Peter Jackson to make The Hobbit (1 Viewer)

[Reepicheep]

The official site plot synopsis seems pretty clear that the riddles scene is in the movie. Between that and (don't laugh) the LEGO sets being released along with the movie, I am expecting the first movie to end somewhere around "Flies and Spiders" and "Barrel out of Bound".

Ok I am going to assume the guy misused the word cameo.Why would anyone laugh about Lego's? My daughter has a bunch of the LOTR Lego sets and we have ordered the Lego LOTR game for Christmas

I am a huge LEGO nerd.

I am going to send you a video of my daughters collection. You will appreciate it. Check your pm

I'd love a PM. I am right now struggling with getting my kid City Legos (he loves cars) or LOTR Legos. My wife would stroke if I bought two $100+ sets for Christmas. The Battle for Helm's Deep looks awesome, though...

LEGO cars are a dime a dozen. My six year old will dissapear in his room for an hour and come out with 10 cars he made up. Probably has enough wheels and windshields to build a car dealership if he wanted. Go for Helm's Deep, it has orcs and horses and castle walls and stuff.

This year I watched all the OT Star Wars films with him so I'm all in on Star Wars LEGO this Christmas.

 

[NewlyRetired]

The official site plot synopsis seems pretty clear that the riddles scene is in the movie. Between that and (don't laugh) the LEGO sets being released along with the movie, I am expecting the first movie to end somewhere around "Flies and Spiders" and "Barrel out of Bound".

Ok I am going to assume the guy misused the word cameo.Why would anyone laugh about Lego's? My daughter has a bunch of the LOTR Lego sets and we have ordered the Lego LOTR game for Christmas

I am a huge LEGO nerd.

I am going to send you a video of my daughters collection. You will appreciate it. Check your pm

I'd love a PM. I am right now struggling with getting my kid City Legos (he loves cars) or LOTR Legos. My wife would stroke if I bought two $100+ sets for Christmas. The Battle for Helm's Deep looks awesome, though...

LEGO cars are a dime a dozen. My six year old will dissapear in his room for an hour and come out with 10 cars he made up. Probably has enough wheels and windshields to build a car dealership if he wanted. Go for Helm's Deep, it has orcs and horses and castle walls and stuff.

This year I watched all the OT Star Wars films with him so I'm all in on Star Wars LEGO this Christmas.

Helm's Deep is great. We have the Mines of Moria set which is very nice too. Cave troll is great to smash

 

[NewlyRetired]

The official site plot synopsis seems pretty clear that the riddles scene is in the movie. Between that and (don't laugh) the LEGO sets being released along with the movie, I am expecting the first movie to end somewhere around "Flies and Spiders" and "Barrel out of Bound".

Ok I am going to assume the guy misused the word cameo.Why would anyone laugh about Lego's? My daughter has a bunch of the LOTR Lego sets and we have ordered the Lego LOTR game for Christmas

I am a huge LEGO nerd.

I am going to send you a video of my daughters collection. You will appreciate it. Check your pm

I'd love a PM. I am right now struggling with getting my kid City Legos (he loves cars) or LOTR Legos. My wife would stroke if I bought two $100+ sets for Christmas. The Battle for Helm's Deep looks awesome, though...

I sent pm.

 

[Reepicheep]

So anyways, bringing this back to the Hobbit, a quick look at the Hobbit LEGO sets in the back of the late 2012 holiday catalog gives a good idea of what major scenes to expect from the movie.

There are sets representing the following scenes:

Spoiler

Bag End dinner with dwarves

Moria - Goblins and Goblin King

Moria - Gollum & Bilbo

Warg attack / climbing the tree (No Eagles to be found :( )

Barrel escape

Spiders in Mirkwood

 

[Kraft...]

So anyways, bringing this back to the Hobbit, a quick look at the Hobbit LEGO sets in the back of the late 2012 holiday catalog gives a good idea of what major scenes to expect from the movie.There are sets representing the following scenes:

Spoiler

Bag End dinner with dwarvesMoria - Goblins and Goblin KingMoria - Gollum & BilboWarg attack / climbing the tree (No Eagles to be found :( )Barrel escapeSpiders in Mirkwood

We ordered 3 of those sets for my son(two from Santa one from grandparents)

 

[Reepicheep]

So anyways, bringing this back to the Hobbit, a quick look at the Hobbit LEGO sets in the back of the late 2012 holiday catalog gives a good idea of what major scenes to expect from the movie.There are sets representing the following scenes:

Spoiler

Bag End dinner with dwarvesMoria - Goblins and Goblin KingMoria - Gollum & BilboWarg attack / climbing the tree (No Eagles to be found :( )Barrel escapeSpiders in Mirkwood

We ordered 3 of those sets for my son(two from Santa one from grandparents) The Bag End set especially looks phenominal. They hit that one out of the park.

 

[Gr00vus]

So anyways, bringing this back to the Hobbit, a quick look at the Hobbit LEGO sets in the back of the late 2012 holiday catalog gives a good idea of what major scenes to expect from the movie.

There are sets representing the following scenes:

Spoiler

Bag End dinner with dwarves

Moria - Goblins and Goblin King

Moria - Gollum & Bilbo

Warg attack / climbing the tree (No Eagles to be found :( )

Barrel escape

Spiders in Mirkwood

Maybe I'm remembering this wrong but...

Spoiler

I don't think they came anywhere near Moria in the Hobbit. Are you thinking of the caverns/goblin town beneath the high pass?

 

[Reepicheep]

So anyways, bringing this back to the Hobbit, a quick look at the Hobbit LEGO sets in the back of the late 2012 holiday catalog gives a good idea of what major scenes to expect from the movie.

There are sets representing the following scenes:

Spoiler

Bag End dinner with dwarves

Moria - Goblins and Goblin King

Moria - Gollum & Bilbo

Warg attack / climbing the tree (No Eagles to be found :( )

Barrel escape

Spiders in Mirkwood

Maybe I'm remembering this wrong but...

Spoiler

I don't think they came anywhere near Moria in the Hobbit. Are you thinking of the caverns/goblin town beneath the high pass?

Brain fart, those should read Misty Mountains.

 

[BigSteelThrill]

NYDailyNews By Ethan Sacks

>> NO SPOILERS <<



'The Hobbit' premiere: Peter Jackson's fantasy epic is eye-popping

New technology and director's skill make this 'Lord of the Rings' prequel one for the ages

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- There’s only one real wizard in Middle Earth - and it’s director Peter Jackson.

The auteur from Down Under unveiled “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” - the first installment of his prequel trilogy to his “Lord of the Rings” series - in his native New Zealand Wednesday.

It was an eye-popping night, from the celebrity-filled red carpet to, more important, the action on screen.

Based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 children’s tale which set the stage for the author’s much darker and heavier later books, Jackson’s “The Hobbit” harkens back to a more innocent time when men were men and gold-hoarding dragons were the biggest evils plaguing the land.

Martin Freeman stars as the titular reluctant hero, who’s tricked by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) into accompanying 13 dwarves — led by Thorin (a square-jawed Richard Armitage) — on a quest to reclaim their ancient homeland from the worst of those dragons.

The movie offers technological wizardry, thanks to a 48 frames-per-second format, twice the industry standard. Critics who saw a trailer earlier this year were unimpressed, but after a minute or two of adjusting, the higher resolution is eye-popping, similar to discovering HD television for the first time.

Alas, the higher resolution has one downside: it really makes you wince when you see the obscenely corpulent Goblin King in such crystal clarity.

Lighter and funnier than its “Lord of the Rings” predecessors, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” remains faithful to the fantasy world last seen in the 2003 Academy Award-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

The connections abound through the two-hour-forty-minute epic, including important cameos from Andy Serkis’ Gollum and Elijah Wood’s Frodo.

The result runs rings around most special-effects driven blockbusters.

The movie opens Dec. 14 on this side of the Pacific.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/new-hobbit-film-eye-popping-article-1.1209539

 

[BigSteelThrill]

Low quality

.... with a touch of Smaug shown.

 

[NewlyRetired]

NYDailyNews By Ethan Sacks

>> NO SPOILERS <<



'The Hobbit' premiere: Peter Jackson's fantasy epic is eye-popping

New technology and director's skill make this 'Lord of the Rings' prequel one for the ages

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- There’s only one real wizard in Middle Earth - and it’s director Peter Jackson.

The auteur from Down Under unveiled “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” - the first installment of his prequel trilogy to his “Lord of the Rings” series - in his native New Zealand Wednesday.

It was an eye-popping night, from the celebrity-filled red carpet to, more important, the action on screen.

Based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 children’s tale which set the stage for the author’s much darker and heavier later books, Jackson’s “The Hobbit” harkens back to a more innocent time when men were men and gold-hoarding dragons were the biggest evils plaguing the land.

Martin Freeman stars as the titular reluctant hero, who’s tricked by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) into accompanying 13 dwarves — led by Thorin (a square-jawed Richard Armitage) — on a quest to reclaim their ancient homeland from the worst of those dragons.

The movie offers technological wizardry, thanks to a 48 frames-per-second format, twice the industry standard. Critics who saw a trailer earlier this year were unimpressed, but after a minute or two of adjusting, the higher resolution is eye-popping, similar to discovering HD television for the first time.

Alas, the higher resolution has one downside: it really makes you wince when you see the obscenely corpulent Goblin King in such crystal clarity.

Lighter and funnier than its “Lord of the Rings” predecessors, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” remains faithful to the fantasy world last seen in the 2003 Academy Award-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

The connections abound through the two-hour-forty-minute epic, including important cameos from Andy Serkis’ Gollum and Elijah Wood’s Frodo.

The result runs rings around most special-effects driven blockbusters.

The movie opens Dec. 14 on this side of the Pacific.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/new-hobbit-film-eye-popping-article-1.1209539

This is strange. it is almost like Sacks took out the part about Radacast being like Jar Jar? Interestingly his page was updated a day after he first released the article. I find it interesting that the only negative part was removed from the review.

Here were his original words

http://tvnz.co.nz/hobbit-news/lighter-and-funnier-than-lotr-5250018

"But Sacks' wasn't all gushing, writing: ''Like all unexpected journeys, there are a few pitfalls along the way, most notably the tangential subplot surrounding bumbling wizard Radagast the Brown (Sylvester McCoy), whose buffoonery at times descends into Jar Jar Binks territory.'

 

[NewlyRetired]

I got my 7 tickets!

 

[BigSteelThrill]

Yeah, they did remove it.

Statement said that the "comparison became news" which wasn't the intent of NY Daily articles.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Yeah, they did remove it.

Statement said that the "comparison became news" which wasn't the intent of NY Daily articles.

yeah, he likely could have picked many other comparisons besides Jar Jar and no one would have blinked. Jar Jar and Hitler are making a run for the most hated top spot

 

[NewlyRetired]

Here is the first in depth review. I am only going to show the summary as it is long and gives a little too much away. I stopped reading after a while but if you want what looks to be a balanced in depth review, click on the link

================================

IGN Article - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Review

http://m.ign.com/articles/2012/12/04/the-hobbit-an-unexpected-journey-review

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey almost attains greatness yet despite so many moments of epic fun, greatness remains just out of its reach. This is a very good and entertaining movie even if it never quite recaptures the wonder or mystique of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Flaws and all, though, it was just nice to be back in Middle-earth again. It's a minor miracle The Hobbit even exists after such a storied and arduous journey to the big screen, so we're thankful for The Hobbit and eagerly await seeing the next two installments in the trilogy.

THE VERDICT

Peter Jackson's fourth trip to Middle-earth can't quite recapture the greatness, emotional impact or charm of the LOTR films, but there's still much to enjoy about The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I had no idea this was going to be a trilogy, thought this would be 1 good movie leading up to where the other 3 start...count me out or I'll catch up on Blu Ray/Netflix in a couple years. I'm sure TNT will have this on for like an entire month down the road.

3 movies out of the Hobbit? I did this already 10 years ago, was fun and all but not again.

 

[mad sweeney]

I had no idea this was going to be a trilogy, thought this would be 1 good movie leading up to where the other 3 start...count me out or I'll catch up on Blu Ray/Netflix in a couple years. I'm sure TNT will have this on for like an entire month down the road. 3 movies out of the Hobbit? I did this already 10 years ago, was fun and all but not again.

I literally dropped to a knee in sympathy with your plight. Guess all the minimum wage workers will have to go with one less jerk demeaning them for following the rules.

 

[BigSteelThrill]

I had no idea this was going to be a trilogy, thought this would be 1 good movie leading up to where the other 3 start...count me out or I'll catch up on Blu Ray/Netflix in a couple years. I'm sure TNT will have this on for like an entire month down the road. 3 movies out of the Hobbit? I did this already 10 years ago, was fun and all but not again.

I literally dropped to a knee in sympathy with your plight. Guess all the minimum wage workers will have to go with one less jerk demeaning them for following the rules.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Jackson and actors respond to money grab accusations.

When word first broke that Peter Jackson was turning J.R.R. Tolkien's relatively short novel The Hobbit into a full-fledged film trilogy, the fan backlash came fast and furious that it was likely just a cash-in to milk out more Lord of the Rings prequels. So what does Jackson (and his cast) have to say to all the haters?According to Jackson, it'll all make sense once we see the finished product. We'd already heard that he and his writers pulled from Tolkien's associated appendices to fill in the gaps, and he promises there is more than enough action to carry three films.He told The Hollywood Reporter:"The book is written in a very brisk pace, so pretty major events in the story are covered in only two or three pages. So once you start to develop the scenes and plus you wanted to do a little bit more character development, plus the fact that we could also adapt the appendices of Return of the King, which is 100-odd pages of material that sort of takes place around the time of The Hobbit, so we wanted to expand the story of The Hobbit a little bit more, as did Tolkien himself. So all those factors combined gave us the material to do it."Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf) tackled the question head-on, saying anyone who thinks Jackson added a third film for anything other than creative reasons is completely wrong:"Anyone who thinks Peter Jackson would fall for market forces around him rather than artistic integrity doesn't know the guy or the body of his work. If we just made one movie, The Hobbit, the fact is that all the fans, the eight-, nine- and 10-year-old boys, they would watch it 1000 times. Now, they've got three films they can watch 1,000 times."Series newcomer Richard Armitage (Thorin) said the addition of a third film will give the story room to breathe, as it develops characters and weaves into the larger tapestry that is Middle-earth:"It does warrant three films. These films are underlaid and textured and layered with incredible detail. And the dwarf characters for example, in Tolkien's book they're very thinly sketched, actually a bit of an amorphous group, whereas every single dwarf you will get to know throughout the course of this journey. They are all very developed parts. You will care for and get to know them, and see how they function in the world. And I love that also, because these films, The Hobbit isn't a separate universe. It's entirely as you saw in the first films, the broader themes are built into the texture of it, and this allows each character to have their moments and play their parts in those themes, that's certainly three films. Condensing it into two films seems almost impossible."

 

[netnalp]

Here is the first in depth review. I am only going to show the summary as it is long and gives a little too much away. I stopped reading after a while but if you want what looks to be a balanced in depth review, click on the link

================================

IGN Article - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Review

http://m.ign.com/articles/2012/12/04/the-hobbit-an-unexpected-journey-review

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey almost attains greatness yet despite so many moments of epic fun, greatness remains just out of its reach. This is a very good and entertaining movie even if it never quite recaptures the wonder or mystique of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Flaws and all, though, it was just nice to be back in Middle-earth again. It's a minor miracle The Hobbit even exists after such a storied and arduous journey to the big screen, so we're thankful for The Hobbit and eagerly await seeing the next two installments in the trilogy.

THE VERDICT

Peter Jackson's fourth trip to Middle-earth can't quite recapture the greatness, emotional impact or charm of the LOTR films, but there's still much to enjoy about The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

I'm not surprised by comments like this, it's because Jackson's vision of Middle-earth isn't new to the audience anymore. It's like how a sequel to Avatar wouldn't be as special.

 

[Maelstrom]

Here is the first in depth review. I am only going to show the summary as it is long and gives a little too much away. I stopped reading after a while but if you want what looks to be a balanced in depth review, click on the link

================================

IGN Article - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Review

http://m.ign.com/art...-journey-review

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey almost attains greatness yet despite so many moments of epic fun, greatness remains just out of its reach. This is a very good and entertaining movie even if it never quite recaptures the wonder or mystique of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Flaws and all, though, it was just nice to be back in Middle-earth again. It's a minor miracle The Hobbit even exists after such a storied and arduous journey to the big screen, so we're thankful for The Hobbit and eagerly await seeing the next two installments in the trilogy.

THE VERDICT

Peter Jackson's fourth trip to Middle-earth can't quite recapture the greatness, emotional impact or charm of the LOTR films, but there's still much to enjoy about The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

I'm not surprised by comments like this, it's because Jackson's vision of Middle-earth isn't new to the audience anymore. It's like how a sequel to Avatar wouldn't be as special.

Yah, I predict I will still enjoy the @#$% out of it.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

There are a couple dozen reviews up at Rotten Tomatoes already. Even though this isn't a spoiler for anyone who knows the story and really wouldn't be for anyone who didn't, I'll hide what I've seen as the biggest complaint:

Spoiler

That it takes an hour before Bilbo & the Dwarves leave Bag End. It's 45 minutes of Dwarves eating, singing, drinking, and belching while Bilbo runs around horrified. Once they actually get moving, most reviewers think it gets much better.

Another big complaint is the 48fps vs 24fps, but I'm an idiot about that stuff and suspect the theater I'll see it in will be the normal 24fps.

 

[NewlyRetired]

There are a couple dozen reviews up at Rotten Tomatoes already. Even though this isn't a spoiler for anyone who knows the story and really wouldn't be for anyone who didn't, I'll hide what I've seen as the biggest complaint:

Spoiler

That it takes an hour before Bilbo & the Dwarves leave Bag End. It's 45 minutes of Dwarves eating, singing, drinking, and belching while Bilbo runs around horrified. Once they actually get moving, most reviewers think it gets much better.Another big complaint is the 48fps vs 24fps, but I'm an idiot about that stuff and suspect the theater I'll see it in will be the normal 24fps.

Spoiler

Fellowship did not get off to a quick start either with Gandalf introducing the Hobbits and Bilbo's party. Movie did not really get going until after they leave Farmer Maggot's and meet the black riders for the first time

 

[SmoovySmoov]

Did I hear correctly that he is making this one book into three movies? If so, that's horribly disappointing. Talk about milking it.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Did I hear correctly that he is making this one book into three movies? If so, that's horribly disappointing. Talk about milking it.

yes that is correct. Read the thread, there has been discussion about this if you want to see peoples opinions as well as the directors and actors thoughts on the three movies.Here is what Jackson and others had to say about the topichttp://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=373167&view=findpost&p=15089336

 

[freakinback]

I had no idea this was going to be a trilogy, thought this would be 1 good movie leading up to where the other 3 start...count me out or I'll catch up on Blu Ray/Netflix in a couple years. I'm sure TNT will have this on for like an entire month down the road. 3 movies out of the Hobbit? I did this already 10 years ago, was fun and all but not again.

I literally dropped to a knee in sympathy with your plight. Guess all the minimum wage workers will have to go with one less jerk demeaning them for following the rules.

MOP has a stalker.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Entertainment weekly has a piece on what type of scenes we can expect to be added to the three films to expand it well beyond the scope of the Hobbit novel. I will put in spoilers for those that want to be totally surprised but damn!!! Expand this sucker into 4 movies if these are the type of additions we can expect.

Spoiler

1) Back story of the Dwarves: dealing with Azog the Defiler and maybe going into how Moria was taken over by the Orcs

2) The White Council: Gandalf is missing in a large part of the novel. This will show what happens as he goes to Rivendell to discuss a growing threat from the necromancer (who I think will become Sauron)

3) The Battle of Dol Guldar - this is the epic battle referred to in the appendices involving elves, giant spiders, orcs and wargs at the Stronghold of the Necromancer where Galadriel takes a large role

 

[Maelstrom]

Entertainment weekly has a piece on what type of scenes we can expect to be added to the three films to expand it well beyond the scope of the Hobbit novel. I will put in spoilers for those that want to be totally surprised but damn!!! Expand this sucker into 4 movies if these are the type of additions we can expect.

Spoiler

1) Back story of the Dwarves: dealing with Azog the Defiler and maybe going into how Moria was taken over by the Orcs2) The White Council: Gandalf is missing in a large part of the novel. This will show what happens as he goes to Rivendell to discuss a growing threat from the necromancer (who I think will become Sauron)3) The Battle of Dol Guldar - this is the epic battle referred to in the appendices involving elves, giant spiders, orcs and wargs at the Stronghold of the Necromancer where Galadriel takes a large role

Yah, I was actually really excited when I heard it would be 3 movies and extra footage based on the appendices of LOTR. Plus some of the scenes in the Hobbit aren't that long in word count, but could take time to tell. And I'll be seeing it in 48fps (got tickets already), and may have to see it in 24 a few weeks afterward to compare.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Entertainment weekly has a piece on what type of scenes we can expect to be added to the three films to expand it well beyond the scope of the Hobbit novel. I will put in spoilers for those that want to be totally surprised but damn!!! Expand this sucker into 4 movies if these are the type of additions we can expect.

Spoiler

1) Back story of the Dwarves: dealing with Azog the Defiler and maybe going into how Moria was taken over by the Orcs2) The White Council: Gandalf is missing in a large part of the novel. This will show what happens as he goes to Rivendell to discuss a growing threat from the necromancer (who I think will become Sauron)3) The Battle of Dol Guldar - this is the epic battle referred to in the appendices involving elves, giant spiders, orcs and wargs at the Stronghold of the Necromancer where Galadriel takes a large role

Yah, I was actually really excited when I heard it would be 3 movies and extra footage based on the appendices of LOTR. Plus some of the scenes in the Hobbit aren't that long in word count, but could take time to tell. And I'll be seeing it in 48fps (got tickets already), and may have to see it in 24 a few weeks afterward to compare. Is there a list of theaters that support 48fps? I have tickets already but don't know which frame rate I will be seeing?

 

[netnalp]

Entertainment weekly has a piece on what type of scenes we can expect to be added to the three films to expand it well beyond the scope of the Hobbit novel. I will put in spoilers for those that want to be totally surprised but damn!!! Expand this sucker into 4 movies if these are the type of additions we can expect.

Spoiler

1) Back story of the Dwarves: dealing with Azog the Defiler and maybe going into how Moria was taken over by the Orcs2) The White Council: Gandalf is missing in a large part of the novel. This will show what happens as he goes to Rivendell to discuss a growing threat from the necromancer (who I think will become Sauron)3) The Battle of Dol Guldar - this is the epic battle referred to in the appendices involving elves, giant spiders, orcs and wargs at the Stronghold of the Necromancer where Galadriel takes a large role

Spoiler

Yah, I was actually really excited when I heard it would be 3 movies and extra footage based on the appendices of LOTR. Plus some of the scenes in the Hobbit aren't that long in word count, but could take time to tell. And I'll be seeing it in 48fps (got tickets already), and may have to see it in 24 a few weeks afterward to compare.

Is there a list of theaters that support 48fps? I have tickets already but don't know which frame rate I will be seeing?I read IMAX theaters would be ideal.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Entertainment weekly has a piece on what type of scenes we can expect to be added to the three films to expand it well beyond the scope of the Hobbit novel. I will put in spoilers for those that want to be totally surprised but damn!!! Expand this sucker into 4 movies if these are the type of additions we can expect.

Spoiler

1) Back story of the Dwarves: dealing with Azog the Defiler and maybe going into how Moria was taken over by the Orcs2) The White Council: Gandalf is missing in a large part of the novel. This will show what happens as he goes to Rivendell to discuss a growing threat from the necromancer (who I think will become Sauron)3) The Battle of Dol Guldar - this is the epic battle referred to in the appendices involving elves, giant spiders, orcs and wargs at the Stronghold of the Necromancer where Galadriel takes a large role

Spoiler

Yah, I was actually really excited when I heard it would be 3 movies and extra footage based on the appendices of LOTR. Plus some of the scenes in the Hobbit aren't that long in word count, but could take time to tell. And I'll be seeing it in 48fps (got tickets already), and may have to see it in 24 a few weeks afterward to compare.

Spoiler

Is there a list of theaters that support 48fps? I have tickets already but don't know which frame rate I will be seeing?

I read IMAX theaters would be ideal.Speaking of IMAX, for those that don't already know, the IMAX showings of the Hobbit will feature the first 9 minutes of next years movie Star Trek Into Darkness. Interestingly the bad guy in the new Star Trek Movie, Benedict Cumberbatch, will play the character of the Necromancer (Sauron) and voice Smaug.

 

[Maelstrom]

Entertainment weekly has a piece on what type of scenes we can expect to be added to the three films to expand it well beyond the scope of the Hobbit novel. I will put in spoilers for those that want to be totally surprised but damn!!! Expand this sucker into 4 movies if these are the type of additions we can expect.

Spoiler

1) Back story of the Dwarves: dealing with Azog the Defiler and maybe going into how Moria was taken over by the Orcs2) The White Council: Gandalf is missing in a large part of the novel. This will show what happens as he goes to Rivendell to discuss a growing threat from the necromancer (who I think will become Sauron)3) The Battle of Dol Guldar - this is the epic battle referred to in the appendices involving elves, giant spiders, orcs and wargs at the Stronghold of the Necromancer where Galadriel takes a large role

Spoiler

Yah, I was actually really excited when I heard it would be 3 movies and extra footage based on the appendices of LOTR. Plus some of the scenes in the Hobbit aren't that long in word count, but could take time to tell. And I'll be seeing it in 48fps (got tickets already), and may have to see it in 24 a few weeks afterward to compare.

Is there a list of theaters that support 48fps? I have tickets already but don't know which frame rate I will be seeing?http://www.48fpsmovies.com/48-fps-theater-list/

 

[NewlyRetired]

Entertainment weekly has a piece on what type of scenes we can expect to be added to the three films to expand it well beyond the scope of the Hobbit novel. I will put in spoilers for those that want to be totally surprised but damn!!! Expand this sucker into 4 movies if these are the type of additions we can expect.

Spoiler

1) Back story of the Dwarves: dealing with Azog the Defiler and maybe going into how Moria was taken over by the Orcs

2) The White Council: Gandalf is missing in a large part of the novel. This will show what happens as he goes to Rivendell to discuss a growing threat from the necromancer (who I think will become Sauron)

3) The Battle of Dol Guldar - this is the epic battle referred to in the appendices involving elves, giant spiders, orcs and wargs at the Stronghold of the Necromancer where Galadriel takes a large role

Spoiler

Yah, I was actually really excited when I heard it would be 3 movies and extra footage based on the appendices of LOTR. Plus some of the scenes in the Hobbit aren't that long in word count, but could take time to tell. And I'll be seeing it in 48fps (got tickets already), and may have to see it in 24 a few weeks afterward to compare.

Spoiler

Is there a list of theaters that support 48fps? I have tickets already but don't know which frame rate I will be seeing?

http://www.48fpsmovies.com/48-fps-theater-list/Thanks for the link! I have a question on this part in that link...."As we approach The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey‘s release I’m keeping an updated list of theaters that are upgraded to play 48 fps (now being marketed by Warner Bros. as HFR 3D) movies"

Does this mean the 48fps is only attached to the 3d versions of the movie?

 

[Maelstrom]

Entertainment weekly has a piece on what type of scenes we can expect to be added to the three films to expand it well beyond the scope of the Hobbit novel. I will put in spoilers for those that want to be totally surprised but damn!!! Expand this sucker into 4 movies if these are the type of additions we can expect.

Spoiler

1) Back story of the Dwarves: dealing with Azog the Defiler and maybe going into how Moria was taken over by the Orcs

2) The White Council: Gandalf is missing in a large part of the novel. This will show what happens as he goes to Rivendell to discuss a growing threat from the necromancer (who I think will become Sauron)

3) The Battle of Dol Guldar - this is the epic battle referred to in the appendices involving elves, giant spiders, orcs and wargs at the Stronghold of the Necromancer where Galadriel takes a large role

Spoiler

Yah, I was actually really excited when I heard it would be 3 movies and extra footage based on the appendices of LOTR. Plus some of the scenes in the Hobbit aren't that long in word count, but could take time to tell. And I'll be seeing it in 48fps (got tickets already), and may have to see it in 24 a few weeks afterward to compare.

Spoiler

Is there a list of theaters that support 48fps? I have tickets already but don't know which frame rate I will be seeing?

Spoiler

http://www.48fpsmovi...s-theater-list/

Thanks for the link! I have a question on this part in that link...."As we approach The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey's release I'm keeping an updated list of theaters that are upgraded to play 48 fps (now being marketed by Warner Bros. as HFR 3D) movies"

Does this mean the 48fps is only attached to the 3d versions of the movie?

That is my understanding. In fact, just below the part you quoted:

(The following theaters have been confirmed to be HFR 3D ready *and* to be showing The Hobbit in the HFR 3D (48 fps 3D) format. As of now, WB is not releasing The Hobbit in 48 fps 2D, only 48 fps 3D.

 

[Maelstrom]

Interesting review / critique of the 48FPS:

http://www.firstshowing.net/2012/peter-jacksons-the-hobbit-debuts-in-48fps/

He is a supporter of 48FPS, although at the same time claiming it does look almost "too real" and "sped up". Yet he is calling for more films in this format and said by his second viewing of The Hobbit he was adjusting to it. Says a lot of the complaints are purely due to years (heck, our entire lifetime) of watching films in 24FPS, and that as we adjust and see more films in 48FPS it will be the right choice. Plus the technology and sets need to catch up in some cases.

Note: There are spoilers in the review, both of the specifics of this movie and of the Hobbit in general if you haven't read the book.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Entertainment weekly has a piece on what type of scenes we can expect to be added to the three films to expand it well beyond the scope of the Hobbit novel. I will put in spoilers for those that want to be totally surprised but damn!!! Expand this sucker into 4 movies if these are the type of additions we can expect.

Spoiler

1) Back story of the Dwarves: dealing with Azog the Defiler and maybe going into how Moria was taken over by the Orcs

2) The White Council: Gandalf is missing in a large part of the novel. This will show what happens as he goes to Rivendell to discuss a growing threat from the necromancer (who I think will become Sauron)

3) The Battle of Dol Guldar - this is the epic battle referred to in the appendices involving elves, giant spiders, orcs and wargs at the Stronghold of the Necromancer where Galadriel takes a large role

Spoiler

Yah, I was actually really excited when I heard it would be 3 movies and extra footage based on the appendices of LOTR. Plus some of the scenes in the Hobbit aren't that long in word count, but could take time to tell. And I'll be seeing it in 48fps (got tickets already), and may have to see it in 24 a few weeks afterward to compare.

Spoiler

Is there a list of theaters that support 48fps? I have tickets already but don't know which frame rate I will be seeing?

Spoiler

http://www.48fpsmovi...s-theater-list/

Spoiler

Thanks for the link! I have a question on this part in that link...."As we approach The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey's release I'm keeping an updated list of theaters that are upgraded to play 48 fps (now being marketed by Warner Bros. as HFR 3D) movies"

Does this mean the 48fps is only attached to the 3d versions of the movie?

That is my understanding. In fact, just below the part you quoted:

(The following theaters have been confirmed to be HFR 3D ready *and* to be showing The Hobbit in the HFR 3D (48 fps 3D) format. As of now, WB is not releasing The Hobbit in 48 fps 2D, only 48 fps 3D.

Lol, how did I miss that . Thanks. I will be seeing in 24fps as I won't be seeing in 3d.

Is there a way to view 48fps in a home environment? I think blu ray is 24fps but not sure.

 

[Maelstrom]

Lol, how did I miss that . Thanks. I will be seeing in 24fps as I won't be seeing in 3d. Is there a way to view 48fps in a home environment? I think blu ray is 24fps but not sure.

Good question, I did a bit of reading, and while I have absolutely no idea how credible this is (forum posting), it makes sense to me:http://www.avsforum.com/t/1328745/will-movies-filmed-in-48fps-require-new-home-theater-equipment

A 48fps input video stream will require approximately twice the video processor bandwidth of 24fps in a 2D display. 3D capable displays can already accept 48fps and (provided that the manufacturer is still actively supporting said display) should only need new firmware. Likewise the faster LCD displays such as those with 240Hz and 480Hz refresh should be able to accept and display that input frame rate, again with new firmware.But if your display is already 1+ years old, and has already been superceded by a newer model, chances are excellant that it will never get the necessary 48fps firmware upgrade. Manufacturers are under no particular requirement to retrofit brand new features to older displays, and have good reasons not to do so - in what by then is considered a fully mature product.I also believe that Blu-Ray players will require firmware updates to output 48fps. Again, if the player has the 3D output capability, it should be capable of 48fps 2D. But once again, if the Blu-Ray spec is extended to allow 2D/48fps output, then the manufacturers of existing players are under no particular obligation to do so - and their software developers are probably 100% utilized with fixes to the current production players, and in developing the next generation of player.IMHO this whole 48fps 2D thing will take a few years to happen, and I don't really expect any updates for already sold and already installed displays and players. I expect that (as with 3D support today) the support of 48fps video streams will be a new feature for which the manufacturers will expect you to upgrade your gear.One possible exception might be software-based players like the Sony PS3. Sony DOES have a good motive to keep all the PS3's on the same firmware release with the same feature set, and I believe that I have had to accept new firmware 3-4 times since I got mine in 2008. The current PS3 player firmware did acquire 3D capability sometime last year I believe, but I still do not have a 3D capable display.Since 48fps support is a feature that interests me greatly, I have tentatively added it to the features I want in my next primary HDTV and my next Home Theater projector. But I am guessing, we will wait at least two years and possibly as long as forever to see both 48fps disk or streaming movie distribution, and 48fps capable displays and players.As for 48fps 3D - that is a whole different story. That is a total of 96fps, which will require new hardware designs in the player and display.

 

[netnalp]

I wonder if I will be a 48fps snob and consider anything else to be subpar.

 

[mad sweeney]

I wonder if I will be a 48fps snob and consider anything else to be subpar.

I'd like to like it and I like how Jackson describes it as just another tool rather than the future standard. I just haven't seen anything (and this is based on the soap opera look of Samsung TVs) that suggests that I will. Maybe the 3D will go hand in hand with it and I really like well done 3D. If the movie is tolerable for a second viewing in-theater I hope to compare. Not sure which one to start with, probably 48-3D.

 

[Psychopav]

I think I'll see it in 2D 24fps first, just for continuity with the experience of the LotR movies. Then I'll see it in 48fps 3D the second time around.

:sharkmove:

 

[netnalp]

I wonder if I will be a 48fps snob and consider anything else to be subpar.

I'd like to like it and I like how Jackson describes it as just another tool rather than the future standard. I just haven't seen anything (and this is based on the soap opera look of Samsung TVs) that suggests that I will. Maybe the 3D will go hand in hand with it and I really like well done 3D. If the movie is tolerable for a second viewing in-theater I hope to compare. Not sure which one to start with, probably 48-3D.

I'm wondering if Americans will hate it but those in other countries will be fine. I've read the soap opera comments also comparisons to BBC, CBC and PBS scripted shows. Just have to trust Jackson knows what he's doing. I haven't watched a 3D movie yet so I won't have a comparison to the 24 FPS 3D. Supposedly the 48 FPS gives a crisper 3D. I wonder if it impacts the CGI.

 

[cstu]

Dir: Peter Jackson; Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Cate Blanchett, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt. 12A cert, 169 min.“Like butter that has been scraped over too much bread” was how JRR Tolkien described the supernatural world-weariness of Bilbo Baggins in the opening chapter of The Lord of the Rings.This phrase, incomparably Tolkien-esque in its syntactic neatness and semantic beauty, is also a perfect description for the first instalment in Peter Jackson’s three-part adaptation of The Hobbit, which I now fear is doomed to be referred to as a ‘prequel’ to Tolkien’s fantasy magnum opus.The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey barely leaves the driveway. The film lasts for 11 minutes short of three hours, and takes us to the end of chapter six in Tolkien’s original novel, which falls on page 130 of the official movie tie-in edition. That’s half an hour per chapter, or one minute and 20 seconds per page. The work of the sombre Hungarian auteur Béla Tarr, whose grinding tale of apocalyptic poverty The Turin Horse ran to a mere 155 minutes, feels nippy by comparison.This film is so stuffed with extraneous faff and flummery that it often barely feels like Tolkien at all – more a dire, fan-written internet tribute. The book begins with the unimprovable ten-word opening sentence: “In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit.” Jackson, by contrast, starts with an interminable narrative detour about a mining operation run by a team of dwarfs, involving magic crystals, orc armies and details of dwarf family trees that are of interest, at this early stage in what is supposed to be a family film, to almost nobody.The stuffing is required because Jackson and Warner Bros have divided Tolkien’s fairly short story into three incredibly long films, which will mean vastly inflated box office revenues at the small cost of artistic worth and entertainment.Jackson has also chosen to shoot the film at 48 frames per second rather than the industry standard of 24. The intention is to make the digital special effects and swoopy landscape shots look smoother, which they do. The unintended side effect is that the extra visual detail gives the entire film a sickly sheen of fakeness: the props look embarrassingly proppy and the rubber noses look a great deal more rubbery than nosey. I was reminded of the BBC’s 1988 production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and not in a good way.Eventually we are introduced to Bag End, and Bilbo Baggins as Martin Freeman, who makes exactly one-third of a good job of portraying the character. We also meet Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and the 13 dwarves who accompany Bilbo on his adventure. Ken Stott stands out as the bibulous Balin and James Nesbitt is rather good as the mischievous Bofur, but the others move around as a kind of amorphous dramatic blob. Also, two of their names are mispronounced throughout the entire film, which is unforgivable.Off the party treks towards the gold hoard at the Lonely Mountain, stopping off at the Elvish city of Rivendell: the Middle Earth equivalent of Heston Services. Here, Gandalf has an interminable conversation with Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), Saruman (Christopher Lee) and Elrond (Hugo Weaving), which gets so boring that Bilbo and the dwarves leave without them.Thank heavens for Andy Serkis, whose riddling return as Gollum steals the entire film. It is the only time the digital effects and smoother visuals underline, rather than undermine, the mythical drama of Bilbo’s adventure. As a lover of cinema, Jackson’s film bored me rigid; as a lover of Tolkien, it broke my heart.

 

[mad sweeney]

I wonder if I will be a 48fps snob and consider anything else to be subpar.

I'd like to like it and I like how Jackson describes it as just another tool rather than the future standard. I just haven't seen anything (and this is based on the soap opera look of Samsung TVs) that suggests that I will. Maybe the 3D will go hand in hand with it and I really like well done 3D. If the movie is tolerable for a second viewing in-theater I hope to compare. Not sure which one to start with, probably 48-3D.

I'm wondering if Americans will hate it but those in other countries will be fine. I've read the soap opera comments also comparisons to BBC, CBC and PBS scripted shows. Just have to trust Jackson knows what he's doing. I haven't watched a 3D movie yet so I won't have a comparison to the 24 FPS 3D. Supposedly the 48 FPS gives a crisper 3D. I wonder if it impacts the CGI.

Trying to watch BBC shows like Dr Who and Sherlock is tough for me because of the way it looks. Looks like it was made with cameras they grabbed out of the scrap heap in 1988.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Looks like The Hobbit is doing pretty well on Rotten Tomatoes so far coming in at a healthy 75% after 36 reviews.

I was not expecting a masterpiece like the LOTR movies, just hoping for ~8 more fun hours in Middle Earth and this look like it will be off to a decent start.

Since the previous poster chose to post a negative review, here are some other reviews for balance since 3 out of every 4 look more positive than negative. I will put in spoilers just to keep the thread readable and not forcing people to scroll through a ton of text.

Spoiler

My heart sank when I heard that Peter Jackson, having already made the greatest fantasy trilogy of all time in “The Lord of the Rings,” was going back to the well once more, this time taking the reins of “The Hobbit” from Guillermo del Toro.

And then that it was going to be two movies, actually. No, wait – a full trilogy. In 3D.

Did I say my heart sank? Submerged is more like it. Where Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy seemed like a colossal hubristic gamble – which wound up paying off magnificently – his idea for “The Hobbit” sounded more like an exercise in vanity.

So, yes, I felt like a nay-sayer walking into the screening – and emerged a believer after seeing “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” opening next week (12/14/12). Jackson convinced me once again that, despite an occasional overload of whimsy, he remains a director capable of transforming Tolkien’s flat writing of a fanciful story into a sweeping adventure full of impossible sights and frequent excitement. I walked out wishing I could immediately start watching the next film, which is how I felt after each of the “Lord of the Rings” movies.

But not because of the 48p technology in which this film was shot and is being shown in some venues. Shooting at 48 frames per second instead of the standard 24 adds visual information to each image that renders it with startling clarity. The effect is not unlike the first time you saw a really revealing high-definition TV image.

That’s good and bad. It’s bad because, as much as this particular brand of digital imaging seems to put you right into the image (in, yes, 3D), it does have the TV look – what I’ve seen referred to as “the soap-opera effect” and have heard compared to the image quality of a reality TV show. Are we ready to watch movies that look like TV? Or does that subconscious TV association devalue it in our mind?

Well, let me just say this: I didn’t care. Because “The Hobbit” entranced me in a way that made me forget about the technology and just plug into the movie itself. By the end, I wasn’t even resenting the clunky 3D glasses.

I realize there are a lot of people out there who will resist and even dismiss this film because of its subject matter: supernatural doings in an imaginary kingdom populated by wizards, trolls, dwarves, elves, dragons and goblins. Interestingly, while I have no time for horror films built around supernatural creatures like ghosts and vampires, I’m a sucker for a good fantasy tale.

“The Hobbit” is a slim volume, about the quest of a clan of dwarves to take back the mountain that once served as their home and kingdom, from the dragon that took it from them. The hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) is recruited for the adventure by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen), though Bilbo is reluctant at first to tag along.

But Jackson and cowriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens use material from other Tolkien troves to expand the universe of the film to include flashbacks from all manner of characters. We get more dwarf history, more elf history – more Middle Earth, period.

We also get Gollum (Andy Serkis), who made his first appearance in this book as a cave-dwelling former Hobbit corrupted by the ring of power. His encounter with Bilbo triggers everything that happens in the subsequent “Lord of the Rings” books.

Jackson knows how to film action so you know where you are in it, who’s doing what to who. No, I couldn’t really tell the elaborately-behaired dwarves apart (with the exception of James Nesbit’s Bofur, because of Nesbit’s twinkly eyes and raffish Irish cadences) – but that didn’t matter, at least not in this installment.

And I continue to be amazed by Jackson’s sense of scale and design. “The Hobbit” is full of moments in which the characters are dwarfed in a scene by the intimidating grandeur of their environment – at one point standing on what looks like the edge of the world, off which literally dozens of waterfalls seem to tumble into eternity.

Yes, the opening half-hour or so seems like so much throat-clearing and scene-setting. But once these dwarves, accompanied by Bilbo and Gandalf, hit the road, “The Hobbit” takes off and doesn’t come down until the credits roll.

Spoiler

The Lord of the Rings trilogy behind him, Peter Jackson has begun yet another, this time adapting the Tolkien epic, The Hobbit. Flashing up the fantasy with soaring swagger, a bit of the jolly and some brand new shooting techniques, he delivers a long, but pretty fun ride.

Let’s get that technical stuff out of the way. The film was shot in 3D 48 frames-per-second and is being released in that High Frame Rate, traditional 3D and also in 2D formats. So, you buy your ticket, you take your choice. I, who has had some dizzying effects from earlier standard 3D films, was perfectly fine watching this one, although I have heard others complain. While it was jarring when the few brightly lit scenes took on the look of a TV video game, generally, I thought the look and the 3D effects were pretty cool.

Usually, when I see five writers given credit on a film, I assume we’re in for trouble. However, Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Guillermo del Toro (along with Tolkien’s original story) weave a tale that flows, even when it reminds us of other moments seen previously in the Rings movies. We also are greeted with happy reunions. Ian McKellen has a sizeable role again as Gandalf, Cate Blanchett shows up as Galadriel, Ian Holm as Old Bilbo, Christopher Lee as Sauman, Hugo Weaving as Elrond and don’t blink or you’ll miss Elijah Wood as Frodo. Andy Serkis gets a good chuck of screen time to re-work his magic as Gollum and, in the central role as Bilbo Baggins, Martin Freeman is a delight.

And, of course, there are effects. Tons of them, along with massive action scenes, and lots of fantasy adventure. And boy, does it move! Even at a running time of 2 hours and 46 minutes, no one will have time to get bored. I wasn’t particularly amused by the very dumb jokes that are spread throughout. Those, while lightening up the tone, seem to be aiming for the little kids who probably wouldn’t be able to follow much more else here.

There’s no question Jackson and company are off to an ambitious start here, with a few bumps along the way. The Rings trilogy grew stronger as it went along; I see no reason why the Hobbit one won’t either.

Spoiler

Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy transports us to a mythic land haunted by gruesome ghoulies and gripped by seemingly endless warfare, allowing us to recognize something of ourselves, our modern-day triumphs and follies, in the remarkably staged skirmishes and the negotiations made and alliances formed leading up to them. Even disbelievers will attest to the movie franchise's breathless wonder. And today, nearly 10 years after the release of The Return of the King, there's still a sense that these pinnacles of Hollywood filmmaking, symbolism-rich action spectacles about the nature of brotherhood, could never have been as emotionally rich as they are if it weren't for advances in special effects that still feel state of the art, never employed by Jackson at the expense of his unmistakably classicist style.

Behold, now, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first of an arguably gratuitous three-part cine-extravaganza adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, or There and Back Again. The slender precursor to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy is, at heart, the story of a hobbit's coming of age, and its kid-lit quality is one that Jackson embraces, amplifying it with his dubious decision to shoot the films using 48fps digital cinematography. Because Tolkien's The Hobbit is a less foreboding work than his Lord of the Rings trilogy, the goofily lighthearted tenor and bouncy fleetness of the film isn't unexpected or unfortunate for bringing to mind, for better and for worse, Disney's Alice in Wonderland and The Adventures of the Gummi Bears.

But while Jackson has transported us to Middle Earth before, the place seems almost foreign now, presented anew through a lens that gives faces and landscapes, albeit strikingly detailed, an unmistakably televisual quality. Jackson's Shire was always a bit Lucky Charmed, though now it seems undistinguishable from the land Tinky Winky calls home, or the bucolic set used for part of the opening ceremony at this year's Olympic Games. The film's almost herky-jerky images seem as if they're always trying to catch up to themselves and the effect is jarring and unpleasant. There's no question that this is a revolutionary technology, as the stunning use of 3D and dazzling integration of live-action footage and special effects make it seem as if the sprawling action of the film is actually happening before our eyes, like live theater, though you may wonder once it's all done if this is how movies are supposed to behave.

It seems odd to begrudge a film for making the fantastically impossible seem almost possible, but Jackson's new toy camera scales back Middle Earth's grandeur, flattening it even as it presents it to us in three dimensions. Movies don't have to be escape routes from the drudgery of our ordinary lives, transporting us to wild and unlikely places across time and space so that we may forget for a spell the banalities and preoccupations of our present moment, but there's something almost counterproductive about a technology that takes the fantasy out of a fantasy. The Middle Earth of Jackson's The Hobbit is no longer a place that seems out of reach, but one that exists right outside our doors, practically a virtual reality.

And yet, I'm still glad to be here. The much maligned opening stretch of the film, a long-winded sojourn at the Shire, wherein Gandalf (Ian McKellen) tries to enlist a young Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) as a "burglar" in order to reclaim the Lonely Mountain for the Dwarves, builds nicely to a rather startling moment of emotional realization. Frazzled by what amounts to a home invasion by Gandalf and 13 dwarves, who unceremoniously take over his meticulously organized space and eat all of his food, Bilbo rejects Gandalf's offer to travel with the clan toward the lost dwarf kingdom of Erebor only to feel a crippling sense of emptiness after they've gone. This image of Bilbo, caught from behind in long take, succinctly articulates the essence of Tolkien's book as a testament to the wonders of leaving one's comfort zone.

The rest of the film is essentially a series of exemplary set pieces, strung together with the same ravishing sweep and eye for coherent narrative brinkmanship that Jackson bought to his Lord of the Rings trilogy. We're teased with dangers unseen in Tolkien's The Hobbit, such as the Necromancer, though most run-ins—with trolls, goblins, and orcs—are familiar ones. A battle between monsters made from the very mountain Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarfs traverse (shades of the Wii's Xenoblade Chronicles) is a dazzling display of sound and fury, though it can't hold a candle to the immaculately sustained dread, humor, and sadness of Bilbo's encounter with Gollum (Andy Serkis). Bilbo, even at his most courageous, remains a closed book by film's end, having grappled with nothing more profound than the panic of not wanting to seem inconsequential to a journey on behalf of the dwarfs. But in his heartfelt declaration that he wishes to restore for them the same sense of home he feels back at the Shire and so clearly has taken for granted, the film, still only clearing its throat, hints at a wellspring of emotional riches to come.

 

[netnalp]

Got tickets to the midnight showing. Just hope a hobbit with a gas mask doesn't walk in.

 

[Psychopav]

Promised my son 3D...so much for the shark move.

So we're going to the 24fps 3D, to at least give some continuity with the LotR look & feel. I'll probably go back to see the 48fps at some point as well.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Got tickets to the midnight showing. Just hope a hobbit with a gas mask doesn't walk in.

At the theater I am going to they asked that no one dress up in costumes. I thought that sucked as the geeks add to opening night atmosphere but then my wife reminded me of Batman :(

 

[NewlyRetired]

Promised my son 3D...so much for the shark move. So we're going to the 24fps 3D, to at least give some continuity with the LotR look & feel. I'll probably go back to see the 48fps at some point as well.

95% of the negative comments are two fold1) 48fps : solved by going to see it in 24fps2) movie starts out slowly : much like the long ending to Return of King, I look at this as the beginning of an 8 hour movie so a slow beginning is fine for me just as the long ending to LOTR was fine because it was the end of an 11ish hour story.

 

[cstu]

Promised my son 3D...so much for the shark move.

So we're going to the 24fps 3D, to at least give some continuity with the LotR look & feel. I'll probably go back to see the 48fps at some point as well.

95% of the negative comments are two fold1) 48fps : solved by going to see it in 24fps

2) movie starts out slowly : much like the long ending to Return of King, I look at this as the beginning of an 8 hour movie so a slow beginning is fine for me just as the long ending to LOTR was fine because it was the end of an 11ish hour story.

Or blink a lot.

 

[Mjolnirs]

Got my tickets yesterday to tonight's MN showing!