The Hobbit movies/Dear Evan Hansen (spoilers)
I read the Hobbit when I was a kid and loved it. I also read the Lord of the Rings and did not. Too long and I couldn't keep the characters straight.
So I was not particularly excited when the LOTR films were announced, but I liked Elijah Wood and John Rhys-Davies and fantasy films in general, so what the heck, I saw them, and loved them.
I think it was our local paper that had a brief blurb that Peter Jackson was going to film the Hobbit, which yay! I was totally on board. Then another blurb that it would be two movies, which made me scratch my head. I don't remember the book that well, but it didn't seem suited for two movies. Then Benicio del Toro was in as the director, but Jackson was still producing, so okay. Then del Toro was out, and Jackson was back at director, and it would be three movies. Lordy bob, three movies? No way that book had three movies of material.
But I like Martin Freeman and Ian McKellen and Orlando Bloom is back at Legolas (which gave me a huh? moment, was Legolas in the Hobbit?) so whatever. I read an interview somewhere with Peter Jackson talking about people getting to really know the dwarves, which I was not sure I wanted to particularly, and using other material from Tolkien. So I went and saw them, and enjoyed bits and pieces but overall thought they were too padded and long and was a little bitter that now it'll probably be another 20 years before anyone films that book again, and I'd still like to see that book *as it was written* on the screen.
My work recently had a used book/media sale for the food drive, and all three Hobbit DVDs were there for $3 apiece, so what the heck. Sometimes I like movies better the second time when I know their flaws. I shall rewatch, trying to enjoy learning all the dwarves and appreciating the action as good action, not unnecessary padding to make more money.
I watched the first three weekends ago and liked it better. There's a lot on Thorin's backstory, so, getting to know Thorin, yay, right? But somewhere around 2/3rds through, the mountains are fighting, and then they're being chased everywhere by trolls, and it's just... yes, I love action. I still want it to have a plot point, not merely stretch out the journey. And I don't feel that the audience really gets to know the dwarves very well. Thorin, and the cute brother, and a little on the less attractive brother, the old guy, and here and there, let's see the fat dwarf sprint, but the group's too big and there's too much tedious running around to get to know the dwarves as individuals. And I loved Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor but his wizard makes me cringe.
So last weekend watched the second movie, and yes, it's good to see Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, and Cate Blanchett again, but there's still way too much padding, and I don't like the addition of elements that would lead up to battle with Mordor. That doesn't seem to build up to the LOTR trilogy, but undercut it. And while I understand the marketing reasons for casting and doing the makeup on Thorin and the cute brother to make them conventionally attractive, I don't like it. It seems to underscore our cultural belief that leaders and people who deserve love should be good-looking.
I saw the traveling production of the musical Dear Evan Hansen yesterday afternoon. It was an excellent production, had some songs I liked, but it deals with teenage social anxiety and suicide and I found it depressing. It got a standing ovation, up to the third balcony, so I was in the minority opinion. I kinda wish I'd bailed on intermission with my friend. At least there was a Pokemon raid outside as I was leaving, so the afternoon wasn't a total waste.
Came home, and okay, I haven't been that excited about the first two movies, but I did enjoy parts, so I'm going to watch the third and get this done. I remembered vaguely not really liking the Battle of Five Armies and also talking with friends who had said Tolkien fans wanted to see that battle and it was amazing and important to the mythology. So okay, a battle, a big battle, I like action. But the battle gets started mainly because people, especially Thorin, are being greedy douches, and of course much action deals with a bad guy being bad, but everyone's annoying and I don't care who wins so I'm not at all invested in this battle. Then Thorin pulls his head out of his ass and the dwarves charge and this is finally satisfying to me from a character perspective.
Then the less attractive brother is killed. Then the attractive brother is killed. Then Thorin is killed.
Motherfuckingsonofabitch, you want us to know the dwarves so we can watch them die? Screw you, Peter Jackson. No wonder I didn't like or remember those movies very well.
My niece is getting into the Marvel films and had expressed interest in LOTR. I had thought I might keep the Hobbit films for her to watch, but no, they're going into the charity bag. She can find those herself if she wants to see them. Never again for me, them or Dear Evan Hansen. And hopefully I've grumbled enough here that I'll remember this in another decade when I run across them again.
My story is back from beta but I need to think of one term before I finish and I need to do some weekend productive things. At some point today, I will write on my next story, because at least I know that will entertain me. But first, to the crockpot I go.
This entry was originally posted at https://elayna.dreamwidth.org/239507.html. Comment wherever you prefer.
So I was not particularly excited when the LOTR films were announced, but I liked Elijah Wood and John Rhys-Davies and fantasy films in general, so what the heck, I saw them, and loved them.
I think it was our local paper that had a brief blurb that Peter Jackson was going to film the Hobbit, which yay! I was totally on board. Then another blurb that it would be two movies, which made me scratch my head. I don't remember the book that well, but it didn't seem suited for two movies. Then Benicio del Toro was in as the director, but Jackson was still producing, so okay. Then del Toro was out, and Jackson was back at director, and it would be three movies. Lordy bob, three movies? No way that book had three movies of material.
But I like Martin Freeman and Ian McKellen and Orlando Bloom is back at Legolas (which gave me a huh? moment, was Legolas in the Hobbit?) so whatever. I read an interview somewhere with Peter Jackson talking about people getting to really know the dwarves, which I was not sure I wanted to particularly, and using other material from Tolkien. So I went and saw them, and enjoyed bits and pieces but overall thought they were too padded and long and was a little bitter that now it'll probably be another 20 years before anyone films that book again, and I'd still like to see that book *as it was written* on the screen.
My work recently had a used book/media sale for the food drive, and all three Hobbit DVDs were there for $3 apiece, so what the heck. Sometimes I like movies better the second time when I know their flaws. I shall rewatch, trying to enjoy learning all the dwarves and appreciating the action as good action, not unnecessary padding to make more money.
I watched the first three weekends ago and liked it better. There's a lot on Thorin's backstory, so, getting to know Thorin, yay, right? But somewhere around 2/3rds through, the mountains are fighting, and then they're being chased everywhere by trolls, and it's just... yes, I love action. I still want it to have a plot point, not merely stretch out the journey. And I don't feel that the audience really gets to know the dwarves very well. Thorin, and the cute brother, and a little on the less attractive brother, the old guy, and here and there, let's see the fat dwarf sprint, but the group's too big and there's too much tedious running around to get to know the dwarves as individuals. And I loved Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor but his wizard makes me cringe.
So last weekend watched the second movie, and yes, it's good to see Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, and Cate Blanchett again, but there's still way too much padding, and I don't like the addition of elements that would lead up to battle with Mordor. That doesn't seem to build up to the LOTR trilogy, but undercut it. And while I understand the marketing reasons for casting and doing the makeup on Thorin and the cute brother to make them conventionally attractive, I don't like it. It seems to underscore our cultural belief that leaders and people who deserve love should be good-looking.
I saw the traveling production of the musical Dear Evan Hansen yesterday afternoon. It was an excellent production, had some songs I liked, but it deals with teenage social anxiety and suicide and I found it depressing. It got a standing ovation, up to the third balcony, so I was in the minority opinion. I kinda wish I'd bailed on intermission with my friend. At least there was a Pokemon raid outside as I was leaving, so the afternoon wasn't a total waste.
Came home, and okay, I haven't been that excited about the first two movies, but I did enjoy parts, so I'm going to watch the third and get this done. I remembered vaguely not really liking the Battle of Five Armies and also talking with friends who had said Tolkien fans wanted to see that battle and it was amazing and important to the mythology. So okay, a battle, a big battle, I like action. But the battle gets started mainly because people, especially Thorin, are being greedy douches, and of course much action deals with a bad guy being bad, but everyone's annoying and I don't care who wins so I'm not at all invested in this battle. Then Thorin pulls his head out of his ass and the dwarves charge and this is finally satisfying to me from a character perspective.
Then the less attractive brother is killed. Then the attractive brother is killed. Then Thorin is killed.
Motherfuckingsonofabitch, you want us to know the dwarves so we can watch them die? Screw you, Peter Jackson. No wonder I didn't like or remember those movies very well.
My niece is getting into the Marvel films and had expressed interest in LOTR. I had thought I might keep the Hobbit films for her to watch, but no, they're going into the charity bag. She can find those herself if she wants to see them. Never again for me, them or Dear Evan Hansen. And hopefully I've grumbled enough here that I'll remember this in another decade when I run across them again.
My story is back from beta but I need to think of one term before I finish and I need to do some weekend productive things. At some point today, I will write on my next story, because at least I know that will entertain me. But first, to the crockpot I go.
This entry was originally posted at https://elayna.dreamwidth.org/239507.html. Comment wherever you prefer.