So I saw The Hobbit

[cleolinda]

Due to the computer trouble (see the previous entry) and also my general and regrettable allergy to deadlines, I haven't finished the Breaking Dawn thing yet. However, even if I do finish it this weekend… I'm not sure when it will be appropriate to post it, given the really, really awful events in Connecticut. Charlie's Over-Protective Father

Comments

[hopeandmemory]

The tonal whiplash thing might explain some of my mixed feelings having seen the film twice already and now being able to take a break and actually think about it. The whole Azog thing was super confusing to me, because by the time the events in The Hobbit take place, he's already dead. He dies in the same battle Thror is killed in. I'm not sure why they decided to go with him as the Big Bad and probably write out Bolg as the enemy in the Battle of the Five Armies (which is sure to be absurd and massive). I understand that splitting the story in such a way requires some kind of antagonist to be brought in so you can end the first volume with some kind of triumph, but it came off a bit weird.

Also, I felt after the first viewing that it was true to the spirit of the book, but upon my second viewing and reading your thoughts, it really doesn't. Because I feel like we lost Bilbo for a while, between all of the Dwarf Angst and What the Fuck Is Happening in Middle-Earth OMG scenes. If you're going to call it The Hobbit, it should probably focus a bit more on the hobbit. Bilbo's whining is kind of annoying in the book, but it's endearing because this is such a change of scenery for him. And I feel like maybe we lost that whole reader proxy thing because he didn't complain as much. You can't have him whining the whole time about things, because that's irritating, but I felt like he didn't really bumble enough or get upset about things as much as he really should have in this first installment. This is the adjustment period, you know? He doesn't really go Full Badass until they get to Mirkwood, so when he charged up to Azog to help Thorin I was like, "LOL water u dewing Bilbo???" It was just... out of character for him. Maybe this is why I wasn't super impressed with Martin Freeman's performance. He fits the role great, but the role is... really different from what I was expecting, maybe?

Her Cateness and Sir Ian were fantastic, and I really liked all the dwarf backstory and may or may not be in love with Richard Armitage in his dwarf getup. I thought they did a great job of differentiating the dwarves from one another. (I always liked Fili and Kili in the books, and I think Aidan and Dean played off one another really well. Dori and Bofur were also excellent. Especially Bofur.) Also Figwit got a real name!!! How great is that?

So yeah, I think in terms of the details, I really liked it, but the overarching story and themes had some issues that needed to be worked out.

[hippydippymama]

I'm still not entirely sure of what the movie timeline with Azog and Thror and Thrain's deaths were. Azog beheaded one and then one was taken prisoner, and I know in the BOOK how that goes, but they sorta handwaved what happened to Thrain, there. But somehow in the movie this didn't bother me because EPIC DWARF BATTLE OMG.

Also, I really wish they had brought Dain in, and shown more of his story, given how important he ultimately ends up being.

I HAD COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN ABOUT FIGWIT!! Someone posted about him on Tumblr and I just about died. I kinda wish they'd kept his nickname. =P

[pinkrouge]

Wait, what? Figwit has a name other than Figwit? Wasn't he in the credits of RotK as 'Figwit'? I can't remember...

[an_lagat_glas]

Bret Mackenzie was credited as Lindir in The Hobbit.

[jubilantia]

I DIDN'T REALIZE HE WAS FROM FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS OMG

His These-Dwarves-Are-HARSHING-My-PRISSY expressions were hysterical.

Muppets, elves, be part of a comedy music duo... Why does he get to do all the awesome things?

[cleolinda]

It's funny--I loved (most of) the individual elements and even when I was like, "... wait, what?" I didn't really care. I can explain precisely what people are talking about when they talk about problems, and no, it's no Fellowship of the Ring, but I kind of don't actually care. So, I'm agreeing, I guess.

[lylassandra]

My theory on Bilbo suddenly being awesome is that since the next movie is basically going to start off with him singlehandedly killing spiders and rescuing people, they needed to develop some credibility into him taking on that sort of hero-role.

Of course, I could be way overthinking this...