Sithlord1975
Super Freak
If those Cirque du Soleil people can do what they do, I have no problem with what the elves can do with hundreds of years of practice.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
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FQRizzo
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agen_kolar
Super Freak
Just returned from my second viewing, this time in 2D. I thought I'd be able to focus on the story and not the 3D and such, but this time around think I enjoyed the film less - though it had nothing to do with the format. Some spoilers below.
For some reason, most of my ill feelings towards the film surround Smaug. Don't get me wrong, Smaug himself is quite a technological feat. His design was great, and the back-and-forth with Bilbo was riveting. I could've listened to more.
My first problem with Smaug is his glowing from the inside out. It made my eyes want to roll into the back of my head. There's only so much disbelief I can suspend, Jackson. It may seem nitpicky, but this took me out of the moment every. single. time.
Secondly, Smaug vs. the Dwarves was god awful. It felt forced - and almost as unfortunate - it was nothing but blatant, obvious CG! Very little of it felt real. Shots looked unfinished, and that molten gold was one of the worst-rendered CG things I've witnessed in a film with a budget like DOS. The climax with the golden statue is easily one of the most ridiculous things I've seen, and didn't fully make sense. It was as if we'd watched 2.5 hours of fairly realistic film, then suddenly we're in a cartoon. I really don't understand how no one on the production thought, "This is going too far." I truly feel as though Jackson has become Lucas on some levels.
That being said, most of the film (the first 2 hours at least) are much very enjoyable. It's just that the climax leaves a sour taste in my mouth, in some ways ruining the film for me since that's the most important part. I'd love to see if cutting the ridiculousness with Smaug out is possible, somehow having little to no confrontation with the dwarves and then leaving for Lake-town. I might make my own cut sometime.
My favorite parts of DOS are with Thranduil in Mirkwood and Bard in Lake-town. Lake-town, despite being wet, moldy, and smelling of fish, may be one of my favorite locations in Middle Earth. It felt real for me, and the characters there were fantastic.
So, while better than AUJ for me, DOS still fails to truly impress me. Will the third time be the charm with TABA?
For some reason, most of my ill feelings towards the film surround Smaug. Don't get me wrong, Smaug himself is quite a technological feat. His design was great, and the back-and-forth with Bilbo was riveting. I could've listened to more.
My first problem with Smaug is his glowing from the inside out. It made my eyes want to roll into the back of my head. There's only so much disbelief I can suspend, Jackson. It may seem nitpicky, but this took me out of the moment every. single. time.
Secondly, Smaug vs. the Dwarves was god awful. It felt forced - and almost as unfortunate - it was nothing but blatant, obvious CG! Very little of it felt real. Shots looked unfinished, and that molten gold was one of the worst-rendered CG things I've witnessed in a film with a budget like DOS. The climax with the golden statue is easily one of the most ridiculous things I've seen, and didn't fully make sense. It was as if we'd watched 2.5 hours of fairly realistic film, then suddenly we're in a cartoon. I really don't understand how no one on the production thought, "This is going too far." I truly feel as though Jackson has become Lucas on some levels.
That being said, most of the film (the first 2 hours at least) are much very enjoyable. It's just that the climax leaves a sour taste in my mouth, in some ways ruining the film for me since that's the most important part. I'd love to see if cutting the ridiculousness with Smaug out is possible, somehow having little to no confrontation with the dwarves and then leaving for Lake-town. I might make my own cut sometime.
My favorite parts of DOS are with Thranduil in Mirkwood and Bard in Lake-town. Lake-town, despite being wet, moldy, and smelling of fish, may be one of my favorite locations in Middle Earth. It felt real for me, and the characters there were fantastic.
So, while better than AUJ for me, DOS still fails to truly impress me. Will the third time be the charm with TABA?
The golden statue didn't look as bad in 2D to me, it was duller and less cartoony. That was the one part I didn't care for simply because it did look like a cartoon.
You didn't like Smaug when he glowed in the belly before blowing fire? I thought that was a cool dragon effect.
Is it wrong to read all your posts in Thorin's voice?
I'm not quite that raspy.
Have to wonder if Armitage was hoarse after talking all day as Thorin.
Don't argue with people that have LOTR Avatars / Signatures. It's pointless.
That's right!......[ame]https://youtu.be/gVdEINfm7H4[/ame]
The Chev
Super Freak
All I noticed was the Spider part, and then the dwarves hopscotch That's two events, just two. In Lake-town he did more toned down stuff, mostly displaying his light footedness. So, as of right now, No Legolas in 1 film did not do more silly stuff than LOTR combined in my opinion. Maybe after TABA, which will have more super legolas and maybe even super turiael (spl).
Also, all this talk of LOTR makes me sad I don' have them to watch at home. I need to get the Blu-ray set ASAP.
The Chev
Super Freak
Don't argue with people that have LOTR Avatars / Signatures. It's pointless.
Well, he was responding to me, and I don't have any.
The Chev
Super Freak
I also heard it's pointless to debate with elves for they will tell you that you're right, and wrong at the same time.
Irvy
Super Freak
The finale with Smaug feels like something from one of the lego games It's the giant gold statue I think...
It's the giant gold statue I think...
Yes, he does. He's the first guy you see who is supposed to be watching Bard's place in Lake Town.
I watched AUJ EE last night. After the Bree scene at the beginning of DOS it seems strange that Gandalf would ask Thorin, "Who did you tell of our journey? Who did you TELL!?" When we now know that Gandalf witnessed Thorin being hunted weeks or months earlier. Originally it seemed that Thorin didn't know of the price on his head until the Great Goblin told him.
You don't have them to watch in your Home??? Shame!!!!
Just to add something about Legolas. While his Superhero actions may not have been Oliphant type action (which is a great moment in the LOTR) they did have him doing plenty of stunts that were too difficult for the actor so they used lots of CGI to make it possible. They did the same with the girl Elf. In LOTR most of his stunts were practical. Thus when he did do something Superhero like it really stood out (and was cool). In this film his stunts seem to be 50 % CGI and 50% practical during the action scenes.
People who love Elves and Legolas are going to eat it up. For some like Njits and myself we thought it was overkill.
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