An Unexpected Journey

[WickerBill]

Probably goes without saying, but there are spoilers here if you haven't read a book in 70 years.

Watched the movie twice. Liked it very much. However, it is getting some really awful reviews. What do you think? I can only use one eye at a time, so I saw the 2D, standard frame rate version.

- loved the background / opening. Super nerd: I was almost giddy to see old Bilbo and Frodo again. Like old friends I hadn't seen in a decade.

- tying Frodo's conversation and departure to the beginning of FoTR was great.

- the dwarves, individually, lacked character development. I thought for SURE that splitting a 350 page book into three movies would offer development time.

- makeup can't erase time: Elijah Wood looked older.

- Cate Blanchett didn't.

- trolls were good

- wasn't particularly faithful to the oftentimes-whimsical nature of the book, and you know what? It is fine. It is an interpretation. (This is coming from someone who took about 5 years to get over the exclusion of Tom Bombadil)


Anyone else see it?

[dando]

I was hoping to catch it yesterday, but mid-day appointments and then the Newtown tragedy conspired against me. Planning to catch it next week. I still can't fathom that they split it into three parts. Part 1 is 2.5 hours. I could almost read The Hobbit in that time (of course, I've read it several times already). The reviews have been mixed thus far.

Also looking forward to seeing Les Miserables, which is my favorite play.

-Kevin

[RaceGrrl]

We saw it last night in 2D. 3D gives me a headache, but we may end up seeing it again just for the 3D experience.

I, too, hated the exclusion of Tom Bombadil in LOTR, and was really happy to see Frodo and Bilbo again.

I really hated the goblin lair "surf" to the bottom of the chasm. That was just stupid. Stone giants were cool. Agree with you that they needed to do more to develop the dwarf characters, and is it me, or are they softening up Thorin too much? IIRC, he was pretty stubborn and hard through most of the book.

Scenes with Gollum were really good. Troll scene was good, but did you notice the voice acting by one of them (the snotty nose one) was the same as the voice in TTT when one of the orcs wants to have Merry and Pippin for dinner? "What about them? They're fresh!"

All this being said, it won't keep me from nerding out and seeing it again. :gomer::)

[Indy]

Geeks. :gomer::D

[WickerBill]

Completely agree, troll voice actors were used before -- I think one of them was Lugburz in Barad-dur in RoTK.

And the surfing, yes I forgot that, I cringed like I did when Legolas slid down the steps at Helm's Deep.

Riddles In The Dark -- amazing in the book, amazing in this movie (and pretty darn faithful, too).


Is it too soon to see it a third time?

[nrc]

I've never read The Hobbit so I've no idea how true it is to the book. I enjoyed it although less than any of the LoTR movies. At times it felt like I was watching deleted scenes from LoTR.

I did like the way they tied it in nicely. Most of the affects were excellent but I really didn't care for the trolls, the goblin king or the white orc. They had a Disney computer animated character quality that I hate. Gollum never had that.

I like that they didn't reveal the dragon.

Dwarves? Eh. Other than a couple of them I agree that they could have developed them better. Throw out the musical numbers and have some real dialog while they're pillaging the Bilbo's pantry.

[WickerBill]

:saywhat:

You have one year to read the book. :)

[nrc]

:saywhat:

You have one year to read the book. :)

If I start watching something as a movie (or TV show) then I don't like to read ahead. I'm finally ready to catch up on reading the comics from this past season of The Walking Dead and I'm still waiting to read the next instalment of Game of Thrones.

I could possibly start reading The Hobbit if the story pretty much follows the book in order so I know where to stop...

[RaceGrrl]

Yes, I'm a geek. :D

I actually liked the musical numbers because it made it true to the book. Song is really important in Tolkien's books. We just didn't see as much of it in LoTR.

I agree with Richard though about the quality of the animation of the trolls, the Goblin King and the white orc. It didn't occur to me that it was annoying until now. I also really liked that Gloin looks so much like Gimli.

I'm just happy that Richard indulges my affinity for Tolkien movies.

[Napoleon]

Anyone else see it?


Considering you never actually say what you saw I am somewhat guessing when I say, no.

[WickerBill]

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. As opposed to the next two which will also be called The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and The Hobbit: There and Back Again.

[stroker]

Went to see the 2D version last night. Up until the climactic battle scene I enjoyed the hell out of it. That last sequence lasted a bit too long. Otherwise I thought it was great but I could have used more character development in the Dwarves. Somehow I thought mostly looked too "human" compared to the precedent set by the way they portrayed Gimli.

[dando]

I have no complaints. Well done. I'll need to see it again to nit pick.In general, WB, I agree with your assessment. Considering the length of chapter 1, they could have done more to develop the other characters.

-Kevin