Movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

[Roobs321]

Very true re. Peter Jackson.
But when I look at Del Toro's better movies (that I have seen) like Blade 2 and Pan's Labyrinth it doesn't scream Hobbit material to me.

Pans Labyrinth & The Devils Backbone were the main ones I was thinking of. Blade 2 and the Hellboys arent what im talking about. I'm not even a fan of Del Toro (I just think he is okay), but his style for The Hobbit would have been interesting. LOTR the prequel doesnt sound interesting.

 

[Roobs321]

Hey, mine too.

Lol, crazy. Same bday and same club. You werent also born in 1988 were you?

 

[eaglespremiers]

Lol, crazy. Same bday and same club. You werent also born in 1988 were you?

If I say yes will it blow your mind?

 

[Caesar]

I dunno. Pan's Labyrinth has a pretty fairytale feel, even though it's very dark. I reckon he would have done well with the Hobbit, made a fairytale that was watchable for adults.

Tolkien actually started a rewrite of the Hobbit to retcon a lot of the details to fit in with LOTR. He stopped halfway through because everybody complained it was losing the charm of the original.

I think what we are going to get is a solid prequel to the LOTR. Which is what people want, obviously. And I'm sure I'll enjoy it, but it won't do justice to the source material.

 

[Roobs321]

If I say yes will it blow your mind?

Maybe this is like Fight Club and you are my Tyler Durden account without realising.

 

[Caesar]

I used to date a girl born on the same day as me. She gave me a huge amount of crap for being 3 hours younger.

 

[Mint Condition]

I have a friend that I didn't meet until I was 19 that happens to have been born within 6 minutes, on the same day, in the same hospital as me.

 

[Caesar]

Reviews out of the US and elsewhere have been negative to lukewarm. General consensus seems to be that it is beautifully shot, but the story is bloated and painfully slow-moving and the fairytale plot doesn't hold up to the LOTR-style epic that Jackson is trying to create. I guess that won't be much of a surprise to anyone who has read the book.

One review compared it to The Phantom Menace, which made me wince.

Interestingly, several reviewers said to avoid the 3D version because the effect is an unnecessary and annoying distraction from the cinematography.

 

[Warsaw]

It's three ****ing movies.

 

[Mint Condition]

Interestingly, several reviewers said to avoid the 3D version because the effect is an unnecessary and annoying distraction from the cinematography.

I thought everyone had already realised this. I've read that it's the extreme high definition version that is a bit much and makes some of the props etc look cheap.

From what I've read people that are fantasy/Tolkien nerds will like it but others might find it a bit long winded. If that's the case then I'm happy. Seems like there is a bit of a disparity between professional reviewers (6.5/10 average score on rotten tomatoes currently) and regular people (8.7/10 on IMDB).

 

[Kyptastic]

It seems a lot of older people are put off by the look and high framerate, whereas younger people brought up playing video games at 60 fps or more are less affected by it.

 

[Igloo]

Still can't believe it's 3 movies. But i'm still really looking forward to it, regardless of the reviews.

 

[pantskyle]

Still can't believe it's 3 movies. But i'm still really looking forward to it, regardless of the reviews.

Yeah this, I'm going to love it.

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Saw it tonight. Starts slow, building up for the next two movies I'd imagine.

Without giving anything away I'd say fans of the LOTR will enjoy it, but anyone else could find it slightly tedious. The way it ended had me really excited for a 2nd movie.

 

[CF]

The reviews are coming in and generally the critics are saying it is rather an over bloated affair. Metacritic has it at 58 so that isn't promising.

 

[TheGhostOfJohnBelushi]

Interestingly, several reviewers said to avoid the 3D version because the effect is an unnecessary and annoying distraction from the cinematography.

I avoid all 3D. Rip off and unimpressive. I saw Avatar in 3D and hated it (thought the adverts before the film were more impressive, to be honest), and have seen like one other film in 3D (Clash of the Titans... it was a free preview screening, was on a bad angle though so watched it without the glasses ).

 

[Caesar]

I know this is an unpopular point of view, but the LOTR are crap books. Just terrible. Stale language, thin characters, boring poetry, weird and nonsensical plot deviations and so forth. I really disliked the books but I enjoyed the movies immensely, because they stripped out a lot of the extraneous garbage and actually turned it into a rollicking good yarn that didn't try and be particularly literary.

On the other hand I think the book of The Hobbit is an absolute masterpiece. It takes Tolkien's actual strength as a writer - painting a vivid picture of an exotic fantasy world filled with romantic heroes - and puts it in the setting that suits it perfectly: namely, a fairytale for children. In The Hobbit he leaves out all the highfalutin crap and weighty aspirations that his writing can't live up to, and provides a simple and wonderfully immersive story imbued with a great deal of charm and whimsy.

I really wish we had this movie first, because then it would have been a movie of The Hobbit - rather than a movie using the plot of The Hobbit and trying to be like the LOTR.

 

[pantskyle]

Caesar I read the complete LOTR collection (one big book) after watching the films and really appreciated it. But I can see how people could read the book first then watch the movies and think "man I'm glad they cut that out". Reading after and seeing what was missed makes you think "that should had been in the movie'.

The Hobbit was a special book and I read it about 3 times in about 1 month just to get it all in. I couldn't re-read LOTR.

 

[TheGhostOfJohnBelushi]

I read LOTR after seeing the films and enjoyed it because I knew what was going on. I can get that it might have been tougher if read beforehand.

I actually found The Hobbit to be rather boring when I tried to read it. Maybe I was expecting LOTR.

 

[Athomas]

Agreed was very average!!! The 48fps will change cinema if it catches on... feels so different, you slowly get used to it but still very distracting. I'd recommend others to see it in 48fps to try it out, first movie filmed in 48fps ever etc.

 

[CF]

I have read that most Australian cinemas will be showing it in 24fps rather than 48 fps (which is closer to actual eyesight). Unless you live near an IMAX I think most of us wont get the chance.

 

[Athomas]

Roadshow Director said will be showing in 50/500 cinema screens. I would say about 10 in VIC so probably the main ones like Knox, Jam Factory, Melb Central, Chaddy etc....

 

[CF]

Only these ones will be showing it in 48 fps

Bondi Juncion: Event Bondi Junction
Brisbane: Event Brisbane Myer
Burwood: Event Burwood
Broadway: Hoyts Broadway
Campbelltown: Event Campbelltown
Canberra: Dendy Cinemas
Cannington: Hoyts Carousel
Castle Hill: Event Castle Hill
Chadstone: Hoyts Chadstone
Chatswood: Hoyts Chatswood Westfield
Cheltenham: Village Cinemas Southland
Chermside: Event Chermside
Doncaster: Village Cinemas
Glendale: Event Glendale
Hornsby: Event Hornsby
Indooroopilly: Event Indooroopilly
Innaloo: Event Innaloo
Liverpool: Event Liverpool
Macquarie Park: Event Macquarie Park
Maribyrnong: Hoyts Highpoint
Maroochydore: Event Maroochydore Sunshine Plaza
Melbourne: Hoyts Melbourne Central
Morley: Event Morley
Narre Warren Village: Cinemas Fountain Gate
Norwood: Hoyts Norwood
Oaklands Park: Event Marion
Parramatta: Event Parramatta
Penrith: Hoyts Penrith
Perth: Hoyts Perth with IMAX
Queensland: Cairns Central
Robina: Event Robina
South Yarra: Village Cinemas Jam Factory
Sydney: Event George Street
Tuggerah: Event Tuggerah
Upper Mt Gravatt: Event Garden City
Wantirna South: Village Cinemas Knox

 

[yakka man]

I'm seeing it on the 27th at Event Innaloo in the 3D HFR format. I'm a bit cocerned as I have never seen a 3d film at the cinema and loved the LOTR's movies. The 48fps is making me anxious also. I'm not too worried about the bad reviews because social media is full of fans who loved the film. I'm still excited.

 

[Righteo]

Anyone who has read the book seen it yet?