So, the Hobbit-

[XCashier]

Sylvester McCoy brings to life Radagast

Wait, what?! That was The Doctor?! Holy...!

We did see it in 3D, it made some of the scenes more interesting, but it would've been just fine without it. It was magnificent, though, and I am looking forward to seeing it again.

And I'll confess: I've never read any of the books. I started, then eventually gave up. I'm going to give it another go next year. I saw the cartoons, and was not impressed. But the movies are just spectacular.

[AccountingDrone]

We finally managed to get to see it [Patriot Place Lux theater, lunch and a movie. We never go to a plain basic theater any longer. The reserved oversized seating and table service are the bomb!]

I know people were bitching by the enhanced frame rate, but it was not overobvious to me. I really enjoyed the dwarven dinner party and the clean up. I enjoyed the singing - the books actually had a lot of singing in them all, LOTR didn't have much singing compared to the books. Not a kid movie, though the book was a kids book, I think parts are either too boring for todays kids or too scary.

I will admit to drifting off to sleep a couple times so I missed the Goblin cave sequences. I am struggling with strep and am now according to the doc not contagious but still in the loggy phase and fall asleep easily. I am looking forward to getting a copy when it comes out on DVD, I enjoy rewatching my LOTR DVDs. It will be interesting to see movie 2, Mirkwood =)

[Barracuda]

I think, that considering how long they spent in Mirkwood in the books, and the adventures they had there, this could easily be the second movie--(SPOILER ALERT)



They travel down from the Misty Mountains where the Eagles left them, and run into the shapeshifter, Beorn, and his community of Beornings, just as in the books. The Goblins attack again, but are repulsed (not quite like the books, but hey.) Then, Gandalf leaves to go deal with Dol Guldur, as the backstory in The Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings appendices make clear, and the party enters Mirkwood, encounters the deadly river, the Wood Elves, and the giant spiders, just as in the book. At the end of the movie, they will be captured by the Elves, imprisoned by Thranduil, and then escape with Bilbo's help, just like in the book. As the second movie ends, they wash up in Laketown and meet the Men of the Lake.

[Jay 2K Winger]

I think, that considering how long they spent in Mirkwood in the books, and the adventures they had there, this could easily be the second movie--(SPOILER ALERT)



They travel down from the Misty Mountains where the Eagles left them, and run into the shapeshifter, Beorn, and his community of Beornings, just as in the books. The Goblins attack again, but are repulsed (not quite like the books, but hey.) Then, Gandalf leaves to go deal with Dol Guldur, as the backstory in The Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings appendices make clear, and the party enters Mirkwood, encounters the deadly river, the Wood Elves, and the giant spiders, just as in the book. At the end of the movie, they will be captured by the Elves, imprisoned by Thranduil, and then escape with Bilbo's help, just like in the book. As the second movie ends, they wash up in Laketown and meet the Men of the Lake.

Given that the second movie is, I believe, titled "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," I think the climax may deal with them finding a way into the mountain, and culminate with Bilbo's encounter with the dragon.

[violiavampyr]

So we finally got to see it today. I was pretty happy, it's been awhile since I've read the book and I found myself questioning some of the events. 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?).

I'm bummed that they still (spoilerish?)Can't figure out a way to get the eagles to talk. I was also looking forward to the Wargs singing their song. Oh well.

I like that they put some of the songs in. I remember them vividly from the cartoon.

[FormerCallingCardRep]

Thirteen years ago my Oldest was involved in our local theatre's youth training group's production of The Hobbit. I remembered the songs from that production. Little Bits could not figure why I got the giggles during the troll scene until I reminded her of the accident that happened on Opening night when they removed Bilbo's bag and Bilbo lost her (played by a girl) pants. Oldest was also involved in a non musical version in High School and played the Goblin Queen (not enough boys once again) and was the voice of Smaug

[violiavampyr]

Considering that I while I was watching the movie, I only felt time during the initial introductions of everyone and that pretty much stopped as soon as Bilbo signed the contract and ran after them.

After that moment I stopped feeling time and all of a sudden I was like, "..wait.. it's been three hours? It's over!? WHAT!"
[/I]

I felt time the most in Rivendell and the lead up to actually telling the story. Abything with elves just seems to drrraaaggg.
I guess I understand way they did it that way, since some people have only been introduced to the hobbit by way of LotR, but it just seemed like filler to me.

[Sapphire Silk]

I did not care for Jackson's rendition of Radagast. It sucked, and bore little resemblance to what Tolkien described. Most of the references from the other LOTR material was cool and well done, but that bit was in essence the Jar Jar Binks moment of the movie.

[fireheart]

Bah, you guys can have Thorin, I'LL take Kili! Yum! He's like a Dwarven Legolas!

BTW, now I want a Rabbit Sled!

I also want kili. I saw him and I let out a wolf-whistle while watching the film. He's hot!

My boyfriend didn't realise they were rabbits at first. >.>

As far as the frame rate issue goes, for the scenery it was great. For some of the close up shots, it was a tad disturbing at first (seeing bilbo writing in fast motion lol) but we got used to it eventually and didn't notice it after a while.

[Jester]

Saw it last night with a friend. Loved it. Will probably see it again. Saw it in 3D here, but it's not like we had a choice...the only night time showing we had was in 3D, and the only 2D showing available was at 1:00, while we were both still at work.

I am not sure how I feel about them making this a trilogy, but if The Hobbit is a trilogy, how in the flying HELL can they justify only three movies for LotR? Seriously? For anyone who's ever read the books, the difference is scope and size between TH and LotR is startling.

Now, while I know I've seen the cartoon version of TH, I have no real memory of it. I have, however, read the book (and the book version of LotR) several times, and love them all. However, while I've attempted twice to get through The Silmarillion, I've never managed to make it. I think there are two reasons for this. The first I've always known: Christopher Tolkien just wasn't the writer his father was. The second one occurred to me last night as I was pondering this, and that is that, unlike LotR and TH, there are no main characters that are focused on, no dialogue, no feeling of BEING there. It is all history and distant references, with not real way to identify with anyone. Makes it boring, stodgy, and dull. At least for me.

Amusingly for me, this was my friend's first exposure to any Tolkien. She's never read any of the books, and did not see any of the LotR movies, which was astounding for me. (She's 31; it's not like she's a young pup!)

Anyway, I liked the movie, and plan on seeing it again in the theater, AND on rereading TH in my spare time.

I do recommend seeing it, though 3D or 2D is purely your decision. I liked it, but it would have been fine without it as well.

One thing that came clear to me is that I am, to a degree, a hobbit myself. I'm not even talking about height, either (my friends may joke about this, but at 5'8", while I am a tad short, I would tower over any hobbit!), but what do hobbits like to do? They like to read books, eat, drink, eat more, go to parties, throw parties, eat more, and drink more. They like beer and food and parties--three of my favorite things! (One of the scenes that I identified with the most in LotR is when the four hobbits are in the inn in Bree and one (Pippin, I think) says, "They have them in pints?" That is something *I* would say!

[SongsOfDragons]

Is anyone else familiar with the Asterix comics? Doesn't Bombur (? The fat ginger dwarf) remind you so so so much of Obelix?



Housemate and I are going to see it again this weekend just because we can. 3D this time. ^^ It was the first really really really long movie that didn't have half an hour-45 minutes of complete and utter boredom at the beginning or end. Every minute for me was great fun. When it finished I was going "that's it? It's been 3 hours already?" And I was going OMG at the wonderful detail in the fine movements of the eyes and lips of Gollum's CGI.

[EricKei]

I wanna go see this so badly >_> Moving soon, so I've had little time to spare, unfortunately. I've been a huge H/LotR fan since I was knee-high to a grasshopper I also agree with the notion that it would be difficult to spread this thing out to three movies...plus, it's kind of an insult to the LotR films that they only got one each (even though, with the Extended material included, each one is as long as 2 or 3 "normal" movies).

My only issue is that I can't do 3D showings -- With my (bad) eyesight, I can either try to overlay the 3D specs over my real glasses and get a splitting headache from them never quite lining up, or I can use one or the other, which really doesn't work either (glasses and no 3D: headache from not being able to see it properly; 3D and no glasses: well, exact same issue)...

As for the cartoons -- iirc, they were Rankin-Bass productions, circa the 70's, and...well...I don't recall them being all that good, though they did at least make some attempt to convey the look and feel of the books. The songs were something else ~_~, as well.

[Andara Bledin]

Hollywood is currently in love with the idea of trilogies. LotR was a natural choice, despite there being enough material for each book to be it's own trilogy.

^-.-^

[Rapscallion]

Just got back from seeing it.

Many of the non-humans were disturbingly well spoken, the CGI looked odd in several parts, as if they'd not spent enough time on it to make it realistic, but generally enjoyable. As for Radagast being the comic relief, at least he was useful whilst being amusing Sort of a Rincewind effect in place, I thought, though less on the cowardly and snivelling side of things.

I think they tried to put far more foreshadowing into the Hobbit for the LOTR series this time around. I did think that when Galadriel was smiling when complimented about her looks, that she was being a bit shallow about it. Maybe it's just me.

Rapscallion

[Sapphire Silk]

However, while I've attempted twice to get through The Silmarillion, I've never managed to make it. I think there are two reasons for this. The first I've always known: Christopher Tolkien just wasn't the writer his father was. The second one occurred to me last night as I was pondering this, and that is that, unlike LotR and TH, there are no main characters that are focused on, no dialogue, no feeling of BEING there. It is all history and distant references, with not real way to identify with anyone. Makes it boring, stodgy, and dull. At least for me.

Tolkien wasn't the writer Tolkien was, at least not when he wrote the Silmarillion.

The Silmarillion was his effort to create his own master myth, combining elements he loved from Finnish, Saxon, and Celtic stories into something new and breathtaking. He was more interested in imagery than he was in story telling at that stage of his writing, and he was following a writing style that went OUT of style hundreds of years earlier.

But even when he began work on the Silmarillion, characterization wasn't big on the minds of writers of the day. Just look at an pulp fiction of the time; Edgar Rice Burroughs comes to mind.

Tolkien wrote the Hobbit for his children. His friends convinced him it was publishable, and it was. I don't think he expected it to be as popular as it was. When fans wanted more hobbit stories, he offered the Silmarillion and it was rejected. It was just to different, and of course didn't include hobbits at all.

He finally agreed to write something new. It took him nearly 20 years. Granted, WWII did affect his ability to write, but his son Christopher was his sounding board throughout the whole process. What Tolkien did to satisfy his own creative needs in writing a story he really didn't want to write in the first place was to interweave many elements of the story he did want to write into the LOTR universe. That opened the door for the Silmarillion to be published after his death.

It's hardly a perfect product, but it is interesting to me as a gamer because of all the background material it contains for Middle Earth, in helping to understand why certain things happened they way they did.

If anything, I wish Tolkien could have taken one of the core stories from the Silmarillion out and created stand alone stories within the framework of his universe, and fully fleshed them out. The story of Beren and Luthien would be my first choice of a story for him to have done this on.