The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers)

[Alidar Jarok]

Re: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers

Even Tolkien wanted to move away from that, though. Every time he wrote the Hobbit, he tried to edge it towards the Lord of the Rings. Not just the rewrite, but the Quest of Erebor too. I think to go that extreme is to deny that they are part of the same universe. It's a lighter story from a lighter time. In reality, there should be hints of something darker, while I think the movie is the LOTR in tone, but with hints of something lighter. In other words, it's a question of emphasis rather than black and white.

The best one can explain the difference between LOTR and The Hobbit is to say different authors, Frodo and Bilbo. In the real world, stuff changed

While that's a good in-universe explanation, the question is if it's the right artistic choice. Tolkein, imo, thought it wasn't, which is why he tried to make the Hobbit more serious as time went on.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Re: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers

Even Tolkien wanted to move away from that, though. Every time he wrote the Hobbit, he tried to edge it towards the Lord of the Rings. Not just the rewrite, but the Quest of Erebor too. I think to go that extreme is to deny that they are part of the same universe. It's a lighter story from a lighter time. In reality, there should be hints of something darker, while I think the movie is the LOTR in tone, but with hints of something lighter. In other words, it's a question of emphasis rather than black and white.

The best one can explain the difference between LOTR and The Hobbit is to say different authors, Frodo and Bilbo. In the real world, stuff changed

While that's a good in-universe explanation, the question is if it's the right artistic choice. Tolkein, imo, thought it wasn't, which is why he tried to make the Hobbit more serious as time went on.

Tolkien likely would have liked to have re-written The Hobbit more extensively. The Humphrey Carter biography notes Tolkien's later distaste for the aspects that talked down to children and material that was -too like contemporary delusions about 'fairy stories'- (paraphrased from the bio) The Hobbit wasn't originally part of the world of The Silmarillion, but was drawn into LOTR and The Silmarrilion over time and revision, and I wouldn't be surprised if Tolkien would agree with you about revising more, but he could revise endlessly as he was a perfectionist at heart about his Middle Earth.

 

[Hunter X]

Re: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers

I saw it in 2D, and I honestly have no idea if it was HFR or not.

If you saw it in 2D, it wasn't HFR.

The theatre I saw it in was advertising three options:
1. 3D and HFR
2. 3D and no HFR
3. 2D and HFR

Interestingly, I just checked their listings against and they've dropped the 2D HFR option, so maybe they made a mistake in saying they offered that in the first place.

 

[JD]

Re: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it would have had to have been. AFAIK there is no 2D HFR version.

 

[Hunter X]

Re: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers

It would be funny if other theatres have made the same mistake, and viewers have come out complaining about the "fake" look of HFR in their supposed 2D HFR viewing.

 

[RoJoHen]

Re: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers

I saw it in 2D, and I honestly have no idea if it was HFR or not.

If you saw it in 2D, it wasn't HFR.

Fair enough. I honestly never cared enough to pay attention to such things. There were a few parts, however, that I could tell were definitely intended to be see in 3-D. There was a brief moment during the battle with the Goblins where the entire scene looked almost intentionally distorted, as if I was watching it with the wrong type of eyes.

 

[Set Harth]

Re: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers

I saw it in 2D, and I honestly have no idea if it was HFR or not.

If you saw it in 2D, it wasn't HFR.

The theatre I saw it in was advertising three options:
1. 3D and HFR
2. 3D and no HFR
3. 2D and HFR

Interestingly, I just checked their listings against and they've dropped the 2D HFR option, so maybe they made a mistake in saying they offered that in the first place.

I would tend to think so, especially since "2D and no HFR" should have been one of the options even if "2D HFR" had been a real option.

There were a few parts, however, that I could tell were definitely intended to be see in 3-D.

Now when I go back and watch the LOTR films I keep seeing scenes that appear to be well suited for 3-D. For example there's this firework effect in the beginning of FOTR that becomes a fan of firework-spears shooting straight at the viewer.

 

[Skywalker]

Re: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers

There were a few parts, however, that I could tell were definitely intended to be see in 3-D.

Now when I go back and watch the LOTR films I keep seeing scenes that appear to be well suited for 3-D. For example there's this firework effect in the beginning of FOTR that becomes a fan of firework-spears shooting straight at the viewer.

That would have been cool to see.

In one of the production diaries for The Hobbit, Jackson actually said that he would have filmed LOTR in 3D if the current technology had been there at the time.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Re: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers

All right, here it is.

The BIG question, no joke.

I haven't read the book in forever, so that's why I can't answer it, but this reviewer has the same feat I do, that we won't actually see Smaug in all his splendor until the third film. What do you guys think? In spite of the title of the second film, I'm afraid it's going to just tease us.

 

[Mr Light]

Re: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers

No way, Movie 2 will be all about Smaug, the way Two Towers was all about Saruman. Movie 3 will be Battle of 5 Armies.

I just read the book and there's not a lot of events between Frying Pan and Smaug. You've got Beorn, spiders, elves, Laketown, that's it!

 

[Hunter X]

Re: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers

Also, we already have a production still from The Desolation of Smaug of Bilbo on a pile of gold looking rather frightened.

 

[Skywalker]

Re: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers

No way, Movie 2 will be all about Smaug, the way Two Towers was all about Saruman. Movie 3 will be Battle of 5 Armies.

I just read the book and there's not a lot of events between Frying Pan and Smaug. You've got Beorn, spiders, elves, Laketown, that's it!

Looks like it'll probably also include Gandalf exploring Dol Guldur (as seen in the trailers for AUJ before the duology became a triology) and at least the lead-up to the White Council's attack against the Necromancer, if not the attack itself.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Re: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers

Thanks!

 

[Tiberius]

Re: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers

Well, I finally got around to watching the movie in regular 3D.

I quite liked it. There was a much lighter tone than LotR, but then again, the book was a lighter tone as well. I was sad that we didn't see Gandalf provoking an argument among the troll, or that song they had, but it was great to have the dwarves washing-the-dishes song.

I also like the added tuff they put in regarding the necromancer. I haven't read those bits of the LotR appendices, so I don't know how accurate it is to what they;ve got, but it's nice to see that they are bridging the gap.

Some of the bits where they were escaping from the orcs underground (the ladder, sweeping the big pole from side to side, etc) felt like they were just in there to look cool, and it didn't have the same "part of the action" feel that the escape down the stairs in Moria had in FotR.

All in all, a very nice movie. As I said before, I hated the HFR stuff. It made everything look like it was in fast forward due to an optical illusion caused by lack of motion blur. Hopefully by the time the next movie comes out they'll have solved that problem.

 

[ALF]

Re: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers

I liked it.
I fell asleep for a bit when they fought the rock things. Maybe that's why I thought it could have been a bit longer...

 

[Mr Light]

Re: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers

I kept hoping the Orcs would sing "15 birds in 5 fir trees"

 

[CommanderRaytas]

Re: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers

I watched it in regular 3D, HFR and regular 2D... I honestly did not see any difference from the HFR to the normal frame rate, and 3D doesn't do anything for me.

Thing is, this being a good film, 3D isn't going to make it any better. After all, this isn't Avatar. YMMV, but Avatar sucked without the 3D wow-effect. The Hobbit isn't going to get better or worse with or without 3D.


But everyone's complaining about the HFR, and my brain simply could not process it.

 

[JarodRussell]

Re: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers

But everyone's complaining about the HFR, and my brain simply could not process it.

That's just not possible. 3D, yes, not everyone is capable of stereoscopic vision. HFR, no. Everyone is capable of processing that. You might not have recognized a difference, but you clearly processed it properly.

No way, Movie 2 will be all about Smaug, the way Two Towers was all about Saruman. Movie 3 will be Battle of 5 Armies.

I just read the book and there's not a lot of events between Frying Pan and Smaug. You've got Beorn, spiders, elves, Laketown, that's it!

Plus all the stuff that happens to Gandalf when he's not present in the book.

After I've seen Hobbit 1, I think splitting it up into three movies was a good idea.

 

[CommanderRaytas]

Re: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers

The "my brain didn't process it" bit was meant to be tongue-in-cheek.

What I really meant is that I honestly did not see the difference.

And yes, splitting it into 3 films was a splendid idea! Majestic, if you ask Thorin.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Re: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Grading & Discussion (Spoilers

Some of the bits where they were escaping from the orcs underground (the ladder, sweeping the big pole from side to side, etc) felt like they were just in there to look cool, and it didn't have the same "part of the action" feel that the escape down the stairs in Moria had in FotR.

I completely agree. The bridge/ladder stuff felt like a Mario video game, while the action scene with collapsing staircase in Moria was fantastic, one of the best scenes to experience in a theater.

What's more, it works subtly to develop character as well as being an action scene.

- It gives Legolas a true "Robin Hood" moment, complete with the camera following an arrow (in the dark) to it's target, so we know without a doubt how good he is!

-It gives a bit of the rivalry between Legolas and Gimli (that Legolas has to pull the beard to save him) that will pay of in subsequent films... not to mention the "No one tosses a dwarf" bit which, apart from being funny on it's own, also pays off in the next film.

-My favorite bit of character here is the fact that Boromir grabs the hobbits Merry and Pippen and bravely jumps the gap. He had been building chemistry with these two along the journey to this point, training them at the campfire, but this moment really is a fantastic little hint of the sacrifice he will make to save them at the end of the film... a sacrifice which will pay off all the way in the third film when Pippen offers to serve Denethor in payment of Boromir's sacrifice.

-Plus, Frodo and Aragorn are the last to cross, and they are alone for a moment, in a way, just as they would be for a moment when the Fellowship breaks. They both have tremendous, albeit, separate responsibilities which will weigh on them heavily throughout the other films and they are both very much always separated metaphorically from their friends.

Now, of course the "Moria collapsing stairs" bit wasn't in the book,, but, as I've demonstrated, it's a fine example of screenwriting, of making something for the screen that's exciting at the moment but also serves character.

The underground bridges scene in the Hobbit was not nearly as impressive.