Second Hobbit Trailer [SPOILERS!!!!]

[axordil]

Loved Freeman's jumorous visual performance, I hope his vocal performance will match it, as the lines about guests sounded a bit...flat...to me. <shrug>

OTOH, his "Fair Enough" is vintage Freeman timing.

[Alatar]

Love the alternate endings! In fact all of them are better than the Dwarf one!

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I didn't have any problem getting them to work. I love all of the them except the Gollum one. Not wild about the way the split personality comes across.

[kzer_za]

Yeah, I'm a little wary about Gollum, though the "fair enough" line was good. Hopefully he'll calm down once they actually start with the riddles.

[yovargas]

I found the Gollum parts a bit too cutesy, even more so than in LOTR where he was also sometimes too cutesy for my tastes. Gollum's a killer, he should feel more threatening.

[kzer_za]

He's more threatening at the end of the teaser, so we'll see how it turns out. Hopefully they're just highlighting his lighter moments for the trailer.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

For those who were not able to see the alternative endings, here is one video with all five endings

http://www.buzzfeed.com/donnad/the-hobb ... ve-endings

[River]

I found the Gollum parts a bit too cutesy, even more so than in LOTR where he was also sometimes too cutesy for my tastes. Gollum's a killer, he should feel more threatening.

He never felt that threatening in the book either, though. Tolkien spelled it out beautifully in the text - he was a complete wretch. No one ever had it in them to kill him when they had the chance, even though it might have been better if they did.

[axordil]

The thing about the Gollum scene in TH is that he's always hungry, but he's also always lonely. He hasn't seen someone like himself for centuries...and now, there Bilbo is, needing something from him. I think Sméagol *wanted* to be nice to him, within the context of still wanting to, you know, eat him. Gollum would simply resent him as a reminder of what he once was. And still want to eat him.

He also hadn't been separated from the Ring yet. That pushed a garden-variety psychopathic wretch over the edge.

[River]

One thing that I found odd were a couple of what seemed to be misplaced pauses by Freeman, particularly before the word "Hobbit". Anyone else feel that?

Sort of. It seemed to me like he was very flustered and a bit angry and having trouble getting the words out without pitching a hissy fit.

I liked the first trailer better, mostly because of the singing.

As for grumpy Elrond, I agree. That's annoyed me since FOTR, but does Hugo Weaving even do warm and fuzzy?

[Holbytla]

Some random thoughts and observations;

Watch the trailer in slo-mo with the sound off. It is likely that you will pick up on far more visual details that way, at least that was true for me.
There is a certain disconnection between sound, spoken words and visuals, and I find that true for all of the LOTR movies.

PJ is a talented director. Very talented in fact. His expertise seems to lie in a certain genre, as does most director's talent. He is more of the special effects/visual type of guy and that is consistent with most sci-fi fantasy films. Unfortunately, many of those movies lack in plot, or put plot 2nd before effects or visuals. PJ is somewhere in between, but leans more towards visual as opposed to plot or story line, whereas I believe Tolkien's story is better served with a lean towards more story. Maybe the movies would not have been as successful initially, but I think they would have stood the test of time better.

There are many instances where PJ gives homage to characters, events and slices from the story. In fact throughout all of his Tolkien films, I feel more like he was giving homage to Tolkien rather than adapting, and along the way missed the ingredients that made Tolkien's work so special.

Those are the thoughts that jumped out at me while I watched the trailer at full speed anyway.

They'll be good movies and visually stunning I am sure, but I feel that the Hobbit films, as with the LOTR films, will be "wide of my mark".
He was close in places too, which makes it even more sad for me.

The movies are dressed like Tolkien, but an empty suit of armor from the 1st century isn't King Arthur either.

[axordil]

One thing that I found odd were a couple of what seemed to be misplaced pauses by Freeman, particularly before the word "Hobbit". Anyone else feel that?

Sort of. It seemed to me like he was very flustered and a bit angry and having trouble getting the words out without pitching a hissy fit.

I agree. The verbal track there sounds as if it were lifted, beats and all, from Bilbo talking to Gandalf after the dwarves have arrived.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Excellent thoughts, Holbytla. Very well said.

[axordil]

missed the ingredients that made Tolkien's work so special

Those being? Not disagreeing with you, but a statement like that, as the years have demonstrated, cannot go unexplicated.

[Holbytla]

I am in the midst of a 500-1796 (more like 2000) word post responding to Ax's query, but it will have to wait to tomorrow afternoon for completion.
Mike Rowe takes precedence.

[Primula Baggins]

Bahstid!

[axordil]

Thoughts on the technical aspects-the 3D effects for this one will be more pronounced in the theatrical version (with 3D movies) than the last. Also, is there any reason to assume these weren't shot at 48 fps and "stepped down" for release with current technology?

Speaking of 3D, while it's possible the trailer will be with Dredd this weekend, I think it more likely to be paired with Frankenweenie and/or Hotel Transylvania on the following weekends.

[Alatar]

I doubt it will be with Dredd. I saw Dredd last weekend (fab by the way) and all the trailers were 18 rated Horror/Suspense movies.

[Elentári]

Excellent thoughts, Holbytla. Very well said.

Totally agree...PJ gives us Tolkien for the mass audience, (albeit with a generous nod to the fans,) but you can't do that without losing what is unique to the original works. I have to say I found some of the modern dialogue additions - such as "fair enough" - somewhat grating, even though that was brilliantly played by Freeman...but Gollum saying "shut up!" What the....???????

I'm still trying to put my finger on why I was almost underwhelmed by the trailer. Probably because it was exactly that: a cliched Hollywood trailer full of all the fast-paced action scenes and humourous moments they could cram into it, to appeal to the widest audience, and quite awkwardly cut together.... Whereas the teaser trailer had the classic slower introductory sequence to settle us comfortably, before hurtling headlong into the faster montage of action clips. It flowed far better. Also the music plays an important part - Shore is Middle-earth these days - and subconsciously or not, we've come to expect his "sound", so the generic trailer music just didn't give the same sense of immersion into M-e...

Saying all that, I know that the movie will more than likely be beautifully paced and balanced and give us unexpected delights along the way, but...like Holby said, when PJ gets it right it is incredible...yet amzingly he often misses by a mile, and it is so frustrating to think of what could have been!

[Pearly Di]

Well, I wasn't underwhelmed. I thought it was utterly splendid.



Ah, the crisper, more sparkling cinematography and SFX ... le sigh! I am rather wishing that the LotR Trilogy was to follow. But it doesn't matter.

Galadriel looks gorgeous, and younger than she did in LotR! All hail the SFX.

Love Rhadagast and his baby hedgehogs!

Freeman and Armitage are just FABULOUS, and it's so lovely to see McKellan as Gandalf the Grey again.

And I know I am going to love the Dwarves!

The trailers have always been good. All of them. Without exception.

I have a hunch and a hope that the lighter nature of The Hobbit, albeit with many dark elements, might just suit PJ's style better.