Anybody seen the Desolation of Smaug (Hobbit 2) yet?

[YJ02]

Never again, am I watching another hobbit movie, let alone peter jackson movie. Jesus christ, I nearly fell asleep. Obscure, boring and tediously long. Could we get more science fiction please? There is already enough fantasy on tv at it is...

2 things
1- I would never recommend that anyone whose has not first read at least some of Tolkien's books to watch any of the films

2- As a fan of the books, I would like to say that IMO, Jackson is going too far in his interpretation. The HOBBIT could have been a much more enjoyable film if he had stayed closer to the actual story.

It is clear to me now that the addition of both the storyline from other works and the LOTR's appendices have been incorporated into Hobbit for one reason; to turn it into a 3 part film and maximize dollar potential

Tolkien gave up the rights to make a movie out of LOTR's because he believed it was too long and "busy" with characters and intertwined story and backstory for anyone to turn it into a film

Ironically, Jackson did far better in making the LOTR's into a film than he has so far done with the much simpler story of THE HOBBIT. He made the complicated possible and is making the simple tedious and long winded.

Storywise-I found the first Hobbit film acceptable in Jackson's interpretation and add ins. For example, his rendition of the Company's encounter with the Mountain Orcs--especially in the extended edition DVD--is nearly right on with the book, Orc singing and all.

In the latest film we see some, what many would call "abominations" of the book:
Beorn is shown as a nearly witless man when in the book he was actually quite intelligent and aware of the world about him. There is also a whole community of his people but in the movie he says he is the last one surviving

The whole sequence of Lake Town is a mini, melo dramatic piece of nonsense-when compared to the book. Bard was no 'outlaw' and there was no political power struggle going on in the town. Additionally, no Orcs ever attacked the town in the book

The whole potential shipping with the Elf girl and Fili (or is it Kili?) is totally ridiculous and far oversteps any license that anyone should be allowed to take with the story

The whole bit with the Necromancer and Dol Guldur is being condensed a bit much. It wasn't in the Hobbit book and only appears on the LOTR's appendices and in other books like LOST TALES, etc. Moreover, much of what we see in the book-like Gandalf's 'infiltration' of Dol Guldur being his first when it actual occurred at least 100yrs earlier

We see a large Orc army march out of Dol Guldur--didn't happen in any writings--I am sure we will see in the next movie that this is the orc army that fights in the battle of 5 armies. In the book, they are orcs that come from the Misty Mountains and Gundabad.

I am not sure, but I only recall Bilbo being in the Mountain with Smaug. I don't recall any of the Dwarve chase with the dragon in the mountain and their gold dump occurring in the book-though I may be mis-remembering that part

Yes, you can call me "geek" at any time

 

[mzzz]

Think maybe studio and marketing are imposing certain things on Jackson with regards to market demographics and profits. Think Tauriel and a trilogy may have been a result of that. Movie is just unnecessarily bloated. I liked reading the Hobbit because of its simple tale that manages a grandiose aspect to it. This seems to do the opposite. However, I really did enjoy Smaug even if he was a bit chatty.

 

[Atlantis]

Long and dragged out movie. I think he could have done this movie in 1 movie. I want to also this question, gandalf is wizard right, why doesnt he use those eagles to transport himself onto the orcs territory? Why does he have to waste his time on the horses? Overall it was ok there are a lot of filler moment like love between that drawf and that she-elf. Its pointless to have such elements in a tolkien story.

 

[YJ02]

Think maybe studio and marketing are imposing certain things on Jackson with regards to market demographics and profits. Think Tauriel and a trilogy may have been a result of that. Movie is just unnecessarily bloated. I liked reading the Hobbit because of its simple tale that manages a grandiose aspect to it. This seems to do the opposite. However, I really did enjoy Smaug even if he was a bit chatty.

Smaug was always "chatty", that is what makes him an interesting character. Like all of the Dragons before him in Tolkien's books.

I can totally see how the studio screwed with the inclusion of certain characters and the extended story lines

Be interesting to see the commentaries on the DVD--on the LOTR's one, they talk about how they tried their best to stay true to the books and that anything they did change still had a quality to it that would could still say Tolkien could have created. It was "Tolkien-esqe" whereas much of the additions to HOBBIT (with the exception of the Dol Guldor plotline) are not

 

[YJ02]

Long and dragged out movie. I think he could have done this movie in 1 movie. I want to also this question, gandalf is wizard right, why doesnt he use those eagles to transport himself onto the orcs territory? Why does he have to waste his time on the horses? Overall it was ok there are a lot of filler moment like love between that drawf and that she-elf. Its pointless to have such elements in a tolkien story.

In the books-especially LOTRs-Gandalf did use the eagles quite a lot for transport-though sometimes this was a subtlety in the reading and not an obvious catch

It has long been a criticism of his story "Why not just have the Eagles carry the ring to Orudruin and drop it in? Story over"--Of course that would have made for a non-story

In Middle Earth, the only "love" Dwarves and Elves share are for the creation of things from stone and gems (especially one type of Elves) and their mutual hatred for Orcs. The only cross peoples physical love was between Elves and Men ( they are "made" of the same stuff while Dwarves were carved from stone and given life) and were capable of producing children

By the way, the overt inclusion of Dwarf women=in flashbacks and in dialogue, is a add in as well, Tolkien only spoke of dwarf women once in book and only elsewhere in reference. Seems the execs can't wrap their heads around that and added them too

 

[Bluce Ree]

Never again, am I watching another hobbit movie, let alone peter jackson movie. Jesus christ, I nearly fell asleep. Obscure, boring and tediously long. Could we get more science fiction please? There is already enough fantasy on tv at it is...

Oh, THANK GAWD (whatever that means) I'm not the only one.

 

[heisenberg]

Oh, THANK GAWD (whatever that means) I'm not the only one.

I am not here to say that my opinion is the right one, but this movie to me was really long. Too long and made no sense to me. I am sure hardcore fans will love it, but it wasn't a film for me.

 

[Gatefan1976]

I am not here to say that my opinion is the right one, but this movie to me was really long. Too long and made no sense to me. I am sure hardcore fans will love it, but it wasn't a film for me.

I am a pretty hardcore Tolkien fan, but you are right to say it is too long.

 

[YJ02]

I am a pretty hardcore Tolkien fan, but you are right to say it is too long.

I would have loved "too long" if it were for the right reasons (like no Elf/Dwarf shipping for one)

 

[mzzz]

No ridiculous amount of CGI. Honestly, think that the LotR trilogy will hold up longer than The Hobbit trilogy in that regard. You need a balance.

 

[YJ02]

No ridiculous amount of CGI. Honestly, think that the LotR trilogy will hold up longer than The Hobbit trilogy in that regard. You need a balance.

I believe you are absolutely correct. Bit of a shame they have nearly squandered the whole project as the events in THE HOBBIT are so key to the later events in LOTR's

-------

Read on a blog that now Jackson's team is considering making another film. Based on how well the 3rd movie does and the results of DVD sales, they are considering making a film that was never written as an actual book.

They are considering taking the "what happened next" chronology and essay from the LOTR's appendices and making it into a screenplay

It could be good, if they stick to the material that Tolkien did write, flesh it out and leave out things like unnecessary shipping and such

It would basically be based on Aragorn's reign as King, his actions and the actions of the fellowship--Frodo, Gandalf and Elrond along with Bilbo didn't actually leave right after the events they stayed in ME about another 10 yrs or so. Merry and Pippin become elected leaders in the Shire, Legolas and Gimli make their promised trips to Fangorn and to the caves of Helm's Deep, Legolas brings Elves to Ithilien 9in Gondor) and sets up an Elvish conclave there-Gimli and other dwarves do work for Theoden and Aragorn

Any "excitement" would come from their imagination; there are still many Orcs about, not to mention orc- men and the "wild men" of the east and south.

I think though that if the 3rd Hobbit film is not received even better than the 2nd (by the general audience) they will not do this no matter how tempting it may be to them to "further" Tolkien's work via film

 

[Joelist]

Hopefully they don't go through with it. Just leave it as is - Aragorn is the King and so on.

 

[Tripler]

AS long as they don't sing in it I will watch it

 

[YJ02]

AS long as they don't sing in it I will watch it

Yeah but the singing is from the books --interesting what Jackson chooses to keep or dump. They were quite a few songs/poems in LOTRs' too but nothing made it in.

Jackson kind of "jazzed up" this one but it is in the book (and only in the extended dvd version of Hobbit)



In some of the "lost tales" and "unfinished tales" series of books, we get an explanation of sorts for why these Orcs were more "jovial", of course none of that would be in the movies-and probably shouldn't have been--just more blah blah confusion for the viewer

 

[Tripler]

Yeah but the singing is from the books --interesting what Jackson chooses to keep or dump. They were quite a few songs/poems in LOTRs' too but nothing made it in.

Jackson kind of "jazzed up" this one but it is in the book (and only in the extended dvd version of Hobbit)



In some of the "lost tales" and "unfinished tales" series of books, we get an explanation of sorts for why these Orcs were more "jovial", of course none of that would be in the movies-and probably shouldn't have been--just more blah blah confusion for the viewer

Very true . In the first book they meet up with the forest guy , can't remember his name and seem to stay with him a long time . I got bored reading that part and put the book down . Anyway that bugger seemed to sing a lot to his trees and weren't the hobbits in that forest for a friggin long time ? I know Jackson cut that part out as the movie would have been years long and not just a few hrs .
I think I'll pick the books up again and start reading them instead of watching Asian midget porn all the time on porntube. ,,, Just kidding ,,,. I prefer full size

 

[Gatefan1976]

Do you mean Tom Bombadil Trip?

 

[OMNI]

LOTR socks as does the hobbit and to claim yourself a fan of Tolkien.. yeah ILL MAKE SURE you fuckers are the first to enter the gas chamber when the time comes.

 

[Tripler]

Do you mean Tom Bombadil Trip?

Yup ,,, . That guy

 

[YJ02]

Yup ,,, . That guy

Tom Bombadil and his wife, the Riverman's daughter (daughter of the river god?)

He is supposedly the "oldest thing in middle earth" who is hinted at having entered when the Valar did

Tolkien never explained who he actually was and his son (who edits and writes all of the middle earth/lost tales books), has never found any notes that describe him any further

It always bothered me in the book when no one--wizard, man or elf-ever questions any further as to who he actually his

Tolkien put in a "perfect" character who could have expanded on this 'mystery'-Treebeard-but did not


Yes, they did actually spend quite awhile at many spots. Not mentioned in the films

a day or so in Buckland at Farmer Maggots- a week? in the Old Forest and with Bombadil, more time in the wastelands before weathertop, months at Rivendell and at least a month or more at LothLorien. The films just skate past all of this

Not to mention other time issues, like Frodo's age, or that Frodo's trip didn't take place for about 10yrs or so, after Bilbo left

Every time I re-read a book, these or some others, I always pick up on some small thing I glanced over before

 

[YJ02]

Hopefully they don't go through with it. Just leave it as is - Aragorn is the King and so on.

I too think that best, but you just KNOW, if HOBBIT makes as much money as it has been/will, they will be HIGHLY tempted to continue on. Jackson's company owns the rights to HOBBIT and LOTR's. There is plenty of info in LOTRs appendices to make at least one long movie and more given Jackson's "creativity"

The Tolkien family has seen the money made from these previously "cheap" rights sales and are now fiercely guarding the rights to the other Tolkien material (Silmarillion and other stories)