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Re: The Official "The Hobbit" movie thread
I saw it today and loved it. I didn't think I'd like the song bits but I got chills from them. It really felt like a return to Middle Earth, back to the Shire. The new, younger Bilbo is great, Gandalf the Grey doesn't disappoint and Thorin is one of my favorite characters now. My favorite bit from the film is without a doubt the Riddles in the dark scene. That whole sequence of back and forth between Bilbo and Gollum was magical.
No gripes really, other than the heavy, heavy use of CGI and Radaghast the Brown. It was too CGI heavy, especially towards the end and Radaghast didn't feel like he belonged. I would have much preferred Saruman finding the "evil power" that's reemerging in the world.
As for the problems people have with the first act being drawn out, I can see their point, I loved it though. I liked how they spent time in the Shire and Bag End. I can't think of any scenes that didn't have a purpose during that first hour or so. I thought it was great and enchanting, like we could actually live there. Personally, I felt the Goblin stuff sort of dragged. The action in this seemed silly compared to LOTR (I was never a fan of the Legolas Oliphant stunt).
When it comes to the Extended Editions, I never had a problem with the Fellowship of the Ring. All those scenes were useful in my opinion. I can't think of watching that movie without the "Concerning Hobbits" intro or the departure from Rivendell scene right before "the Ring goes south" with the Fellowship setting out. There's all those great little added scenes for Boromir and Aragorn that really flesh out their characters and the gift giving scene is fantastic. Plus you get all those little bits that were cut out, like the extended Moria fight sequence and the Amon hen fights with the Uruk Hai.
For me, the theatrical cut pales in comparison. Now, with Two Towers and Return of the King, I agree, some of that stuff just isn't necessary. It runs on for waaaaaaaaaay too long. The Fellowship though? I just watched that last week, on the big screen (along with the other two) and it's pacing was just fine with that extra half an hour of footage.
The only cut scenes that made sense for Two Towers was the extended scenes for Faramir (seeing Boromir in the boat, the interaction the brothers have with Denethor, tying it to Fellowship and Two Towers). I don't need to know that Aragorn is 87 or more Ent bull ****. As for Return of the King, the Saruman/Orthanc scene in the beginning SHOULD have been in the theatrical cut. I think the Mouth of Sauron should have been included too. The rest? Nah, it goes on for way too long.
I saw it today and loved it. I didn't think I'd like the song bits but I got chills from them. It really felt like a return to Middle Earth, back to the Shire. The new, younger Bilbo is great, Gandalf the Grey doesn't disappoint and Thorin is one of my favorite characters now. My favorite bit from the film is without a doubt the Riddles in the dark scene. That whole sequence of back and forth between Bilbo and Gollum was magical.
No gripes really, other than the heavy, heavy use of CGI and Radaghast the Brown. It was too CGI heavy, especially towards the end and Radaghast didn't feel like he belonged. I would have much preferred Saruman finding the "evil power" that's reemerging in the world.
As for the problems people have with the first act being drawn out, I can see their point, I loved it though. I liked how they spent time in the Shire and Bag End. I can't think of any scenes that didn't have a purpose during that first hour or so. I thought it was great and enchanting, like we could actually live there. Personally, I felt the Goblin stuff sort of dragged. The action in this seemed silly compared to LOTR (I was never a fan of the Legolas Oliphant stunt).
When it comes to the Extended Editions, I never had a problem with the Fellowship of the Ring. All those scenes were useful in my opinion. I can't think of watching that movie without the "Concerning Hobbits" intro or the departure from Rivendell scene right before "the Ring goes south" with the Fellowship setting out. There's all those great little added scenes for Boromir and Aragorn that really flesh out their characters and the gift giving scene is fantastic. Plus you get all those little bits that were cut out, like the extended Moria fight sequence and the Amon hen fights with the Uruk Hai.
For me, the theatrical cut pales in comparison. Now, with Two Towers and Return of the King, I agree, some of that stuff just isn't necessary. It runs on for waaaaaaaaaay too long. The Fellowship though? I just watched that last week, on the big screen (along with the other two) and it's pacing was just fine with that extra half an hour of footage.
The only cut scenes that made sense for Two Towers was the extended scenes for Faramir (seeing Boromir in the boat, the interaction the brothers have with Denethor, tying it to Fellowship and Two Towers). I don't need to know that Aragorn is 87 or more Ent bull ****. As for Return of the King, the Saruman/Orthanc scene in the beginning SHOULD have been in the theatrical cut. I think the Mouth of Sauron should have been included too. The rest? Nah, it goes on for way too long.
