The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug -- thoughts?

[hathorcat]

I think we can all agree that Cumberbatch's voice...were the stars of the movie.

^^This

In seriousness, I remain one of those people disappointed at the need to extend this movie over so many films and while doing so not packing in more book content but a lot of new material. However, I do also watch it to enjoy it as a film and dont allow myself to think of it as an adaptation...and that always helps.

I enjoyed it - its a filler film for me but it was good enough I shall watch it again when I pick it up on DVD.

[GazeboMouse]

Saw it the second time yesterday, not quite like the old days of LOTR when we saw them with friends 6 or 7 times at the cinema. Loved this one better than the first Hobbit film, mainly due to the dragon scenes, and the fighting barrel on legs. Really hope there are lots more scenes in the extended version, (unlike the first Hobbit film where apart from a goblin song and a brief glimpse of dwarfs skinnydipping in an ornamental fountain at Rivendell there was hardly anything!). Yup, I wished the spider scene was more drawn out, with the song, some of the action moved so fast it was hard for my eyes to keep up. But this one to me was closer to the book than the first Hobbit film. Sort of.

[Mirnyj]

I can't get over the scene of Thorin riding a wheel barrel in a stream of molten gold. I just can't. 

[Beldarna]

Lol, Beldarna. Sometimes I'm like that with books. I'm like, what did I just read? (even though I love books)

This happens to me to. I can read several pages and then realise my thoughts have been somewhere else and I don't recall at all what I read and must turn back the pages and start over, lol. It has never happens to a movie tho, so I am rather dissapointed. I did ask my boyfriend if he recalls what I intially thought right after and he said that I didn't like Smaug, apparently the only one on the planet who didn't. I thought Bard looked like Legolas, that Legolas had gotten a bit chunky and.. uhm.. something about the speaking spiders.. And Tauriel reminding me of a redheaded Arwen O.o

[Marlin]

    I dunno...... I haven't seen it yet and forgive me you die hard fans, but I kind of wish I could have the three hours of my life spent watching the first Hobbit movie back!    My one relief with that movie is that I only spent $1 hiring it at the DVD shop 

I think my big beef is that Peter Jackson just overdoes it and 'story' aside, there was nothing new about the first Hobbit movie for me. I would have hoped that after the LOTR trilogy he would have freshened things up a little. The music (for most part bloody awful) was almost exactly the same and overdramatic, CGI'ed to death, and a ton of unrealistic action shots with the camera swinging around unnecessarily like a rollercoaster....

I'm sorry... forgive my jaded approach. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED the LOTR movies when I saw them for the first time, but I feel like they are soooo in our face all the time here in New Zealand (and boy does NZ cash in on being 'Middle Earth') that the joy for me is just a bit lost now going into these new films.


Soooo... on topic... the NEW Hobbit movie? Honestly, I'm passing on this current one at the cinema for sure (surprised? lol!). I would however like to see Smaug, so I will pick it up on DVD at some point to check it out then. But only on a $1 Tuesday 

[Lollipop]

I will always love The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings I have know & been told about them since I was veeeeeerrry little by my dad, mum & most of my family 

There was a lot of action in this one but it still had its funny bits so no complaints here 

[Calico_Star]

that Legolas had gotten a bit chunky

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was thinking it!

[SwordPony]

that Legolas had gotten a bit chunky

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was thinking it!

He is ten plus years older then what he was in the first 3 LOTR movies.

[ringwraith10]

Saw it the second time yesterday, not quite like the old days of LOTR when we saw them with friends 6 or 7 times at the cinema. Loved this one better than the first Hobbit film, mainly due to the dragon scenes, and the fighting barrel on legs. Really hope there are lots more scenes in the extended version, (unlike the first Hobbit film where apart from a goblin song and a brief glimpse of dwarfs skinnydipping in an ornamental fountain at Rivendell there was hardly anything!). Yup, I wished the spider scene was more drawn out, with the song, some of the action moved so fast it was hard for my eyes to keep up. But this one to me was closer to the book than the first Hobbit film. Sort of.

Oh, but the goblin song made it so much better for me. That moment made me so happy!

[ZennaBug]

Chunky or not, I would still marry him. 

[Zapper]

I think my big beef is that Peter Jackson just overdoes it and 'story' aside, there was nothing new about the first Hobbit movie for me. I would have hoped that after the LOTR trilogy he would have freshened things up a little. The music (for most part bloody awful) was almost exactly the same and overdramatic, CGI'ed to death, and a ton of unrealistic action shots with the camera swinging around unnecessarily like a rollercoaster....

A lot of the ideas in the Hobbit movies aren't his, though. There was a lot of chaos before he started directing again. Initially it wasn't supposed to be a trilogy, Peej wasn't supposed to direct,  Guillermo del Toro wanted in on it, etc. etc.
It's pretty obvious the Hobbit movies are made for fans of the LotR movies with Tauriel being invented to be a second Arwen (complete with Elvish healing scene and everything), Legolas being needlessly shoved into it to go for his Two Towers routine, the spider scene being reminiscent of the fight against Shelob, Arwen/Aragorn/Eowyn = Kili/Tauriel/Legolas, Azog = Lurtz, Bombur = Gimli (I guess small, fat redheads are funny?) and the rollercoaster fights are added just for the 3D effect. I saw it without 3D and it was so obvious when the effect should have been there. Like the stupid bees or the barrel ride. It just annoys you after a while.

So, yeah, I really understand you when you say you're not fond of the movies.
The only scene I remember fondly is the one where Bilbo first meets Smaug and the added in scene where Gandalf confronts Sauron (one of the 3D effects that looked good in a regular movie, haha).
I'm sure they won't disappoint you and if I were you I'd fast forward to them before watching the entire thing because when you weren't into the first one the second one will bore you to tears when Smaug isn't in the scenes

that Legolas had gotten a bit chunky

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was thinking it!

I don't want to harp on him for naturally aging, but it sure looked weird and I had the feeling they CGIed him a bit to look younger? His face looked kinda freaky to me at times, haha!
L'Oreal. I have always disliked movie!Legolas. He's either an overpowered berserker or a lame Captain Obvious. His entire appearance in the Hobbit movies is based on his fan appeal

[Calico_Star]

that Legolas had gotten a bit chunky

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was thinking it!

He is ten plus years older then what he was in the first 3 LOTR movies.

Whoa, it hasn't really been that long has it?

Chunky or not, I would still marry him. 

Well yeah, me too
Not that I'm one of those creepers who has, like, one of those life-sized cardboard cutouts of him in my room or anything >_>

[GazeboMouse]

I wanted a lifesize cutout of Legolas in my living room. And Sam Gamgee. My husband wouldn't let me...

[kaoskat]

Well yeah, me too
Not that I'm one of those creepers who has, like, one of those life-sized cardboard cutouts of him in my room or anything >_>

There is just something about that statement that makes me think you do.

[Primrose]

Loved it--though it's been so long since I've read the book, I'll have to read it again. Somehow I managed to forget the spiders, so that was an unpleasent surprise