The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Review Thread (Spoilers)

[joe_b]

Originally Posted by spanky87

I see many people complaining about the CGI. I thought most of it looked good. If I hadn't read about people criticizing the Azog CGI before I saw the film, I wouldn't have known how it was done.

I saw it in 24fps 2D, so does it just look bad in High Frame Rate?

The Azog flashback in particular was one of the oddest in the entire film to watch in HFR 3D. The starkness of the CGI creatures and environment made it feel as though the human actors were inside a videogame. The clarity and depth was unlike anything I'd seen before, but it hurt the overall blending of elements in the shots and looked extremely artificial.

[chris_sc77]

I wanna go see this again so bad. Maybe the pace was a bit uneven in some parts but c'mon this had such a fun feel to it. Jackson just made a film that creates a whole world that one never wants to leave. Really hope parts 2 and 3 can be as epic in terms of scope and length. I bow down to Jackson for giving us what may end up as 7 3 hour (or damn near 3-hour) epic adventure films over 13 years. After this and Cloud Atlas I am fully convinced every movie should be epic and near 3 hours long in order to be awesome (and maybe star Hugo Weaving).

It was obvious that scenes were cut out involving the Goblin King from when the dwarves were captured and brought to the GK and the next time we see them.

Also a little too much CGI. Weakest most unnecessary scene was the stone giant scene. Honestly I could have done with none of that crap and more in hobbition with scenes involving Bilbo and other residents of the shire or something.
Gandalf also looked super old in the first few scenes we see him but more like LOTR Gandalf throughout most of the rest of the pic. Not sure what was going on but he seemed way too old at first.


Wish this was out on Blu already . Would love to chill out and enjoy this at home.
Please let the Blu/Dvd editions be as good as the LOTR releases (i.e. 4 commentaries, 6 + hrs of docs. on each installment, etc.)

[Duffy12]

Originally Posted by detroitsportsfan

i'm probably going to see this today.

How should i see it - standard 3d or hfr 3d?

48-hfr 3d!

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[Duffy12]

Originally Posted by Mahatma

Also a nice moment between Thorin and Bilbo at the end

WARNING! ***STORY SPOILERS*** FROM THE NEXT MOVIE!

[Show spoiler]The problem that I have with that is that it will diminish the emotional ending after the Battle of Five Armies. Isn't that where Thorin is supposed to really spill his guts to Bilbo right before he...well...you know?

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[doctorD]

Originally Posted by detroitsportsfan

i'm probably going to see this today.

How should i see it - standard 3d or hfr 3d?

48 hfr 3d imax

[chris_sc77]

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

I'm probably going to see this today.

How should I see it - standard 3D or HFR 3D?

Guess u prob. already seen it but please see it in 2D 24 FPS. U can actually see a film when u see it in this way.

[Duffy12]

Originally Posted by bunkz323

Thorin gets up from the tree and challenges the Orc was fantastic i was in Awe on how that looked.

Same here. (goosebumps)

Perfectly executed. He is really starting to excel in the use of slo-mo. That might just be Jackson's best ever shot scene right there.

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[Duffy12]

Originally Posted by Grand Bob

I recall something like "oh no, not again" going through my mind at the same point, and again when

[Show spoiler] Bilbo leaves the dwarves while at the cave.

That was one of the moments in theater where I was doing a double take thinking for a very brief moment that some other movie had stumbled into this one.

The White Council should have been a huge "payoff" scene - the ultimate gathering of the Wise - that I had been waiting for perhaps more than any part of the movie. I'm challenged to think of a way they could have made it more lackluster.

Probably because Jackson was more interested in promoting WETA's gorgeous CGI scenery.

And I was hoping that at least Radagast would have attended it, but I guess that he was still off on his Benny Hill/Goblin chase.

I thought they had inflicted maximum damage on the character of Radagast until I saw that scene. Maybe it's a good thing that Christopher isn't allowing The Silmarillion to be filmed!

Yea I agree with you guys on this. I wish that Jackson would leave those Cheech & Chong references out of this. It pulls me out of the movie.

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[jbig31]

Originally Posted by Grand Bob

There are other instances in the movie, but with regard to those scenes, I wondered why it was necessary to

[Show spoiler] have this thread with the CGI Azog pursuing the dwarves - just as they meet Bilbo and leave Hobbiton - may we say that those events would perhaps be suspiciously coincidental? Those familiar with the saga are aware that Azog was killed at Azanulbizar by Dain, who figures in the last installment of these movies, and therefore could have appropriately appeared performing his correct role in this movie. If Jackson really wanted to pursue this revenge plot line, why would he not use Bolg (Azog's son), who actually figured into the story?

Anyway, I applaud the obvious painstaking effort put forth by the art and special effects departments and production crew that made Middle-earth "real" again after an eleven year hiatus. But IMO, as with LotR, the screenplay appears to be the weak element of an otherwise excellent effort.

I was thinking the same thing GBob!

I asked this yesterday, but got no response......

[Show spoiler]did anyone actually see Bolg in the film? I'm curious!

[JamesKurtovich]

Originally Posted by Duffy12

Same here. (goosebumps)

Perfectly executed. He is really starting to excel in the use of slo-mo. That might just be Jackson's best ever shot scene right there.

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This is my favorite scene in LOTR. Great use of slow-mo.

Helms Deep Charge HD - YouTube

[Duffy12]

Originally Posted by JamesKurtovich

This is my favorite scene in LOTR. Great slow-mo.

Helms Deep Charge HD - YouTube

[Show spoiler]
My second favorite scene was shortly after that when again in AMAZING slo-mo you see a lifeless Thorin laying there. And then...slowly you see an Eagles head appear above him. And then very slowly you see it's talons wrap around him and lift him off. (GOOSBUMPS) Again another beautifully shot slo-mo scene by Jackson.

BTW, love your avatar. He will ALWAYS be my favorite doctor. I wish that they would have given him a few more years to play more of his part.

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[spanky87]

Why is the poll closed?

[Duffy12]

Originally Posted by spanky87

Why is the poll closed?

Because the movie is just so damn awesome that it doesn't need one.

[Show spoiler]
Actually I am dying for the poll to go live. Really curios to see what everybody's opinion on this is.

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[Grand Bob]

Originally Posted by jbig31

I asked this yesterday, but got no response......

[Show spoiler]did anyone actually see Bolg in the film? I'm curious!

No.

[Show spoiler] With the unexpected emphasis on Azog, sometimes to the point of wackiness (at Weathertop ), there is a chance he will not figure into the movies at all.

[Duffy12]

Originally Posted by Grand Bob

No.

[Show spoiler] With the unexpected emphasis on Azog, sometimes to the point of wackiness (at Weathertop ), .

That is also another scene that I wish got cut.

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[jbig31]

[Show spoiler]I hope he or someone meets the business end of Beorn in The Battle of Five Armies like Tolkien describes it!

Beorn =

[Dead By Shaun]

Originally Posted by Grand Bob

No.

[Show spoiler] With the unexpected emphasis on Azog, sometimes to the point of wackiness (at Weathertop ), there is a chance he will not figure into the movies at all.

Actually...

[Show spoiler]he is, although I somehow managed to miss him, even though I've seen the movie 3 times! Then again, I wasn't looking for him either. I did notice, however, the actor that plays Bolg is listed in cast. Last time I watched the film I saw his name during the credits at the end. Next time I see the film I'm definitely looking for him! Members on theonering.net have also reported seeing him during the Battle of Azanulbizar.

[Duffy12]

Originally Posted by jbig31

[Show spoiler]I hope he or someone meets the business end of Beorn in The Battle of Five Armies like Tolkien describes it!

Beorn =

YES!

And thanks for giving me another chance to post this AWESOME picture of him. (Whoot!)

[Show spoiler]

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[Grand Bob]

Originally Posted by Dead By Shaun

Actually...

[Show spoiler]he is, although I somehow managed to miss him, even though I've seen the movie 3 times! Then again, I wasn't looking for him either. I did notice, however, the actor that plays Bolg is listed in cast. Last time I watched the film I saw his name during the credits at the end. Next time I see the film I'm definitely looking for him! Members on theonering.net have also reported seeing him during the Battle of Azanulbizar.

Thanks for that heads up, I will look closer next trip to the theater. I wonder if it a situation similar to Fatty Bolger in Fellowship of the Ring, whose movie character had no relationship to that of the story?

[jbig31]

Originally Posted by Dead By Shaun

Actually...

[Show spoiler]he is, although I somehow managed to miss him, even though I've seen the movie 3 times! Then again, I wasn't looking for him either. I did notice, however, the actor that plays Bolg is listed in cast. Last time I watched the film I saw his name during the credits at the end. Next time I see the film I'm definitely looking for him! Members on theonering.net have also reported seeing him during the Battle of Azanulbizar.

He's kinda like the new Where's Waldo!