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?