The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

[Khaldun]

I don't think there's an original film that's really lit people up and excited them for the next film in a series for a while. The LOTR films did that not just because of the built-in fan base but because the spectacle on display in "Fellowship" really felt fresh to a lot of the audience and hooked them in.

Everything else that could have built that momentum has sort of squandered it in some fashion or another. "Catching Fire" seems to me is building a pretty genuine popular response, and will probably get a lot of folks invested for the two-film finale (until they see part 1, which is I think kind of likely to have problems).

Avengers 2 will probably have people clamoring for tickets.

It'll really take something that feels completely fresh and smart to grab audiences hard enough to build anticipation for any sequels. Most franchises right now are vastly over-calculated, over-managed, and cynical.

[DevilsAdvocate25]

Is it me or does it seem like there's just not the "momentum" there used to be with this franchise (or any 'geek' franchise lately)?  I got VIP tix for the midnite museum IMAX show no problem; there was a time that'd be impossible unless you showed up the moment they went on sale.  Same thing happened with the last trek and the last Iron Man.

Have the hipsters moved on or something?

The economy and the price of entertainment may have something to do with it beyond the desire to see the Phantom Menace of the LOTR.

[Pennilenko]

Have the hipsters moved on or something?

Yup, they did geek culture before it became mainstream.

[Sir T]

Its because the Hobbit is just one book and not a long one at that. Making it into a trilogy of epic length movies is just adding stupid bloat to the story. People are just sick of a series of obvious cash grab bloat movies, and Jackson's flaws as a storyteller and characterization are becoming more and more obvious to everyone.

Basically, they took the golden goose and smothered it with a mountain of shite.

[Venkman]

Nah, it's because we're all twelve years older. Since I stood on line with friends and co workers 12 years ago, half of them now have kids entering middle school, one has a kid going to college next year, another has one getting her driver's license, there's been two divorces, seven job relocations, about fifteen new houses between and us, and one death.

Nothing like life taking the wind out of the gotta-be-there-first geek set 

[lamaros]

Nothing to do with that, it's just not as epic a spectacle as the first Trilogy was. For a number of reasons.

[Miasma]

It's hard to get excited because they split the book into three movies, I know it won't have a proper ending for another year.  At least Lord of the Rings was actually three books.

[Venkman]

Well ok if we're going to avoid talking about how old we've gotten...

Let's keep in mind just how long the LoTR books were. He didn't need to stretch far to make Hobbit into three movies, and he wasn't inventing new hours of footage to make that editor's cut Now With More Hugs crazyasslong edition . LoTR could have had more movies than Star Trek.

I agree it's less epic, but less because of the source material and more that his personal style no longer brings something new and unique to the table. For me it's similar to Trek into Darkness vs the first JJ Trek. It was a good movie, but the surprise that included how he treated the first movie was by the second merely a signature trademark.

[lamaros]

Oh c'mon. LotR is far more epic than The Hobbit precisely because of the source material. There's three hundred pages of descriptions of mountains alone.

[Ironwood]

Nah, it's because we're all twelve years older.

No, it's not, but HOLY FUCK that little factoid just blew my mind.  Really ?  That long ago ?  Jesus Wept.

[HaemishM]

Nah, it's because we're all twelve years older.

No, it's not, but HOLY FUCK that little factoid just blew my mind.  Really ?  That long ago ?  Jesus Wept.

LA LA LA I CAN'T HEAR YOU!

[Khaldun]

I reject your reality and substitute my own.

[Ghambit]

I cry when I remember how pretty just about every actor in LoTR essentially gave 10 years of their lives to that franchise.  TEN!  McKellen barely made it to the set for the Hobbit.  They had to promise him 7 virgins to get him to re-commit.

Really, the whole thing might not have happened if they didn't produce using two crews, multiple concurrent sets, new cam systems, and two directors.

[sickrubik]

Second unit directors aren't anything uncommon.

[Merusk]

Nah, it's because we're all twelve years older.

No, it's not, but HOLY FUCK that little factoid just blew my mind.  Really ?  That long ago ?  Jesus Wept.

I have this same reaction when i catch them on TNT and see the release year.  Here's another one; Phantom Menace release to now is only two years longer than Jedi to Phantom Menace.  Meaning Episode 7, if it releases in 2015, will have the exact same span between the movie trilogies. 

[Ghambit]

Seein this tonite at the midnite showing museum 3d Imax.  Looking fwd. to it.  Like I said though, none of these showings have sold out yet...  very odd to me, especially since school is out.

[Samwise]

I got an invite to a midnight showing of this and realized I don't really give a fuck.  Partly because nobody going to the midnight showing is likely to indulge or tolerate my grumpy book nerd bitching immediately afterward, which is most of the joy I get out of seeing a movie like this in the theater.  I might actually be okay with waiting for Netflix for this one.

[Sir T]

I looked up at the train station the other day and say a poster for this. Which had Legolas with a bow. Er, right, lagolas was in the Hobbit. Gotcha.

Not that I was that interested in seeing this anyway after the last one but that pretty much cemented my decision

[Ghambit]

Critics are liking the second one better, but for me I enjoyed the storytelling and whimsy of the 1st moreso.  This one?  Felt wanting, pandering almost, and quite obviously had some filler (as said, Legolas?  Tauriel?).  I will say Lilly did an excellent job though, which was a pleasant surprise; her role as a Silvan elf is fitting.  Thranduil was pretty awesome on display too.  And let us not forget Beorn.

Highlights: probably the best quick fight scenes of the entire line (barrel-riding scene is an instant classic), and likely the best movie-dragon ever done in any movie.  I could listen to Cumberbatch do voiceovers all day.

The 3D-ness?  hmmm, there were quite a few scenes that took advantage and there seemed like there wasn't much falloff towards the end.   And hey, Smaug in 3D!  Probably worth it... still a beautifully filmed movie.  I wont say it's mandatory though, like Gravity or Pacific Rim.

addendum:  They showed the Interstellar trailer during the previews. 

[Draegan]

Nah, it's because we're all twelve years older.

No, it's not, but HOLY FUCK that little factoid just blew my mind.  Really ?  That long ago ?  Jesus Wept.

I have this same reaction when i catch them on TNT and see the release year.  Here's another one; Phantom Menace release to now is only two years longer than Jedi to Phantom Menace.  Meaning Episode 7, if it releases in 2015, will have the exact same span between the movie trilogies.  

Ok that made me feel fucking old. Then again, I saw PM in high school and now I'll be bringing my daughter to see e7.

[MediumHigh]

Geez you guys gave thor the dark world a pass but this gets an "underwelming"? Never seen a movie going audience react so loudly at the end of this movie. The cliffhanger was almost riot inducing with half the theater sitting in the seats hoping for an end credit. My gf who I dragged to see the first movie and never forgave me for making her see the first it, absolutely adored this movie. I mean it hit all her buttons. I think she liked it more than catching fire by her reactions and nerdgasms and she had to drag me to see catching fire. 

I think the difference between nerds today and nerds 12 years ago is that 12 years ago we didn't have 3 different showings of the movie. You saw it in 2D, you were lucky if the theater opened more than 1-2 screens for it. Now? We have 3D, 3D HD, and 2D, with the 3D basically running back to back to back, sometimes 2 showing within 30 minutes of each other. Why wait in line, in the cold, when you know you can catch it basically anytime you want to, on any format you want to see it in. Doesn't make any sense. 

Yeah this... this movie hit the buttons and never stopped pressing on them even though it didn't cover any new ground. It's like re-watching the twin towers which is technically my favorite lord of the rings movie and given it's prequel, which I enjoyed on that level. Though it gave me something fresher and newer to work with. Which by itself I think the Hobit 2 definitely stands on its own.

Maybe because the lord of the rings didn't usher in an age of fantasy riff raff but this movie gives me everything I want to see in a fantasy, despite a generic fantasy setting. And for the love of christ this movie actually has characters to cheer for. I care if some these guys live or die, which I haven't been able to say for much of any film in 2013. Funny moments without resorting to throwing its hands up and calling itself a comedy and action that aims to be riveting and fun to watch but most of all something to remember the movie by if nothing else.

[Sir T]

Gush gush gush

... so you liked it then?

[TheWalrus]

Someone liked something? Who the fuzzy fuck was this heretic? You don't come to this website and enjoy something. Fuck that.

[naum]

Highlights: probably the best quick fight scenes of the entire line (barrel-riding scene is an instant classic), and likely the best movie-dragon ever done in any movie.  I could listen to Cumberbatch do voiceovers all day.

The 3D-ness?  hmmm, there were quite a few scenes that took advantage and there seemed like there wasn't much falloff towards the end.   And hey, Smaug in 3D!  Probably worth it... still a beautifully filmed movie.  I wont say it's mandatory though, like Gravity or Pacific Rim.

Saw this in 3D yesterday afternoon -- got the times mixed up so I didn't see it in iMax.

Thoroughly entertaining flick and total /agree about the best fight scenes in the entire series. 3D was well done IMV. Some parts were drawn out too long and it felt about 20-30 minutes too long.

Still, I would rate it 3rd best of the year, behind Gravity and 12 Years a Slave.

Incidentally, theater I saw this in was almost totally empty, there was just one other couple in the theater. Actually, kind of sad -- was at an AMC 30 theater, that has half the theater closed off -- when they first opened it, over a decade a go, all 3 concession stands would be humming. Now, it was like a funeral, and most of the workers were just standing around and commented that it was like that rest of the week but they were astounded that Friday night was so dead (after movie, getting popcorn refill).

[Merusk]

That can be explained by a few things.

1) The Hobbit was the largest December midnight opening ever at 13 million and 84 million for the weekend.  Other studios know this and wouldn't want to compete with Pt2 so they scheduled movies later or earlier in the winter season so they didn't compete.  (Anchorman 2 next week, Frozen & Catching Fire earlier)  The only other new release this week was Media, which wasn't go going to compete for white geek & family audiences.

2) Many people weren't impressed with The Hobbit after seeing it.  The comments of "too drawn out" or "why is this three movies?" are not exclusive to this forum's subset of geeks. That was the general reaction by the population; strong initial surge of interest with middling and mixed reviews.  In short - only die-hards really liked it. This is being borne-out by DOS already having a lower midnight opening at 8.8 mil, a 32% drop from last year.  Predictions are it will only hit 58-70 million this weekend.

Anecdotal to this: Many of my non-geek co-workers said they'll just wait for the DVD trilogy to be released and catch it then. Only the 24-year-old guy in IT was jazzed about seeing it this weekend with his girlfriend.

3) Weather reports across a good portion of the Midwest were expecting shitty storms last night (that didn't happen)  This probably kept some people home.

4) December movies are always lower in attendance.  That's why they're pushed out in December and not the Summer.

[Ghambit]

I guess I should add that since I went to the IMAX midnite showing, there were of course people dressed up (though a lot less than normal; I usually wear elf-ears, but didnt this time).  They had a "complete party" in the 1st row and the ranger gets up before the film and spouts the entire Mordor-Aragorn monologue to get everyone fired up; in response to the theatre getting pissed that the start of the movie was delayed (something broke with the projector).  It was actually pretty magical, and apropo for the situation.

Then a girl tried to get up and goto the bathroom, so of course the Gandalf gets up, slams his staff down, and yells "you shall not pass!"

Just before all of this the middle row began chanting Pippin's "Edge of Night" from LotR3; they were very good.  There were smatterings of "Misty Mountains Cold" but nothing organized.

Moral of story?? Seeing a movie-premier with Performance artists in the crowd makes it a shitton more fun, and gives reason for going through the trouble. Definitely made it worth it.

[Ironwood]

Really ?

Because that doesn't sound like the moral of the story...

[Ghambit]

I don't like spouting actual morals in my moral-of-the-story rants.

[Soulflame]

the twin towers which is technically my favorite lord of the rings movie

I didn't need any more to know that your opinions are utterly invalid, but thanks for confirming that bias.

If only F13 had an ignore feature.

[Simond]

I looked up at the train station the other day and say a poster for this. Which had Legolas with a bow. Er, right, lagolas was in the Hobbit. Gotcha.

Legolas is the son of the King of the Mirkwood elves. Sorry that you're not enough of a nerd to know that.

[Velorath]

Thoroughly entertaining flick and total /agree about the best fight scenes in the entire series.

Sweet Jesus, no. I'm not going to say that LOTR didn't have it's fair share of CG, but at least a lot of the time there were actual people on screen. Look at the fight with the Orcs at the end of Fellowship or parts of Helm's Deep. You have real people in Orc makeup with actual weapons and armor in a lot of those sequences. Every action scene in this movie felt like CG. The Orcs all looked almost entirely CG. Any time Legolas or Tauriel did anything it looked CG. In the barrel scene where one of the barrels ends up on the land and spends about 5 minutes running over like 50 Orcs it was as cringe-worthy to me as Legolas riding the shield down the stairs or killing all those guys on the elephant and then sliding gracefully off it. The stuff with the Dragon at the end was fairly well done, and the Spiders were ok, and overall I didn't think the movie was too bad (although we really didn't need a tacked on love triangle between two elves and a dwarf) but fuck did this movie have a lot of horrible CG action scenes. It was like watching the trailer for Amazing Spider-man 2 again.

[Tannhauser]

I thought the barrel scene was a highlight.  Pretty enjoyable movie, but good GOD Jackson cut 30 minutes why don't you?  Lots of changes from the book, and some I really didn't care for.  Bilbo disappears here and there but what can you do with such a large cast.  Glad the dwarves got a little bit more fleshing out, it must be hard with so many of them.  Bard was not what I expected and I didn't like the changes to his bow and black arrow.  Radagast annoys me, at least he wasn't in it much.  The elves were good for the most part.  Thranduil was unexpectedly good but you could cut 10 minutes from the elf palace.

On the plus side, some truly great images from iconic moments from the book.  Beorn!  Talking spiders!  Barrels!  Laketown!  The back door!  Smaug! 

Maybe I would have liked it more but, in a theater with only 10 folks mind you, there were lots of disturbances.  The handicapped guy that snorks and mutters to himself sat behind me now for both Hobbit movies. He really snorks when the action cranks up.  I think it messes up his airway or something. 

[MournelitheCalix]

I have to say I really enjoyed the movie.  Especially the parts with Gandalf, the ruins, and then the dragon was exceedingly well done IMHO.  The only part that I found that I was a bit underwhelmed on was the rehashing of the "love triangle" in Lost with Evangeline Lilly.  Thank you, but once was enough.

[EWSpider]

I enjoyed the movie well enough, but holy fuck the High Frame Rate version is amazing.  I see what people mean when they say some of the cinematic look is lost, but once you get used to it you can't help but marvel at the clarity and detail.  It's worth a watch in the theater just to check it out.

[Khaldun]

After seeing this? For me HFR still has a problem in more intimate scenes--it suddenly looks like a live-action TV show, like a daytime soap. It is very good in the heavy CGI/unreal objects scenes.

On the whole, more entertaining than the last. But quite aside from the "Come on CUT SOME SHIT, USE A FILM EDITOR"? I'm fairly depressed at how thematically the film shifts the emphasis from Bilbo in this section of the book. In the book, this is where Bilbo becomes the de facto leader of the group. In this film instead, he's pretty much just one of the boys. His role at several junctures is very reduced or de-emphasized.


1. Add a female elf? Actually, I'm fine with that. Not just because there are elves in the book, but also because I see where he's going with it thematically. BUT
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