Critical Reception of The Hobbit: AUJ [Massive SPOILERS!]

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Here's the first spoiler information that I have seen:

@BrianDuffield

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Also lots of stuff in the trailer (but clearly film 1) isn't in the movie. Think the movie really needs a few more Freeman in Shire moments.

No Bilbo and Narsil.

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Scene with Bilbo buying fish from Quint is also cut.

I'm glad that the Bilbo and Narsil scene is cut. I'd say it is likely to be in the EE, if there is one, but it is clearly superfluous. I find that editing decision encouraging.

As for Quint being out, I wonder if that is related to the abrupt end to his set reports?

[SirDennis]

Cutting the Narsil bit seems a rather mature decision. I agree that it is encouraging.

Also scenes from trailers not matching up with the actual films is common enough. From a fan's perspective it cuts both ways: either people who liked what they saw in the trailers will disappointed, or they will be happy that the trailers didn't spoil the movies over much. (Some trailers are so detailed there's no point seeing the whole movie.)

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Less encouraging is the statement "Think the movie really needs a few more Freeman in Shire moments." As far as I am concerned, the Freeman, the better.

[Stranger Wings]

Less encouraging is the statement "Think the movie really needs a few more Freeman in Shire moments." As far as I am concerned, the Freeman, the better.

Sounds like PJ may have dropped the market scene with Bilbo, which Quint described (and acted in, as a fishmonger)...

This is a very surprising comment, to be honest. Based on the trailers, it seemed that Freeman in the Shire would feature quite heavily, with added pep talks from Gandalf, a backstory, and moments of him going about his daily routine, etc.

Not sure it's a good idea to shortchange your main character at the very start, particularly as he has to carry three films. Who he is at the start is very important, and should have priority over action set piece bloat.

But this is PJ we are talking about, so I won't be surprised if he cuts Bilbo down in favor of more action for Thorin. He did that with LOTR as well, where Frodo came off as very one-dimensional, and Aragorn was given all sorts of new material.

I hope this guy is the only one who got this impression...Freeman must be front and center.

[Frelga]

While I'm all for more Freeman, less Shire may not be unreasonable. After all, we've explored it in LOTR. I could understand PJ opting to use the time in the new settings.

[SirDennis]

This positive review (also found at TORn... twice) may be mildly spoilerish to those who have not read The Hobbit: http://whichwayisawesome.blogspot.ca/20 ... eview.html

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Thanks, Dennis. Yeah, I think that belongs in this thread, although there really aren't any major spoilers for anyone who has been following the production at all. The comment responding to the complaint that Freeman was too ironic suggests that the reviewer is someone who has been reading TORN, if not a TORN member himself.

[Stranger Wings]

This positive review (also found at TORn... twice) may be mildly spoilerish to those who have not read The Hobbit: http://whichwayisawesome.blogspot.ca/20 ... eview.html

This is astounding. From the reviewer:

There are maybe 10-11 action sequences in the movie that are all amazing.

Seriously? 10-11 action sequences jammed into one-third of the Hobbit story?

This is looking far worse than I expected.

[WampusCat]

That might not be so bad if some of them are backstory.

[Stranger Wings]

That might not be so bad if some of them are backstory.

I hope he is including both Smaug's attack on Erebor and Dale, and Azanulbizar, in that assessment...

But even so, another nine action sequences is bizarrely over the top, IMO, even by PJ's standards. I mean, will not one get horribly bored by the fifth or sixth one?

I just hope his definition of "action sequence" is very broad.

[Alatar]

My favourite quote: " I saw the movie in the standard 24 frames per second rate and I plan to go back on opening night to see it in 48 FPS with some 3D glasses on to see how all the new technology affects my viewing experience. As for now I can't comment either way on those things. I can only say that as a film, without all the bells and whistles, it works perfectly."

[Dave_LF]

11 action scenes actually exactly matches the number we already knew about:

1 ) Azanulbizar
2 ) Smaug attack
3 ) Trolls
4 ) Warg attack #1
5 ) Whatever happens to Radagast in Mirkwood
6 ) Nazgûl tombs
7 ) Stone giants
8 ) Capture by goblins
9 ) Escape from goblins
10 ) Brass buttons
11 ) Warg attack #2

On another note, I continue to express Hobbit anxiety through dream. I read the bit above about needing more time in The Shire and trailer scenes not making the final cut before I went to bed. I woke up in the middle of the night absolutely, 100% convinced that meant the dwarves singing Misty Mountains was out, for reasons that made perfect sense at the time (but which I can't remember at all now). Might be a long two weeks.

ETA: There is a new review on TORN which is trying to be negative, but defeats itself by saying things like this:

[Stretching the book into three films] is achieved by...dragging out every dialogue scene beyond what is dramatically necessary, throwing in a ditty or two for good measure.

There are some more legitimate-if-true complains in there as well, like the one I ellipsised over.

http://flipanimation.blogspot.com/2012/ ... -long.html

[axordil]

Six of those eleven are in the main plotline of the Hobbit (the trolls and the sequence from 7 on); two are flashbacks to events described in either TH or the LOTR appendices which bear directly on said main plotline; two appear to be events from the "White Council" plot line. Only the initial warg attack appears a pure PJ invention.

[Elentári]

Here's the first spoiler information that I have seen:

@BrianDuffield

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Quote
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Also lots of stuff in the trailer (but clearly film 1) isn't in the movie. Think the movie really needs a few more Freeman in Shire moments.

No Bilbo and Narsil.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Scene with Bilbo buying fish from Quint is also cut.

I'm glad that the Bilbo and Narsil scene is cut. I'd say it is likely to be in the EE, if there is one, but it is clearly superfluous. I find that editing decision encouraging.

As for Quint being out, I wonder if that is related to the abrupt end to his set reports?

The rest of Brian Duffield's Twitter conversation has been reported on TORn this morning and it's full of SPOILERS!

https://twitter.com/BrianDuffield

He has tweeted A LOT about the movie, here's some:

One about the end scene, says it's been spoiled months ago. So we don't need to pronounce it now, but we all know it.

Also another interesting bit:
"Also, I see people complaining about scrotum chin goblin king. Why?" and then later: "I can see the design conversations at Weta happening until Jackson had to say he wanted a giant ballsack on its throat."

Not really a spoiler since we have seen the design but honestly it didn't trouble me. Maybe in action it looks different, I don't know.

"No character in 2012 has stolen my heart the way GOBLIN ON A ZIPLINE has. I want to know more about him. His character. Where is he from? Where's that zipline take him? What happens when he gets there?" And I have no idea what he's talking about.

"The only real PG-13 moment for me was the dwarf head. That took me by surprise big time. Gollum's scary too." Must be the prologue.

"Rivendell scene worth it almost exclusively for an amazing Christopher Lee verbal takedown of Radagast. And just Lee in general. "

"After 30 seconds screen time of THE HOBBIT, I'd totally pay $15 to see alien Lee Pace party with a raccoon with guns." So not 3 seconds after all.

Some negative bits: "I think Jackson's desire to please the fans hurts this movie to some degree. So much of HOBBIT is nice (Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, etc) but it's just for fans and nothing else. It's a fun time. It's not LOTR. The thing that hurts Hobbit the most is LOTR. In every way. It's not super egregious, and it's nice too see Lee back, but more EE type scenes. Also lots of stuff in the trailer (but clearly film 1) isn't in the movie. Think the movie really needs a few more Freeman in Shire moments."


And some Q&A:

-What do we see of Azog?
-A hell of a lot.
-Good to hear! Was expecting some quick cameo. Does he look anything like Bolg?
-You are in for a surprise then.

-how much of the movie does the white council plotline take up and how much screen time does Rhadagast get?
-5 minutes and 10.

-Is the scene with Bilbo buying fish in? I heard it was cut.
-Nope. A lot of the Gandalf stuff is film 2.

-Were there any EPIC moments in the movie?
-Thorin gets a ton of big hero moments. Jackson shoots him like a God.

-Do we get to see any daily Erebor life or does it jump right to the action?
-Very briefly.

Regarding blockbusters of the year: Hobbit > Skyfall > Avengers/TDKR but still, LotR > Hobbit

Ah, sweet. How was the Battle of Azanulbizar?
great. The reason it's pg13.
Ooooh! Any gory moments?
thrown dwarf heads
Azog decapitating on of the leader dwarves?
yep
Do we glimpse The Balrog at Azanulbizar? He is, after all, the real reason the dwarves didn't return to Moria
nope

Soooo....how was the radagast/dol guldur storyline?
brief but I dug him. He gets stoned.

Does the necromancer make an appearance?
sorta. Not really but not nor either.

if you had to say your favorite scene of the movie what would it be?
Riddles.

Great to hear that Azanulbizar seems to be fairly faithful, though no glimpse of the Balrog...and way cool that they are rightly keeping the Necromancer an enigma by the sound of it!

[Dave_LF]

And Azog and Bolg are indeed the same character somehow, from the sound of things. Probably (sigh) one is the other brought back to life.

ETA: Except on second read, "you are in for a surprise then" is probably in response to "we were expecting a quick cameo," not "does he look anything like Bolg?" So he actually just dodged the question.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I think I'll change the name of the thread to "Massive Spoilers!"

[Stranger Wings]

The action scenes are sometimes spectacular, sometimes feel like a videogame and are almost always too long.

Yes! Really long videogame cinematics. And 11 of them too. Can't wait!

Honestly, if this has really become just a bloated CGI fest, I may just wait for it to be released on DVD. Plus, I'm not quite sure I feel like supporting PJ's anti-labor, animal-neglecting ethos anyway.

The man is a hack, in the true sense of the word.

-SA
P.S. I am doing this for you, Voronwë. How's the popcorn?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

[SirDennis]

Thanks, Dennis. Yeah, I think that belongs in this thread, although there really aren't any major spoilers for anyone who has been following the production at all. The comment responding to the complaint that Freeman was too ironic suggests that the reviewer is someone who has been reading TORN, if not a TORN member himself.

Well when I first posted the link I said "this one reads like it might have come from the PR departments of WB or Wingnut." But then I went back and edited out my commentary as not to influence others' perception before they had a chance to read it.

[Elentári]

And Azog and Bolg are indeed the same character somehow, from the sound of things. Probably (sigh) one is the other brought back to life.

ETA: Except on second read, "you are in for a surprise then" is probably in response to "we were expecting a quick cameo," not "does he look anything like Bolg?" So he actually just dodged the question.

Glad you added that, Dave...I was going to reply with that conclusion as my take on the to & fro but thought maybe I'd read it wrong!