An Unexpected Disappointment [Hobbit Spoilers]

[macheteman]

dol guldur was awesome! radagast was a little too dopey, yet for some reason he was still one of my favorite parts of the movie.

i don't get why Azog is in there. didn't really feel like he added to the movie. plus right when you think thorin is going to kick butt, he gets beat up! and bilbo goes and kicks butt! WTF!?!?!?!

they changed the troll scene a little too much imo. and also they left out some riddles!!!

all in all, i had an enjoyable time, LOVED the part where gandalf can't remember the names of the blue wizards, but it felt less awesome than lord of the rings. the art and makeup didn't seem as extensive, but rather felt more like cgi. in fact, the whole goblin scene felt like a video game.

[bibfortuna25]

Nah, Azog was needed in order to alleviate one of the book's chief complaints, that it feels like a series of episodes rather than an ongoing story. First the dinner party, then the trolls, then Rivendell, then the mountains, then Gollum, etc. And it gives Thorin a better character arc for the first movie.

Plus, it is very apparent that Azog will lead the Orc army at the Battle of Five Armies, so it's better to introduce him early.

[MuadDib85]

Smaug taking Erebor at the beginning 

Dwalin meeting Balin, the headbutt.

The Oakenshield

Dwarves

Bilbo

Trolls

Azog

Goblin King

Radagast ...

Bunny sled

Wargs

Eagles

Movie exceded my expectations. Well done PJ.

[FM]

I see a lot of people giving grief about tje Goblin King, and while it was definitely not my favorite part of the movie, if anyone has ever seen the old Warner Bros. Hobbit animation from the... late 80s, maybe? The Goblin King is quite similar to what was shown in the movie, and equally underwhelming, so I think they actually relived it pretty well.

Also, as far as the 48fps is concerned, I absolutely loved it. It's weird at first, it seems you're watching a good videogame cutscene from an HD title like Final Fantasy or such, but once you get used to it, it's really smooth and cool. Also, when I saw fires up close, at the end, that's when I was really sold for good, that was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen on a big screen, and the whole idea of watching on the big screen is exactly that, to have an amazing experience, otherwise, with all the surround technology, HD, huge-screened TVs and etc, unless the big screen provides an awesome experience, it might not be worth leaving the conforts of your home just for "seen it first" bragging rights (I still have nightmares about going to the pre-launch screening of New Moon with my wife - what can I say? she deserves it -, all those 12/14-year-olds screaming... brrrr... the horror....).

As far as the White Orc goes, that iron sticking ot of his elbow is like nails on a chalkboard for me, not sure why, but overall I liked how the "oakenshield" thing was done, and he was a great part of it, so I'll take it.

I absolutely loathed Radagast, though. His sled even more.

[bibfortuna25]

You know, Decipher was really ahead of their time when they made the Radagast card. Thanks to the bunny sled, the "move limit +1" text now makes more sense!

Besides....

[LOTRFreak15]

@FM. I saw that Hobbit cartoon to many times when I was younger. And that goblin king is the best. Haha.

[bibfortuna25]

I hated the "toilet flush" effect when he got killed, though. And how Smaug resembled a cat. *shudder*

[FM]

Yes, I died a little inside when that song didn't make it to the screens, easily the most awesome moment in the cartoon, I still sing it in RPG sessions when they climb up a tree for whatever reason, and one time I actually DID send fire-wielding wargs after them, so it scares the sh** out of them. Good times...

[bibfortuna25]

No way, this is the best song from the cartoon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqDksugN2mw

[Mythdracon]

I REALLY did not like Radagast's bunny sled, especially because of how they used it to mislead the wargs. That whole action sequence was a little hokey, and not very convincing at all....I always pictured Radagast as crazy, but there was no need to add something that "unrealistic" into the LOTR/Middle Earth film legendarium, especially when PJ's LOTR movies are praised for being *relatively* realistic, with keen attention to detail.

I have to say the early Dwarven history sections were my favorite. Seeing all those shiny Dwarven warriors fighting was great. I was hoping to see the full sequence with Azog (money bag, fleeing Dwarf, etc) but I guess that would have been too dark for kids. I remember reading it in the LOTR Appendices as an eight year old, and shuddering at the decapitation of the old king.