The Hobbit (Plus 'Meh'ness)--

[caras_galadhon]

For some reason, I'm having trouble posting, commenting, and feedbacking lately. I think the latter two are stopping me from doing the former, actually. I'm so far behind, I end up paralyzed every time I start a post or think about answering email/leaving comments. *sigh

Comments

[quabazaa]

In PJ I trust! I'm not overly excited yet either but has PJ ever screwed anything up so far? Well for me he hasn't anyway (even Tintin who was another character I just adored). So we'll see. I'm going to see the movie without too many expectations because to be honest The Hobbit was never one of my absolute favourite books. I am looking forward to seeing more of Middle-Earth on screen though :D

[caras_galadhon]

That's absolutely the right attitude to have, and I had that for a bit, but I suppose my faith has been shaken for some reason I can't put my finger on. I'm hoping it's nothing, and it'll go away before the first film arrives on the scene. The Hobbit was never my favourite either, but for some reason I imprinted on Smaug hard as a kid, and that's really worrying me.

More Middle-earth is a good thing, though, and I'm hoping at the very least, it will be satisfying to jump back into that world. ♥

(Thinking of you, btw. Despite the fact that I've been a lurking lurker who lurks of late. *hugs*)

[lauredhel3019]

I felt the same about the LOTR movies, because I just couldn't believe that someone would be able to transport the magic to the big screen. But I also thouhgt if anyone could do it, it just might be PJ judging by the films he made so far. And as you I was stunned by the first trailer that hit the theatres and very, very carefully got my hopes up just a tiny bit after that.

I also share the mixed feelings about the Hobbit movie, especially concerning the dwarves (and the changes and additions that lead to enough material for three movies.) Admittedly I'm also not overly fond of the movies PJ made since LOTR. Haven't even seen the new trailer yet for fear of being utterly disappointed, big hero me. ;D But I couldn't resist the pics from the trailer and feel much better now as the look quite good. They got the PJ Middle-Earth feeling. And yes, can't wait to go back there, too. And I so much want to be entirely smitten with the Hobbit. And get some of the exitement back, even if it is only for a little time. :D

[caras_galadhon]

*G* I remember, when it was all just rumours swirling around about who was going to play who, and what they were going to do, my friends at the time knew I was a big Tolkien fan, and kept feeding me information I didn't ask for. I was trying very hard to ignore the films, and meanwhile I kept hearing, "Hey, they're thinking of casting Uma Thurman as Galadriel! Oh, did you hear? Sean Connery is going to be Gandalf!" And there I was, thinking, "Oh my god, Uma Thurman? Sean Connery? Can it get any worse?" ^_~ But, yeah, definitely a similar experience. I didn't know anything about PJ then, so it was that first trailer that won me over. And wow, wasn't it great? ^_

[rubyelf]

I think there's a sense of "Wow... they have a lot to live up to... are they going to let us down? Or overdo it? Or underdo it? Or just... not do it right, or something"... that sort of leads one to feel a little anxious.

[caras_galadhon]

I think you're right. That's exactly it. And I'm in the "Are they going to overdo it?" stage, because that's what's worrying me about the silliness of the dwarves.

[rubyelf]

I'm a bit concerned that they will overdo it with trying to make some of the dwarves act as comic relief while some of the other ones have been made a bit... oh, I don't know. It's like they needed at least some of the dwarves to be good-looking enough to be the eye-candy that LoTR had (not that any of them were JUST eye-candy, mind you, but along with the great acting one must admit there was a lot of really good-looking men to look at... and I think maybe they were worried about there not being enough of that in the movies until the humans and elves show up later.

[brigantine]

The first voice I ever heard as Smaug was Richard Boone. Oh, he was lovely - deep and rumbly, and so confident in his power that he just oozed a lazy sort of arrogance. Sigh. For all that I'm looking forward to the film - and I really, really am! - for me, Richard Boone's Smaug will be tough to follow. Still, I remain optimistic. :)

[caras_galadhon]

Oh, goodness, I had to pop over to YouTube to remind myself of what Boone sounded like. *G* (It's been a while since I watched the Rankin-Bass version.) Yeah, it's that sort of larger-than-life, rumbling, rolling tone I think of when I think of Smaug. Someone with a hint of roughness underneath to account for the smoke and fire that comes out of Smaug's mouth. Someone like JRD or Ian McKellen or Christopher Lee or Brian Blessed (if he'd stop chewing scenery ^_~). Or Jeremy Irons, even. It's an older actor role, as far as I'm concerned. Someone Shakespearian and epic.

My fingers are tightly crossed, regardless. I'm hoping I can shake this feeling before I end up in the theatre, since I don't want to sour the experience for myself.

[rifleman_s]

" I'm terrified that he'll look wrong and sound wrong, and that is one heck of a deal-breaker for me, because Smaug is my proto-dragon."

Oh good - I thought I was odd for thinking this! However, they're giving the voice to Benedict Cumberbatch so I feel much relieved; I'm sure he'll be extremely creditible. Although I haven't liked much of what PJ's done in the interim, he IS passionate about Tolkien and Middle Earth, so I guess we'll have to go a little on trust for the moment. Early days, yet!

Actually, it will be interesting to see the exact 'take' he has on The Hobbit which was always considered more for "children" than LoTR, I think. Hopefully, he'll achieve a nice balance . . .

[caras_galadhon]

Oh, thank goodness I'm not the only one worried about Smaug! Unfortunately, Cumberbatch isn't how I hear Smaug's voice, so that just unsettles me further.

I have to admit, other than Heavenly Creatures (and District 9, although I understand he had more of a supervisory role there), I've never been very taken by his other work. I enjoyed King Kong for what it was, which was a spectacular bit of FX, but that's about it. The Lovely Bones was a major disappointment (although I suspect I'd dislike it as a novel too), and I haven't seen Tintin yet because it reminds me too much of junior high French classes. There are other things of his I haven't seen yet, but I can't say I'm terribly motivated. -_-

After I read LotR for the first time, The Hobbit ended up relegated to second best basically because of those differences in tone. I'm really hoping that the movies come down on the side of serious and in step with LotR, rather than more child-friendly, but even if that's not the case, I'm crossing my fingers that PJ can retain a good balance