music was great, i loved how they incorporated the misty moutains song as their battle music throughout the movie and used some of the themes from the previous movies, i liked the balance between the humor and serious scenes also

freeman was great as bilbo as was the returning cast and the new faces

my only nitpick, i minor one was that the other dwarf characters didn't really get much focus, we didn't learn much about any of them sans thorin (Who was badass) hoping they all get more screentime in the next two films

 

[Marvolo]

Moment of Silence
Oscar-Winning Peter Jackson Collaborator Mike Hopkins Dies in Rafting Accident

www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jackson-collaborator-mike-hopkins-dies-407156

Hopkins, 53, was wearing a lifejacket and helmet, but drowned after the raft capsized, it quoted local police near the country's capital of Wellington a saying. His two rafting partners survived.

Anyone who has watched the documentaries of the other films or watched the academy awards will recognize this guy. Terrible loss. My thoughts and prayers are with the family, Jackson, and the crew who will no doubt be in great pain at this tragic loss.

 

[AnneFan]

What an unexpected tragedy. My heart goes out to his family and friends. Rest in peace.

 

[Silvermoth]

The problem isn't that they're different, it's that The Hobbit is trying to be LOTR. Thus, it feels more like The Lord of The Rings-lite than a bona fide Hobbit movie.

At least for me...

Nah

Well, it's 2013. You know what that means....Desolation of Smaug comes out this year!

Woo, Honestly can't wait! Smaug is going to be so epic! I wonder what the opening scene will be? PJ always does wonderfully with choosing the opening scene!

 

[psylockolussus]

Rip .

 

[lime]

OK, so I just saw the movie for the third time (this time in a DVD Screener) and I just don't understand the hate on the visual effects for the movie.

I know that Gollum is the highlight of the movie in terms of CGI, but I found The Great Goblin to be as an amazing CG character. The facial movement was pure perfection, and all the little details were top class. The character maybe feels fake, because it is a fake creature. Gollum is much more human-like, and thus more belevable. But if TGG was real, I believe that he was going to look like this.

I think the CGI in the movie was in the same class as LOTR, maybe even better.

 

[Vartha]

Vartha, youre a NEEEEEERD!

And I want your stuff.

Yeah Yeah, my daughter and son don't let me forget it lol she's always calling me a Dork He just loves the stuff I get. lol
Personally these days I buy stuff I can actually use, or will use. lol Right now I have that Hobbit poster with all of the characters walking toward you, but no place to hang it because of Thor, First Avengers and Avengers movie posters. lol

 

[Vartha]

OK, so I just saw the movie for the third time (this time in a DVD Screener) and I just don't understand the hate on the visual effects for the movie.

I know that Gollum is the highlight of the movie in terms of CGI, but I found The Great Goblin to be as an amazing CG character. The facial movement was pure perfection, and all the little details were top class. The character maybe feels fake, because it is a fake creature. Gollum is much more human-like, and thus more belevable. But if TGG was real, I believe that he was going to look like this.

I think the CGI in the movie was in the same class as LOTR, maybe even better.

Well my ONLY problem is if you actually focus on what's on the screen it looks cut out. But I try not to and just enjoy the film. I loved it.

 

[chamber-music]

The Trolls sounding like London cab drivers made me laugh.

Gandalf like Mr T sure likes calling people fools

 

[regwec]

Trolls and Orcs seem to be written that way in the books. I think it flows from Tolkien's equation with the rustic and pastoral as good and the urban or industrial as bad.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

That's because you enjoyed Lord of the Rings. But the average viewer found the film boring/slow. When the movie came out all I could hear from friends and family and co-workers how slow and boring the movie was. But those who love Tolkien and those whole fell in love with the world after watching the movie, developed an interest. When the Two Towers came out a lot of people were happier with that film because it wasn't boring. I prefer the Fellowship of the Ring to all three of the films. I like boring slower paced films. The Fellowship of the Ring in my opinion is the finest made film in the series, like a fine wine. Any other Tolkien film has a lot to live up to, it to beat it, in my opinion of course.

How exactly is it "boring slower paced" in anyway? It is like making the assumption that Gone with the Wind must be slower paced and boring because it is nearly 4 hours. Even the Shire scenes have great purpose and don't lag around. They are snappy, entertaining and provide much in terms of character and story. There is a forward momentum that isn't matched by any of the other films in the series.

The Two Towers isn't boring, but it is not nearly as well paced as FotR. It is great though, but the split story was always going to suffer when the happenings of Rohan were the most interesting going ons in Middle-Earth. The Ents, Merry and Pippen just drag a bit and the Ring's travel kinda of stalls.

I could find someone who thinks any movie is slow and boring and another who thinks it zips by. That is not dissimilar to a lot of what we are getting with The Hobbit this time around. My brother who has only read The Hobbit, enjoyed the first film a lot (though he thought it was too long and didn't find much in the added material), adores FotR and TTT, and won't even watch RotK again it annoys him so much.

Agreed. FOTR builds and builds and has tension and threat in the first 15 minutes driving the rest of the plot. The Hobbit's pace just meanders about for much of the film. Feels more like a sightseeing trip than any kind of tight paced adventure against time. They even set up the fact that the back door of Erebor only opens at a certain time, but then seem to forget to make this a point in the film robbing it of any sense of urgency.

Yep.

 

[RoboAmish]

The reaction to Fellowship was euphoric. People lapped it up from what I remember. It got some complaints that it was a bit "episodic" but not boring or slow.

I'm noticing a general trend. People who loved The Lord of the Rings trilogy, particularly FOTR, either liked-but-didn't-love The Hobbit or thought it was just decent or meh, and people who didn't like The Lord of the Rings loved this film.

Would you say that is a pretty fair assessment, or am I overgeneralizing?

I probably sit in this camp in that I loved LOTR (with exceptions) but was hugely disappointed with Hobbit.

I don't think there's any pattern though. It just seems The Hobbit is far more divisive than the trilogy was.

 

[chamber-music]

Trolls and Orcs seem to be written that way in the books. I think it flows from Tolkien's equation with the rustic and pastoral as good and the urban or industrial as bad.

I think I remember reading somewhere that industiral Birmingham and the effects it had on the enviroment influenced him so your probably writer.

I guess thats why Samwise sounds like a west country farmer in Lord Of The Rings as well.

 

[ThePhantasm]

I loved both LOTR and the Hobbit.

 

[Tony Stark]

I'm noticing a general trend. People who loved The Lord of the Rings trilogy, particularly FOTR, either liked-but-didn't-love The Hobbit or thought it was just decent or meh, and people who didn't like The Lord of the Rings loved this film.

Would you say that is a pretty fair assessment, or am I overgeneralizing?

Overgeneralizing. I think it's a mixed bag. I'm a huge fan of the original trilogy, but what stands out in my mind is Martin Freeman's performance. Elija Wood did a great job of portraying the burden of carrying the one ring, but I think Freeman's performance is really what being a Hobbit is all about. Also I think in the LOTR, Gimli was less a dwarf and more of comic relief. We now see the Dwarves for the warriors that they are.

LOTR is a more grand and brooding tale, where the Hobbit is an Adventure story that was originally written for Tolkien's boys. As someone mentioned there's no real strong female characters, and it's a simpler story.

Jackson certainly changed some things from the book, but I think the heart of the story is there. Obviously things get a lot worse and darker, and I'll be very curious by the time we get to the battle of the five armies.

The next chapter will test how well this film sits with audiences, as Gandalf will likely barely be in the next chapter (he'll show up at the end).