So, the Hobbit-

[Mikkel]

I do not remember Radagast at all, nor any of that information being in the Hobbit (though the name is familer, so somewhere in the Simalarion?)

When Gandalf is introducing himself to Beorn, he name his "cousin Radagast" as someone Beorn might know. That's all.
In LOTR Radagast is send by Saruman to find Gandalf.

[lordlundar]

the CGI looked odd in several parts, as if they'd not spent enough time on it to make it realistic

Just curious, did you see it in 48 FPS as opposed to 24?

The reason I ask is because it is a side effect of the higher FPS level. It makes everything more clear, including the errors. The traditional 24 FPS can offset it using various blur effects that don't work in the higher frame rate.

[DaDairyDruid]

it certainly was nice to see sir guy of guisborne again, as well as the 7th doctor

[Rapscallion]

Just curious, did you see it in 48 FPS as opposed to 24?

The reason I ask is because it is a side effect of the higher FPS level. It makes everything more clear, including the errors. The traditional 24 FPS can offset it using various blur effects that don't work in the higher frame rate.

I don't know that it was the 48fps causing this - I didn't see any particular errors. I may go see it in 2D as well to see if it helps, but I'm not convinced.

Rapscallion

[EricKei]

Finally saw it just now, and it was indeed wonderful ^_^

Trying to avoid spoilers (if that really applies to a movie made from a book this old...)

One teensy tiny really very important and annoying detail bugs me, though -- Sting (which was not actually named just yet in this movie) was the only sword from a certain origin that lit up in the presence of its natural enemies. The other two blades found at the same location, which shared a common origin, should have done so as well.

The eagles not talking was of note, too, but it didn't really detract from the narrative. As for Radagast...? I believe the term "Mr. Plot Exposition" applies here. ^_^ He served little other purpose than allowing them to show us what was happening to the forest, rather than having a narrator tell us. That being said, it could have been done another way, but it worked well enough. Could have been worse. It could have been Tom Bombadil ~_~ and, as I've mentioned before, he would have just confused the heck out of/scared off the Normals.

[Barracuda]

Ok, people seem to have an interest in the backstory, so I will relate some of it here: In the beginning was Eru, the One, also called Iluvatar in the tongues of Arda. And with him were the Ainur, the children created by his thought; and they were with him before aught else was made. And the brightest and most powerful of these was Melkor.

Now, the Ainur together sang praises to Eru; but Melkor strove to weave a different song, one that Eru had not given them. In this he failed, and was shamed by Eru, and out of his shame grew secret anger. And Eru took the Ainur into the Void, and behold! They saw a world spread out before them, which Eru told them had been created by their music and henceforth would be theirs to watch over and shape. Thus were the lands of Middle-earth created, and that full story is related in the Ainulindale. Some of the Ainur chose to return with Eru; but others, including Melkor, took up his challenge and descended to Earth, never to return as long as the World lasts. They took up residence in a land in the West, and the name of that land in the Elder Tongue of the Elves is Valinor. Now, Eru gave dominion over Middle-earth and the Ainur to Manwe, whom he considered akin to Melkor in power and beauty, and set seven lords to help him rule over Earth; and among these was Melkor, and they became known as the Valar. The other Ainu, not as strong as their brothers and sisters, became known as the Maiar.

In time, Melkor rebelled against Manwe for control of all, for he had grown angrier and more prideful as time went on and desired power over all things on Earth. And the other Valar did battle with him, and cast him from Valinor, and his name was forgotten and he became known as Morgoth, the Dark Lord. And with him was cast one of the Maiar, whose original name has been forgotten even by the Elves, but was named anew Sauron, and became chief servant to the Dark Lord. And the wars of the First Age began, Elves and Dwarves (for Man had not yet awakened in the World,) against Morgoth and his servants, the foul orcs which he created from the twisted bodies of Elves whom he captured.

And that tale is told in the Silmarillion, of the long wars which marked that Age and the next, until at last, the Valar heard the pleas of the Free Folk of Middle-earth, and came with their armies, bound Morgoth, and cast him beyond the realm of the World, there to languish until the end of days and never to return. And Sauron his chief servant, much weaker than Morgoth but still powerful beyond the abilities of any of the dying races, took up his mantle and became the new Dark Lord. And so the wars of the Third Age began. To help the mortal races, the Valar sent five Maiar garbed in the skin of Men to help and advise the mortal races in their fight against the new Dark Lord. And these came out of the West and became known among the races of Middle-earth as the Istari, or Mages, sometimes called Wizards in the Common Tongue. Of these, the most powerful was Saruman the White, who was leader of their council, and resided in the Southwest of Middle-earth. Next was Gandalf the Grey, also known as Mithrandir in the tongue of the Grey-Elves, who resided in the Northwest. Two also went Southeast and Northeast, and their names are forgotten and do not come into these tales. Finally, came Radagast the Brown, who wandered the wilds in the central part of Middle-earth. This is the origin of the Istari.

[Sapphire Silk]

One teensy tiny really very important and annoying detail bugs me, though -- Sting (which was not actually named just yet in this movie) was the only sword from a certain origin that lit up in the presence of its natural enemies. The other two blades found at the same location, which shared a common origin, should have done so as well.

Yeah, that bugged me, too. And Glamdring did glow in Fellowship of the Ring (the movie) when Gandalf confronts the Balrog.

The eagles not talking was of note, too, but it didn't really detract from the narrative. As for Radagast...? I believe the term "Mr. Plot Exposition" applies here. ^_^ He served little other purpose than allowing them to show us what was happening to the forest, rather than having a narrator tell us. That being said, it could have been done another way, but it worked well enough. Could have been worse. It could have been Tom Bombadil ~_~ and, as I've mentioned before, he would have just confused the heck out of/scared off the Normals.

Well, the eagles didn't talk in the the LOTR movies, either so it's really not a loss in this one. A nice detail, I wish that it had been included, but not a deal breaker.

I get the purpose of Radagast. They didn't have to make him the LOTR version of Jar Jar, though: silly, and useful only by a colossal stretch of the imagination.

Bombadil wouldn't have made sense to a LOTR fan; he doesn't pass the borders of his own land for any reason; no way he would have been in Mirkwood.

[Treasure]

. And hands off Thorin, I saw him first!

Firstlly, I saw the Hobbit the Wednesday before it actually came out, so I probably saw Thorin Oakensheild first; secondly, The Cook (newbie on here) kinda looks like that, and is ALL mine...


And No, I don't share

[Ben_Who]

I have to admit, Richard Armitage is not the person that leaps to mind when I think "Thorin Oakenshield." I would wager that the sentence "Man, that dwarf is hot" had never been uttered before the first installment of the Hobbit.

Nevertheless.

If the movie seems to drag, it might be entirely perceptual; since you're not exactly sure where it's going to end, you don't recognize the various cues leading up to the climax. I'm not as utterly besotted with the series as my father (see below), so I don't remember which elements are original to the movie (drawn from Tolkien's extensive worldsmithing notes) and which were actually included.

And hey, at least _A_ Doctor got to play _A_ wizard, even if it wasn't the combination we were hoping for ten years ago...

[violiavampyr]

No kidding. I said to some friends last night that dwarves are the new elves.

[Jester]

And hey, at least _A_ Doctor got to play _A_ wizard, even if it wasn't the combination we were hoping for ten years ago...

Okay, I give up. Which combination were we hoping for ten years ago?

[AmbrosiaWriter]

No kidding. I said to some friends last night that dwarves are the new elves.

Yes and... no.

Dwarves were supposed to have a range of physical features just like "humans" do, so it made complete sense to me that some of the dwarves I found attractive and others I found to be ugly and others I found to be the stereotypical dwarf.

I was surprised, as I avoided seeing any trailers and other things just to keep everything as awesome as the first viewing could get, but it didn't confuse me. I was very happy with it.

Elves, on the other hand, were supposed to be omgwtfpretty - all of zem. Haha.

Bombadil wouldn't have made sense to a LOTR fan; he doesn't pass the borders of his own land for any reason; no way he would have been in Mirkwood.

Not exactly right either. The only time he will not leave his home is during and after the time period of Lord of the Rings, since this is set during The Hobbit (before LoTR) he could've actually shown up. It is during The Hobbit that he decides not to leave his home anymore.

[Sapphire Silk]

Not exactly right either. The only time he will not leave his home is during and after the time period of Lord of the Rings, since this is set during The Hobbit (before LoTR) he could've actually shown up. It is during The Hobbit that he decides not to leave his home anymore.

Tom Bombadil doesn't appear in the Hobbit, so that statement doesn't make any sense. All Gandalf tells Frodo in Rivendell about him is that he has set pre determined borders of his land that he won't cross. Goldberry tells Frodo essentially the same thing. He does come into the Barrow Downs to rescue the Hobbits, and he makes an appearance in the Shire to visit Farmer Maggot in "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil" (a book of short poems published after the Hobbit).

But going to the Barrow Downs or to see Farmer Maggot is one thing. Going all the way to Mirkwood is quite something else. Sorry, don't buy it.

[MoonCat]

Barracuda, thank you for the refresher on the Maiar, Valar, etc. I knew Gandalf and the other wizards are Maiar, but had forgotten some of the other details.

I saw the film again yesterday, and still greatly enjoyed it. I don't have a problem with Radagast. Yes, he was a little more comical than necessary, but that's a minor thing to me. I still give the film high marks overall.

Re: the other tales, I, too, would love to see the story of Beren and Luthien presented, not least because Luthien rescues Beren from imprisonment. Obviously not your typical helpless damsel.

But I suspect that this is a story that will never be filmed. It's too close to family lore:

https://portfolio.du.edu/pc/port.detail?id=124040

[ShinyGreenApple]

I'm still not sure what to make of this movie, just got back a while ago.


*Possible Spoilers*


Where they got it right, it was amazing. The rest . . . what? Why does Radagast have bird shit in his hair and beard? Why not just ride a horse or eagle like everyone else in Middle Earth?

CG goblins - No, Peter. Just no. It may be 2012/13, but the actors covered in prosthetics in LotR still look much better than the mess you created inside the Misty Mountains. Although I will admit that Azog's warg is pretty cool-looking for a digital creature. I wish I could say the same for Azog.

Rock monsters. Again, WHAT THE HELL? Can we move the plot along, please? We saw this same scenario in Fellowship of the Ring, only it was not stupid.

It does have its positive bits, and I got positively teary-eyed when we got to see Frodo again after all these years. Young and undamaged and blissfully ignorant. *sniffle* I also liked that the dwarves were given such different and ,human personalities the previews had me worried they were all going to be bumbling idiots. I'm particularly partial to how well they fleshed out Balin, makes me feel bad about the whole Moria thing that happens later on. Howard Shore used a lot of his music from the first trilogy, and this is a good thing. It was so nice hearing those familiar notes again.

I also enjoyed the inclusion of the Witchking and the Necromancer, which seem to be taking a lot of criticism, but IMO something like this is needed if you're going to stretch a 300 page children's book into three very long films.

Hopefully the next two will be better, although that second installment is gonna be a bitch. They always are, with no real beginning and no end.