Hobbit film 3 quickie review
So I accidentally left it too long to give you my immediate reaction review of the third Hobbit film, Battle of the Five Armies. Maybe I'll do a proper review once I've seen it again (definitely after Christmas). But here are a few brief medium-length thoughts for now.
I've been saying for ages (as some of you will already know!) that I only really had one main hope for this film: that they got one particular scene right. If they got it right I'd be happy, and if they didn't I'd find myself in a difficult fangirl position.
The scene was Thorin's death, and specifically Bilbo's reaction to it. In the book, Thorin and co have come forth from the Mountain and waded into the fighting, a small band of dwarves surrounded by enemies. Most survive, but Thorin is mortally wounded (and Kili and Fili are killed outright). After the battle, Thorin is taken to a tent somewhere. Bilbo meanwhile has been using the ring to get around the battlefield, and has been knocked out still wearing it. So it's only when he comes round and takes it off that he is found and taken to see Thorin. He catches Thorin just before he dies, and they speak briefly and Thorin asks for Bilbo's forgiveness. Then when Thorin dies, Bilbo goes outside the tent and cries his eyes out. It's that last bit that always makes me cry reading the book, and feels so central to the book's emotional core for me.
In the film, they've moved the dwarves' last stand away from the rest of the battle. Thorin and some of the others (including Kili and Fili) go to some outlying place for strategic reasons, that has crumbly buildings and a frozen lake. I really need to watch again to get all these details though. Thorin is made to face Azog, who of course in the films is his arch-enemy who killed his grandfather, Thror. Now I wasn't so sure about the final battle with Azog, which involved a lot of fancy footwork with the frozen lake. When Thorin is finally mortally wounded (killing Azog at the same time), Bilbo finds him and they are alone together. They exchange words and it's all rather sad and sweet and just like in the book, Thorin asks for Bilbo's forgiveness. Then Thorin dies, and Bilbo can't quite accept it at first. And then he cries. And there's this little extra cry bit that just tipped me over the edge.
So there I was in the cinema thinking: they did it right! So I felt completely happy with the whole movie on that basis. And also, I admit, on the basis that it was a terrifically good film rollicking along at a jolly good pace with lots of fighting. And that's what I like.
I should also mention Bard, because I was keen for them to get him right too. And they got him absolutely spot on IMO. Just exactly how he is in the book. And they used him cleverly as well, because while Thorin, who you could say is our main hero in lots of ways, is going crazy with desire for gold and the Arkenstone, the film frequently cuts between him and Bard. Thorin's madness is quite hard to watch, but Bard is being heroic and leading his people in between, and it gives you something amazing to focus on.
And there were lots of other things to like. Perhaps not enough screentime for Bilbo and individual dwarves. Perhaps a bit strange how Tauriel’s story played out (I didn’t expect them to take it in that direction at all). Thranduil was not so much as he is in the book, but nevertheless he was wonderful, and I did like seeing him fighting. I was shocked to realise that Albert (is that his name?), a made-for-film character I didn’t feel they really needed in the first place, is played by Ryan Gage, the same actor who play Louis in The Musketeers!
And I had a bit of a WTF moment when I saw the worms things that tunnelled through... wherever they were tunnelling through. Maybe I dreamt it. And I thought they could have made more of the bats. And I liked Billy Connolly as Dain.
And that’s all I can think of to say right now, so that will do as a preliminary review. What did you think of it?
I've been saying for ages (as some of you will already know!) that I only really had one main hope for this film: that they got one particular scene right. If they got it right I'd be happy, and if they didn't I'd find myself in a difficult fangirl position.
The scene was Thorin's death, and specifically Bilbo's reaction to it. In the book, Thorin and co have come forth from the Mountain and waded into the fighting, a small band of dwarves surrounded by enemies. Most survive, but Thorin is mortally wounded (and Kili and Fili are killed outright). After the battle, Thorin is taken to a tent somewhere. Bilbo meanwhile has been using the ring to get around the battlefield, and has been knocked out still wearing it. So it's only when he comes round and takes it off that he is found and taken to see Thorin. He catches Thorin just before he dies, and they speak briefly and Thorin asks for Bilbo's forgiveness. Then when Thorin dies, Bilbo goes outside the tent and cries his eyes out. It's that last bit that always makes me cry reading the book, and feels so central to the book's emotional core for me.
In the film, they've moved the dwarves' last stand away from the rest of the battle. Thorin and some of the others (including Kili and Fili) go to some outlying place for strategic reasons, that has crumbly buildings and a frozen lake. I really need to watch again to get all these details though. Thorin is made to face Azog, who of course in the films is his arch-enemy who killed his grandfather, Thror. Now I wasn't so sure about the final battle with Azog, which involved a lot of fancy footwork with the frozen lake. When Thorin is finally mortally wounded (killing Azog at the same time), Bilbo finds him and they are alone together. They exchange words and it's all rather sad and sweet and just like in the book, Thorin asks for Bilbo's forgiveness. Then Thorin dies, and Bilbo can't quite accept it at first. And then he cries. And there's this little extra cry bit that just tipped me over the edge.
So there I was in the cinema thinking: they did it right! So I felt completely happy with the whole movie on that basis. And also, I admit, on the basis that it was a terrifically good film rollicking along at a jolly good pace with lots of fighting. And that's what I like.
I should also mention Bard, because I was keen for them to get him right too. And they got him absolutely spot on IMO. Just exactly how he is in the book. And they used him cleverly as well, because while Thorin, who you could say is our main hero in lots of ways, is going crazy with desire for gold and the Arkenstone, the film frequently cuts between him and Bard. Thorin's madness is quite hard to watch, but Bard is being heroic and leading his people in between, and it gives you something amazing to focus on.
And there were lots of other things to like. Perhaps not enough screentime for Bilbo and individual dwarves. Perhaps a bit strange how Tauriel’s story played out (I didn’t expect them to take it in that direction at all). Thranduil was not so much as he is in the book, but nevertheless he was wonderful, and I did like seeing him fighting. I was shocked to realise that Albert (is that his name?), a made-for-film character I didn’t feel they really needed in the first place, is played by Ryan Gage, the same actor who play Louis in The Musketeers!
And I had a bit of a WTF moment when I saw the worms things that tunnelled through... wherever they were tunnelling through. Maybe I dreamt it. And I thought they could have made more of the bats. And I liked Billy Connolly as Dain.
And that’s all I can think of to say right now, so that will do as a preliminary review. What did you think of it?