The Hobbit (movies)
So... I've finally seen the whole Hobbit trilogy (late to the party, I know!).
I watched the first movie a year or so ago, maybe more, since I remember thinking that the second would come out soon after; to be truthful, I think I should have stuck to my intention of seeing the others at the cinema. Maybe I'd have been more impressed. But every time I want to see something fantasy no one can/wants to go :/
I'm conflicted. I remembered The Hobbit as a pleasant, humorous, adventurous read with a happy ending, so I was really taken aback at the heights of gloom and drama they decided to stuff in it. Alright, maybe I didn't remember the book that well - I had forgotten the deaths of Thorin, Fili and Kili, ahem - but I think most of the dark stuff was unnecessary, as were the long, neverending battles. Good grief, the Battle of the five armies is probably as long as that of Gondor in RofK, which we know went on for days.
I also think they should have stuck with the project of two films instead of three. The third film just diluted the plot and forced them to take stories from the appendixes, more suited to LotR than TH. I'd also have loved to see more of Smaug's prowess. The big bastard had a charm to him, you got to admit it.
Oh well. I'm not saying this trilogy is a bad product. In the ever-growing list of existing fantasy movies, most of which are poor copies or flat-out robbers of the great names (mainly LotR), The Hobbit holds its ground and delivers hours of quality entertainment. Just... not enough quality. They tried to repeat LotR's success, but repeated too much, in my opinion - the spiders, the snarling orcs, the Nazgul, the eagles and all the faces from the previous movies - without the characters and that soul-deep sense of serious and sacred and real that permeated LotR. That was a masterpiece. This is a good, but lackluster imitation.
I'll probably buy it for my collection in the future... but I won't certaily be rushing to buy the dvds.
What about you? Did you see it? Loved it, hated it, something in between? I'd love to discuss it with you :D
I watched the first movie a year or so ago, maybe more, since I remember thinking that the second would come out soon after; to be truthful, I think I should have stuck to my intention of seeing the others at the cinema. Maybe I'd have been more impressed. But every time I want to see something fantasy no one can/wants to go :/
I'm conflicted. I remembered The Hobbit as a pleasant, humorous, adventurous read with a happy ending, so I was really taken aback at the heights of gloom and drama they decided to stuff in it. Alright, maybe I didn't remember the book that well - I had forgotten the deaths of Thorin, Fili and Kili, ahem - but I think most of the dark stuff was unnecessary, as were the long, neverending battles. Good grief, the Battle of the five armies is probably as long as that of Gondor in RofK, which we know went on for days.
I also think they should have stuck with the project of two films instead of three. The third film just diluted the plot and forced them to take stories from the appendixes, more suited to LotR than TH. I'd also have loved to see more of Smaug's prowess. The big bastard had a charm to him, you got to admit it.
Oh well. I'm not saying this trilogy is a bad product. In the ever-growing list of existing fantasy movies, most of which are poor copies or flat-out robbers of the great names (mainly LotR), The Hobbit holds its ground and delivers hours of quality entertainment. Just... not enough quality. They tried to repeat LotR's success, but repeated too much, in my opinion - the spiders, the snarling orcs, the Nazgul, the eagles and all the faces from the previous movies - without the characters and that soul-deep sense of serious and sacred and real that permeated LotR. That was a masterpiece. This is a good, but lackluster imitation.
I'll probably buy it for my collection in the future... but I won't certaily be rushing to buy the dvds.
What about you? Did you see it? Loved it, hated it, something in between? I'd love to discuss it with you :D