The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

[The Josh]

I got the Amazon exclusive with the Weta statue coming.

 

[jye4ever]

$33.00 EE 3D from BB today, looking forward to revisiting with the wife tonight.

Imagine how much the LOTR and Hobbit movies will be in 4K or 4K 3D.

4K would be a perfect reason for the LOTR EEE.

 

[KitFisto]

Picked it up today at Best Buy. Came with the Dwarf key......don't know what I'll ever do with it.

 

[The Josh]

$33.00 EE 3D from BB today, looking forward to revisiting with the wife tonight.

Imagine how much the LOTR and Hobbit movies will be in 4K or 4K 3D.

4K would be a perfect reason for the LOTR EEE.

I thought what they added back in helped improve an already solid movie. The moments they put back in slowed the pace down to a level we're more used to with these Middle-earth films.

I would love to see them in 4K.

 

[jye4ever]

It's what i've been reading, that DOS benefits from a pace slow down.

 

[The Josh]

It's what i've been reading, that DOS benefits from a pace slow down.

I think it does. I loved the TE but the stuff they added back in just really helps everything about this out.

 

[Bucky Underbelly]

It's funny, the moments of DoS that I really found were too quickly glossed over and hurried through in the theatrical cut, are precisely the ones where they've added material back in this cut. I guess there was a reason those bits felt rushed!

 

[rushmore223]

Picked it up today at Best Buy. Came with the Dwarf key......don't know what I'll ever do with it.

Why, you'll use it to enter the Lonely Mountain and reclaim your kingly Heritage!

 

[KitFisto]

Why, you'll use it to enter the Lonely Mountain and reclaim your kingly Heritage!

.

 

[Khev]

Watched the 3D EE blu last night.

Wow! What an awesome improvement! I agree with the assessment above that it makes it just feel like a previous LOTR movie. The theatrical cut was extremely cool but was almost the "Temple of Doom" of LOTR movies with the characters just bouncing from one action sequence to the next with little time for story at each location. Though I will say that not one extra second of Tauriel made me sad. I've got to assume that PJ was reacting to complaints that the TE of AUJ was long and boring. That can only be the explanation for DOS's cuts. Because everything just added to the story in a very necessary and natural way.

SPOILERS:

Spoiler

The extended Moria flashback scene during Thorin and Gandalf's initial encounter added some flash to an otherwise somewhat boring opening scene.

The extended Beorn introduction was great! Really gave new life and depth to his character. Also a nice re-introduction to the dwarves.

The extra Mirkwood hallucinations were the one scene where I could kind of understand why they'd be trimmed down but it just gave Bilbo's moment in the sun with the butterflies that much more relief. Plus in the theatrical cut when he tapped the web repeatedly it really seemed like he was being kind of stupid. I like that in the EE he was tripping much more severely when he did that and clearly didn't really know what he was doing.

Again, no new Tauriel.

The extra Lake-Town scenes were very cool and actually illustrated Bard being the "people's champion" with how the townsfolk all intuitively covered up his actions from the guards. Nice to see an example of that rather than everyone just claiming the people love him but then all we see is people spying on him in the TE.

The new Dol Guldur scenes. Holy crap! I can't believe the whole thing was changed! Way, WAY better. Thrain's panicked warning that no one should enter the mountain and then cutting immediately to Thorin's triumphant "Let all who doubted us rue this day!" speech was incredibly ominous.

Awesome cut. Absolutely definitive going forward. It's hard to imagine how they're going to explain the Thrain scenes in TBOTFA.

 

[The Josh]

Watched the 3D EE blu last night.

Wow! What an awesome improvement! I agree with the assessment above that it makes it just feel like a previous LOTR movie. The theatrical cut was extremely cool but was almost the "Temple of Doom" of LOTR movies with the characters just bouncing from one action sequence to the next with little time for story at each location. Though I will say that not one extra second of Tauriel made me sad. I've got to assume that PJ was reacting to complaints that the TE of AUJ was long and boring. That can only be the explanation for DOS's cuts. Because everything just added to the story in a very necessary and natural way.

SPOILERS:

Spoiler

The extended Moria flashback scene during Thorin and Gandalf's initial encounter added some flash to an otherwise somewhat boring opening scene.

The extended Beorn introduction was great! Really gave new life and depth to his character. Also a nice re-introduction to the dwarves.

The extra Mirkwood hallucinations were the one scene where I could kind of understand why they'd be trimmed down but it just gave Bilbo's moment in the sun with the butterflies that much more relief. Plus in the theatrical cut when he tapped the web repeatedly it really seemed like he was being kind of stupid. I like that in the EE he was tripping much more severely when he did that and clearly didn't really know what he was doing.

Again, no new Tauriel.

The extra Lake-Town scenes were very cool and actually illustrated Bard being the "people's champion" with how the townsfolk all intuitively covered up his actions from the guards. Nice to see an example of that rather than everyone just claiming the people love him but then all we see is people spying on him in the TE.

The new Dol Guldur scenes. Holy crap! I can't believe the whole thing was changed! Way, WAY better. Thrain's panicked warning that no one should enter the mountain and then cutting immediately to Thorin's triumphant "Let all who doubted us rue this day!" speech was incredibly ominous.

Awesome cut. Absolutely definitive going forward. It's hard to imagine how they're going to explain the Thrain scenes in TBOTFA.

Spoiler

I enjoyed the extended opening but I loved the TE version. It's very much like some material that is either in the Appendices or Annotated The Hobbit. I can't recall which book it is in but the extra stuff just seeing Thrain, which isn't in any of the books does make that scene even cooler.

It does and it fleshes out that moment better. The Dwarven intro while not like the book is similar and I loved seeing a nod to that sequence used in the EE rather than the TE.

I agree it was nice to be in Mirkwood longer. You get a sense that is similar to the book in that once they're off the path it is a bad thing for them. I agree that it also makes that moment for Bilbo even more refreshing to get out of there for a second.

I'm ok with no new Tauriel stuff. I love the character but this didn't need more of her.

Fleshing out Bard more is great as it was for Beorn. It just helps you feel more attached to him and what he is and what he will do in the next film.

I agree its better because we get to see Thrain and it fleshes things out more. What he mentions as far as Smaug and Sauron possibly working together is why Gandalf has Thorin go to Erebor in the first place. He becomes worried Smaug could become a massive weapon impossible to stop.

It is a great cut. The TE was fantastic but this really just makes it even better. Obviously opiniosn vary but the EE are always the definitive versions. I don't think it will be hard to explain Thrain.

 

[pixletwin]

Can anyone in the know clarify one thing for me? Are we going to get the White Council tossing Sauron out of Mirkwood? For some reason I am getting the impression that we aren't getting that somehow.

 

[Khev]

Yes I liked

Spoiler

the more specific link to Smaug and Sauron's armies and I also felt that Beorn advising Gandalf that the dead have been rumored to walk near the High Fells seemed like a much more organic reason for him to abruptly stop journeying with the dwarves and go explore them. Even little touches like Beorn on the ridge triggering Gandalf to remember to send back the ponies after their new prior conversation.

I just thought the whole thing had a great flow. PJ is two for two with Hobbit EE's now IMO.

The only thing that bugged me was that after being thankfully absent in the TE PJ inserted not one but TWO Wilhelm screams into the EE. Sigh. I wish it would just die.

 

[The Josh]

Can anyone in the know clarify one thing for me? Are we going to get the White Council tossing Sauron out of Mirkwood? For some reason I am getting the impression that we aren't getting that somehow.

Nope you're gonna get some of that in BOTFA.

 

[pixletwin]

Doh! I meant to post that in the BOTFA thread. : As long as we're getting it I guess.

 

[The Josh]

Yes I liked

Spoiler

the more specific link to Smaug and Sauron's armies and I also felt that Beorn advising Gandalf that the dead have been rumored to walk near the High Fells seemed like a much more organic reason for him to abruptly stop journeying with the dwarves and go explore them. Even little touches like Beorn on the ridge triggering Gandalf to remember to send back the ponies after their new prior conversation.

I just thought the whole thing had a great flow. PJ is two for two with Hobbit EE's now IMO.

Spoiler

It's interesting to see them be linked that way since Tolkien only hinted that it could happen. It makes sense to me that is why Gandalf in the book wants Smaug taken out and makes sense to connect those dots in the movies that this plan is kind of already in the works. It does again help flesh that out though I didn't have a problem with him just following Galadriel's advice. The Beorn part on the ridge is in the TE though.

I'm with ya. Both EE have improved already solid films.

 

[Khev]

Hey guys wasn't DOS supposed feature some massive battle? With like four or five armies? I though I remembered reading that somewhere.

 

[The Josh]

Doh! I meant to post that in the BOTFA thread. : As long as we're getting it I guess.

It's all good. As far as I know we're getting a little of it at least.

 

[Khev]

Spoiler

It's interesting to see them be linked that way since Tolkien only hinted that it could happen. It makes sense to me that is why Gandalf in the book wants Smaug taken out and makes sense to connect those dots in the movies that this plan is kind of already in the works. It does again help flesh that out though I didn't have a problem with him just following Galadriel's advice. The Beorn part on the ridge is in the TE though.

I'm with ya. Both EE have improved already solid films.

I know that Beorn on the ridge is in the TE but it takes on new meaning after their extended talk about sending back the ponies.

 

[The Josh]

I know that Beorn on the ridge is in the TE but it takes on new meaning after their extended talk about sending back the ponies.

I got ya. I guess from reading the book that didn't hit me more than it did.