Merry Yule, my friends!!! (and Hobbit review of sorts :P)
I hope that everyone had a Merry Yuletide and will have a Pippin New Year!!!!! :D
The Hobbit Impressions Part II
Last 30-40 minutes after Bilbo and Smaug was a mess but the beginning to Laketown was fine. So this movie had strong elements but the weak points just weakened the movie so much that it ended with a mediocre overall rating.
What i loved:
Beorn- too little screen time. I liked the dialogue that was placed but just not enough! I liked what they did in the book and understand that that may be hard to adapt but it just doesn't' make sense to change it so that the dwarves rush into his home and then he's ok with that later, guarding them against the orcs in the meantime.
Bard- Luke Evans is awesome... developing him more and introducing him early makes sense and that was a positive change from the book.
Thranduil- done very well from Lee Pace. I kind of liked the argument he had with Thorin, but it doesn't make sense that Thranduil would crave jewels too from the Lonely Mountain, does it? I thought elves wouldn't be so greedy for jewels. You *do* see more elf versus dwarf conflict clearer which is good. Still, that is not a point of too much contention of whether it's right or wrong in my book.
All new characters introduced (other than one) did a very solid job and we see a more dimensional character which is good.
I liked the shots of the Desolation of Smaug and the ruined town of Dale-that was good cinematography.
Loved Smaug and Bilbo, Flies and Spiders (too short!!!).
The parts that weren't as good:
Tauriel bugs the heck out of me still and she really is a waste of screen time. Healing Kili was ridiculous too and just really can't stand her and Legoals extended fight scenes. They were very dumb and unnecessary. Glowing Tauriel made me shake my head so much, so much! I don’t’ know what PJ was trying to do there but no, this is not an Arwen healing Frodo scene and PLEASE, this is so unnecessary!
The Barrel chase was long but all right in general. That was not my biggest issue.
Gandalf cannot just go against Sauron like that nor does it make sense for him to be aginst Azog. This scene addition just wasn’t done smart enough.
Reasons for deviations at the end
I think the reason that PJ didn't film Thorin and co just sitting there waiting for Bilbo because they had to have some conflict at the end to make it interesting. The cat and mouse game with Smaug wasn't that credible so therefore instead, should've had more conflict and dialogue with Smaug but perhaps in a different kind of way. Movie still should've ended with Smaug dying and makin that a cliffhanger.
This cat and mouse game with Smaug was done so that there could have been a third film which i thought was very superfluous. That is the point-the scenes in which were in last, about 30-40 minutes (other than the Bilbo and Smaug dialogue) felt SUPERFLUOUS and filmed because they needed a third movie in which it doesn’t feel right as an ADAPTATION. This is a VERY loose adaptation and that doesn't work with me.
My second viewing made me see this as a movie, yes and not a book. While key elemesnts and scense are there, deviations like Tauriel healing Kili, Kili getting hurt, splitting the dwarf company didn’t add to the story. ITt was done more for cinematic reasos which I could possibly understand but no completely.
DoS does not rank high in all of the 5 Middle-earth movies that PJ has done. AUJ was such a way better for staying true to the book more. However, it is not as bad I originally thought.
More nonsensical additions:
• Orcs continually after Thorin (get over that storyline already, PJ!)
• Tauriel/Kili, just add her (fighting) but NOT GLOWING or HEALING! Tauriel. (I think Tauriel is ultimate Mary Sue) It’s infuriating.
• Tom and Jerry chase with Smaug and Erebor. Did I tell you how much that irriated me? It is good to have Thorin vs. Smaug argument if you will, but 20 minutes of that nonsense just really validates PJ drawing this out for no reason.
So in conclusion, the second viewing was good for me to sit back and view this as a MOVIE. It was less surprising. However, this movie still cannot rank high in my book but just very mediocre outing from PJ and crew. Boyens should be questioned severely with that Tauriel-she was promising but romance? Really?
The movie just didn’t feel like it had Tolkien’s tone and spirit anymore. It was error prone and silly and didn’t feel like the additions or deviations ADDED substance. That is my argument (not that I’m arguing). IF there are deviations, shouldn’t they be added to add value to the situation? I think PJ just brought stuff out randomly and in turn did horrible ADAPTATION. But as a movie? Sure! It was enjoyable for the most part. Will I see it again? I will watch if I have company with me but probably will wait for Extended or borrow.
I don’t know what to think of There and Back Again ….i’m not there yet. :P
The Hobbit Impressions Part II
Last 30-40 minutes after Bilbo and Smaug was a mess but the beginning to Laketown was fine. So this movie had strong elements but the weak points just weakened the movie so much that it ended with a mediocre overall rating.
What i loved:
Beorn- too little screen time. I liked the dialogue that was placed but just not enough! I liked what they did in the book and understand that that may be hard to adapt but it just doesn't' make sense to change it so that the dwarves rush into his home and then he's ok with that later, guarding them against the orcs in the meantime.
Bard- Luke Evans is awesome... developing him more and introducing him early makes sense and that was a positive change from the book.
Thranduil- done very well from Lee Pace. I kind of liked the argument he had with Thorin, but it doesn't make sense that Thranduil would crave jewels too from the Lonely Mountain, does it? I thought elves wouldn't be so greedy for jewels. You *do* see more elf versus dwarf conflict clearer which is good. Still, that is not a point of too much contention of whether it's right or wrong in my book.
All new characters introduced (other than one) did a very solid job and we see a more dimensional character which is good.
I liked the shots of the Desolation of Smaug and the ruined town of Dale-that was good cinematography.
Loved Smaug and Bilbo, Flies and Spiders (too short!!!).
The parts that weren't as good:
Tauriel bugs the heck out of me still and she really is a waste of screen time. Healing Kili was ridiculous too and just really can't stand her and Legoals extended fight scenes. They were very dumb and unnecessary. Glowing Tauriel made me shake my head so much, so much! I don’t’ know what PJ was trying to do there but no, this is not an Arwen healing Frodo scene and PLEASE, this is so unnecessary!
The Barrel chase was long but all right in general. That was not my biggest issue.
Gandalf cannot just go against Sauron like that nor does it make sense for him to be aginst Azog. This scene addition just wasn’t done smart enough.
Reasons for deviations at the end
I think the reason that PJ didn't film Thorin and co just sitting there waiting for Bilbo because they had to have some conflict at the end to make it interesting. The cat and mouse game with Smaug wasn't that credible so therefore instead, should've had more conflict and dialogue with Smaug but perhaps in a different kind of way. Movie still should've ended with Smaug dying and makin that a cliffhanger.
This cat and mouse game with Smaug was done so that there could have been a third film which i thought was very superfluous. That is the point-the scenes in which were in last, about 30-40 minutes (other than the Bilbo and Smaug dialogue) felt SUPERFLUOUS and filmed because they needed a third movie in which it doesn’t feel right as an ADAPTATION. This is a VERY loose adaptation and that doesn't work with me.
My second viewing made me see this as a movie, yes and not a book. While key elemesnts and scense are there, deviations like Tauriel healing Kili, Kili getting hurt, splitting the dwarf company didn’t add to the story. ITt was done more for cinematic reasos which I could possibly understand but no completely.
DoS does not rank high in all of the 5 Middle-earth movies that PJ has done. AUJ was such a way better for staying true to the book more. However, it is not as bad I originally thought.
More nonsensical additions:
• Orcs continually after Thorin (get over that storyline already, PJ!)
• Tauriel/Kili, just add her (fighting) but NOT GLOWING or HEALING! Tauriel. (I think Tauriel is ultimate Mary Sue) It’s infuriating.
• Tom and Jerry chase with Smaug and Erebor. Did I tell you how much that irriated me? It is good to have Thorin vs. Smaug argument if you will, but 20 minutes of that nonsense just really validates PJ drawing this out for no reason.
So in conclusion, the second viewing was good for me to sit back and view this as a MOVIE. It was less surprising. However, this movie still cannot rank high in my book but just very mediocre outing from PJ and crew. Boyens should be questioned severely with that Tauriel-she was promising but romance? Really?
The movie just didn’t feel like it had Tolkien’s tone and spirit anymore. It was error prone and silly and didn’t feel like the additions or deviations ADDED substance. That is my argument (not that I’m arguing). IF there are deviations, shouldn’t they be added to add value to the situation? I think PJ just brought stuff out randomly and in turn did horrible ADAPTATION. But as a movie? Sure! It was enjoyable for the most part. Will I see it again? I will watch if I have company with me but probably will wait for Extended or borrow.
I don’t know what to think of There and Back Again ….i’m not there yet. :P