Hobbit review thread

[RangerWickett]

At least the CG animators were nice to whoever's planning to make the "short version" fancut, because within about 5 seconds of him getting covered in gold all that molten metal falls cleanly off him, leaving no trace. So yay, that whole pointless dwarves in the forges scene can be cut.

I actually rather enjoyed this movie, up until the moment Thorin stuck his dumb head into Bilbo and Smaug's business. That's around the time when we got the "Legolas vs. orc even though neither of those characters matter to this movie" fight, and the "glowing Evangeline Lilly has magic mind sex with Kili" scene.

Also, if Bard kills Smaug with one of those big ballistae instead of his bow, I'll be miffed.

 

[billd91]

Also, if Bard kills Smaug with one of those big ballistae instead of his bow, I'll be miffed.

It is what I am expecting, sadly. I'm not too happy with the idea of Girion having failed Dale by not killing Smaug with his initial attack and that Bard's success is necessary to remove that stain on the family honor either.

 

[billd91]

Second, most of the fighting action is what Peter Jackson fabricated whole-cloth for the movies. The last 20 minutes or so of The Desolation of Smaug is a long scene of the dwarves fighting the dragon -- a scene that not only doesn't happen in the book, but feels really stupid in the movie. In the book, Bilbo Baggins survived his encounter with Smaug by using his wits (and the magic ring of invisibility). In the movie it's an action sequence that shows Bilbo surviving mostly by being incredibly lucky. In the book, the dwarves survive the dragon by hiding from it. In the movie, the dwarves manage a running battle with the beast and even forge a freakin' giant gold statue for apparently some kind of morale victory.

The one positive aspect of the running battle with Smaug is it puts the dwarves in the position of doing something active against the dragon. In the book, they look particularly pathetic since all they do is send down a burglar and hide. This was supposed to be Gandalf's gambit to keep Smaug from joining Sauron? A bunch of dwarves who hide from the dragon? What was he thinking? So I can agree somewhat with giving the dwarves an active hand in attacking Sauron - they're pretty difficult to sympathize with otherwise.

 

[MarkB]

It is what I am expecting, sadly. I'm not too happy with the idea of Girion having failed Dale by not killing Smaug with his initial attack and that Bard's success is necessary to remove that stain on the family honor either.

It also rather cheapens the level of skill involved. In the novel, Bard's arrow-shot is one-in-a-million, a phenomenal achievement. In the movie, it seems that accurately striking a fast-moving, dodging, fire-breathing dragon from a fixed emplacement while your entire town burns around you is so everyday a task that one can be villified for generations for not managing it.

 

[nerfherder]

Bard's arrow-shot is one-in-a-million

"But magicians have calculated that million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.”

― Terry Pratchett, Mort

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

The one positive aspect of the running battle with Smaug is it puts the dwarves in the position of doing something active against the dragon. In the book, they look particularly pathetic since all they do is send down a burglar and hide. This was supposed to be Gandalf's gambit to keep Smaug from joining Sauron? A bunch of dwarves who hide from the dragon? What was he thinking? So I can agree somewhat with giving the dwarves an active hand in attacking Sauron - they're pretty difficult to sympathize with otherwise.

That's sort of the point of the novel, though -- the dwarves are being extremely selfish, and it makes Bilbo's actions that much more heroic.

I'm not sure the movies have decided who the hero of the story is -- looks like Thorin more than Bilbo based on movie #2 (with nods to Gandalf and glowong-elf-chick for spots #2 and #3).

 

[TarionzCousin]

I enjoyed the addition of the elves, mostly. I really liked that there was an Orc that could stand up to Legolas.....as their fighting ability is a bit over the top for me....

Yeah, the elves kill orcs like they're swatting bugs. I thought of old school D&D elves being "better than you at everything."

I enjoyed the movie. I even liked the love triangle between Legolas, Kili, and Tauriel. Without it, there is no reason to have a female elf in the movie.

A friend who has connections said New Line insisted on the romance angle, despite Peter Jackson's earlier promise to Evangeline Lilly that their would be no love interest for her character.

On a side note, how is Tauriel's name pronounced? Given what's been said previously in this thread, would it be "Tow-ree-el"? Tow as in "now"?

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[MarkB]

On a side note, how is Tauriel's name pronounced? Given what's been said previously in this thread, would it be "Tow-ree-el"? Tow as in "now"?

Well, that is how they pronounce it in the movie.

 

[Someone]

I though it was terrible; not attempting to troll here, I'm honest. Most boring thing I've watched in a long time, I walked out of the cinema about the time where they're at lake town when I realized that I was trying to get asleep. Not falling asleep, past that when you actually prefer to be unconscious to keep watching the movie.

 

[Joker]

I enjoyed the movie. I even liked the love triangle between Legolas, Kili, and Tauriel. Without it, there is no reason to have a female elf in the movie.

That's a pretty sad observation on the state of action/adventure movies that women have no reason to be there except as love interests.