The Hobbit)
Dec. 22nd, 2012 06:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shapinglightIcon in honour of the world not ending, and the days drawing out. Now, if it will only stop raining...
Behind cut, a brief review of The Hobbit, which I saw last light (in 2D and with conventional frame rate) and really enjoyed. Spoilers, I guess, but you probably all know the story already, right?
I wasn't expecting to enjoy the film so much, to be honest. The general consensus seems to be on the negative side. But, although there were definitely bits that were irritating, or seemed very repetitive, or unintentionally funny (of which more later), on the whole I enjoyed it. Martin Freeman was terrific as Bilbo, Thorin and the dwarves were all great, and the Bilbo/Gollum scene was terrifically well done.
Unlike many of the reviews that thought it boring, I really liked the party scene at Bag End, and laughed out loud at the troll scene. I also didn't mind the bits that were changed - like making Azog this big orc nemesis for Thorin, instead of him being killed by Thorin's cousin Dain in that battle where he defended himself with the tree stump (was puzzled enough by what they'd changed to look it up afterwards).
Irritating stuff were mainly the scenes with Radagast, which I don't mind being there per se (doesn't Gandalf tell the dwarves at some point in the book that he'd met Radagast in the wild?), but which went on far too long. Also, surely Gandalf was well aware of nasty goings on at Dol Guldur before Radagast came and told him, since that's where Thorin's father was imprisoned when he gave Gandalf the key to Erebor? (Again, I looked it up).
Ah, never mind. It's been a long time since I read the book and it doesn't much matter anyway.
Repetitive stuff was Gandalf and a group of people being chased through underground tunnels. Had to explain to S afterwards that, no, that was not the Mines of Moria but another place altogether. But it did seem to hark back to those scenes in LoTR a bit too much, IMO. (Well, technically it's harking forward, but you know what I mean).
Unintentionally funny stuff boils down to the scene with Elrond, Galadriel, Saruman and Gandalf. Firstly, the elves (apart from Elrond, who is okay, probably because he's half human, though the films have never mentioned that) are just as stuck up and irritating as ever. God, I hate them! Also, they're not nearly as clever as they think, are they, if they can't spot that Saruman is evil after the scene in this film but are still taken by surprise when he shows his true colours sixty years later. Same goes for Gandalf, of course. Saruman might as well have stuck a sign on his forehead in this scene saying Sauron Fifth Columnist on it, it was that bloody obvious. Yet all Galadriel can do is look enigmatic and talk to Gandalf behind Saruman's back. :rolls eyes: Anyway, even I have to admit that Cate Blanchett looks spectacular and does a good trailing frock.
A-and apart from that, I've no complaints, unless you count the fact that those very badly CGI'd eagles (maybe they looked better in 3D) had cyber feet that were clearly made of cyber felt and since they were golden eagles, and golden eagles aren't social, would never have flown around in a flock like that.
I can see why Peter Jackson opted to make more than one film. Three is going to be stretching it. But I'm glad there's another one.
Finally, that goblin king (the big fat one) was very chatty, wasn't he? I think maybe he is in the book too. Makes a change from kill!smash!destroy to have one of them mwah!hah!hah! rather wittily about how they're going to kill you beforehand, doesn't it?
Behind cut, a brief review of The Hobbit, which I saw last light (in 2D and with conventional frame rate) and really enjoyed. Spoilers, I guess, but you probably all know the story already, right?
I wasn't expecting to enjoy the film so much, to be honest. The general consensus seems to be on the negative side. But, although there were definitely bits that were irritating, or seemed very repetitive, or unintentionally funny (of which more later), on the whole I enjoyed it. Martin Freeman was terrific as Bilbo, Thorin and the dwarves were all great, and the Bilbo/Gollum scene was terrifically well done.
Unlike many of the reviews that thought it boring, I really liked the party scene at Bag End, and laughed out loud at the troll scene. I also didn't mind the bits that were changed - like making Azog this big orc nemesis for Thorin, instead of him being killed by Thorin's cousin Dain in that battle where he defended himself with the tree stump (was puzzled enough by what they'd changed to look it up afterwards).
Irritating stuff were mainly the scenes with Radagast, which I don't mind being there per se (doesn't Gandalf tell the dwarves at some point in the book that he'd met Radagast in the wild?), but which went on far too long. Also, surely Gandalf was well aware of nasty goings on at Dol Guldur before Radagast came and told him, since that's where Thorin's father was imprisoned when he gave Gandalf the key to Erebor? (Again, I looked it up).
Ah, never mind. It's been a long time since I read the book and it doesn't much matter anyway.
Repetitive stuff was Gandalf and a group of people being chased through underground tunnels. Had to explain to S afterwards that, no, that was not the Mines of Moria but another place altogether. But it did seem to hark back to those scenes in LoTR a bit too much, IMO. (Well, technically it's harking forward, but you know what I mean).
Unintentionally funny stuff boils down to the scene with Elrond, Galadriel, Saruman and Gandalf. Firstly, the elves (apart from Elrond, who is okay, probably because he's half human, though the films have never mentioned that) are just as stuck up and irritating as ever. God, I hate them! Also, they're not nearly as clever as they think, are they, if they can't spot that Saruman is evil after the scene in this film but are still taken by surprise when he shows his true colours sixty years later. Same goes for Gandalf, of course. Saruman might as well have stuck a sign on his forehead in this scene saying Sauron Fifth Columnist on it, it was that bloody obvious. Yet all Galadriel can do is look enigmatic and talk to Gandalf behind Saruman's back. :rolls eyes: Anyway, even I have to admit that Cate Blanchett looks spectacular and does a good trailing frock.
A-and apart from that, I've no complaints, unless you count the fact that those very badly CGI'd eagles (maybe they looked better in 3D) had cyber feet that were clearly made of cyber felt and since they were golden eagles, and golden eagles aren't social, would never have flown around in a flock like that.
I can see why Peter Jackson opted to make more than one film. Three is going to be stretching it. But I'm glad there's another one.
Finally, that goblin king (the big fat one) was very chatty, wasn't he? I think maybe he is in the book too. Makes a change from kill!smash!destroy to have one of them mwah!hah!hah! rather wittily about how they're going to kill you beforehand, doesn't it?
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no subject
Date: 2012-12-22 07:48 pm (UTC)I agree with most (all?) of this.
I enjoyed it, but not as much as LOTR. I was expecting to hate Martin Freeman, but as I actually forgot he was Marting Freeman for a change, his acting must have been a bit better than usual. Bilbo/Gollum was deffo a high point.
Those underground tunnels were not as I had imagined them (and the goblin king was very well spoken!) neither was the Lonely Monntain. The city inside just seemed a bit... big.
I think it's not so much that the film is too long, just a tad too indulgent for a cinema experience. It's like we were watching the extended version with as much as possible for the Tolkien fanatics thrown in, which is great, but easier to digest on DVD.
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Date: 2012-12-22 07:58 pm (UTC)Sadly, of course, when it comes out, all the extras will only be available on the Blu-ray version.
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Date: 2012-12-22 08:18 pm (UTC)Never mind, my old laptop has a Blu Ray player (that never got used).
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Date: 2012-12-22 09:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-22 10:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-22 08:38 pm (UTC)Thank you for a helpful review. Am still not sure I can sit through it, though. May have to pace my tea drinking, or request an interval...
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Date: 2012-12-28 10:54 am (UTC)Must admit, I prefer the films to the books, though.
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Date: 2012-12-22 09:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-28 10:55 am (UTC)I enjoyed it, but I think it probably helps to be a LotR fan.
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Date: 2012-12-22 10:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-28 11:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-22 11:57 pm (UTC)As for myself - absolutely loved the movie, with all its flaws, which are plenty I agree. Should have been 2 movies, should have ended in Esgaroth as they originally planned, shouldn't have had so many stupid fight scenes.
For me Hobbit is the story of Bilbo and Thorin and what each of them symbolize, so if you get Thorin and Bilbo right, you'll get the story right and make this one old PJ-cynical Tolkien geek happy. And boy did they get it right!
I predictably loved Martin Freeman as Bilbo, but Thorin left me with my jaw dropped: that was a legendary hero missing from LotR movies, not the one who's still learning his lessons but the one who's already a formed, authoritative figure. He plays tragic, flawed, unflinching king-warrior-legend perfectly.
My favorite part was a beginning too, I relished every second in Bag End, and trolls and Gollum. Azog inclusion was worth it for badass, fey Thorin rash at him and consequent scenes with Bilbo.
White Counsil/Dul Guldur scenes were a mess but I hope they'll lead somewhere in the next movies.
I hope they won't screw it up in the next movies as I allowed myself to fall in love with it (I wanted to love a Tolkien movie so badly but it's the first time it worked) and I know how PJ can swart you. :)
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Date: 2012-12-28 11:15 am (UTC)True. I have seen quite a few reviews saying it was disappointing, though. It's always nice to be pleasantly surprised. Though I do agree there were way too many fight scenes.
You didn't like the LotR movies, then? I loved them, have to admit. I like them more than the books now. Legendary hero still learning his lessons works fine for me. I dislike characters who are too sure of themselves, and for that reason Book!Aragorn gets on my nerves.
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Date: 2012-12-29 02:08 am (UTC)They were good movies, I know, I just didn't love them in the way I hoped. When I stumbled on Whedonverse later I felt for Whedon characters what I hoped to feel for characters in LotR movies.
Bilbo and Thorin were kinda my spare OTP after Sam and Frodo - not in a slashy way for either of them, just the character dynamics. And they were done superbly in Hobbit, and it should only get more interesting and intense in later movies. I'm just very happy to finally love my favorite Tolkien characters on screen and can forgive various silly and sloppy stuff in the movie. :)
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Date: 2013-01-03 11:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-23 04:17 pm (UTC)Haven't made it to it myself- no time unfortunately. Or the right time has not presented itself. Hoping to soon - it's a film that I think needs to be seen on the big screen to be appreciated.
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Date: 2012-12-28 11:16 am (UTC)This is true. I hope you enjoy it when you get around to it.
Re: 3D - I have wondered since if the eagles would have looked a little less fake in 3D.
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Date: 2012-12-28 09:25 pm (UTC)Eagles didn't bug me except for the fact that they didn't look like eagles so much as giant thrush..so doubt 3D would have made it any better, but I also wasn't expecting much.
Refused to see it in 3D - too headache inducing. Too busy, plus Don't like things thrown at me. Not the sort of film that should be shown in that format.
Main quibbles?
*The Orc subplot that Jackson expanded on was distracting, unnecessary and poorly written.
* Too many running scenes and battle scenes that looked the same.
Best bits?
*Brown Wizard
*Gollum
And I thought the Trolls were funny too, but they looked a bit too much like the Goblins. (My poor mother kept confusing them.) The special effects were...uneven. Sometimes good, sometimes unintentionally funny or off.
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Date: 2013-01-03 11:25 am (UTC)