The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey

[simonster]

No reviews yet?  Really?!  I thought this was supposed to be site for fantasy fans!

I'll probably be seeing the film sometime next week.  Just curious to hear what my fellow FF-ers think of it...

[Jian]

I heard from two of my friends that it was fantastic. Then I proceeded to strangle them for watching it before me.

But I'll see if I can watch it in a week or so.

[The Deliverer]

I was SO SO excited when Fellowship of The Ring came out and the two after that - but just can't see to get that excited about this one.  Will catch it for sure, just might not be right away.

[Jian]

I was SO SO excited when Fellowship of The Ring came out and the two after that - but just can't see to get that excited about this one.  Will catch it for sure, just might not be right away.

Oh, how come?

[The Deliverer]

I was SO SO excited when Fellowship of The Ring came out and the two after that - but just can't see to get that excited about this one.  Will catch it for sure, just might not be right away.

Oh, how come?

It's hard to put a finger on it.  I guess I always saw Hobbit as a light fun, episodic book for children, and it sounds like Peter Jackson has just turned it into another fantasy EPIC.

[Charlemagne]

I heard from two of my friends that it was fantastic. Then I proceeded to strangle them for watching it before me.

But I'll see if I can watch it in a week or so.

This sounds pretty similar to what I did to my so-called friends. Except mine also decided it would be a good idea to show me the five, free, awesome-looking posters they got for watching it in IMAX 3D at midnight. These posters now adorn my wall, though not before being spattered with the blood of their original owners. 

[dbaskls]

I saw it this afternoon.

As a rule I get seriously cross about how the stories from books are changed when made into films.

For example in The Half-Blood Prince

Spoiler for Hiden:

when The Burrow was attacked. Why add something when they could have used the time to include more Tom Riddle backstory?

However, in this case I didn't mind too much. Partly this was because it has been known for so long that it was going to be stretched and extra bits added, it's not like it came as a surprise.

I think if you don't go into the cinema prepared to tut at every diversion from the book and keep an open mind then you will love it for the cinematic fantasy epic that it is.

[shep5377]

I wasn't going to open this thred as I feared spoilers..... Then I realised it's the bloody Hobbit and I've read it!!

[Rodin D. Inting]

I'll be honest, it was boring. However I loved it, if that makes sense. The reason why I thought it was boring was that judging it on actual movie standards the pacing was just all over the place, there was heavy use of deus ex mechanica, and it ended with a cheesy Hollywood bromance scene. I loved it though because of the scope of it. I've never watched anything that was so packed with so much adventure as The Hobbit. The imagination of it was unparalleled, which makes sense because this is Tolkein we're talking about.

[simonster]

Seen it!  I think this sums it up pretty well:

I think if you don't go into the cinema prepared to tut at every diversion from the book and keep an open mind then you will love it for the cinematic fantasy epic that it is.

The film adds a lot of stuff to make the story more epic and more like LotR, and I expect that will annoy some people, but for me it all worked pretty well.

The only thing I really didn't like:

Spoiler for Hiden:

The stuff at the start with Bilbo and Frodo, which presumably was left-over footage from The Fellowship of the Ring.  It seems really odd to use the same scene to start both set of films.

[Idlewilder]

Seen it!  I think this sums it up pretty well:

I think if you don't go into the cinema prepared to tut at every diversion from the book and keep an open mind then you will love it for the cinematic fantasy epic that it is.

The film adds a lot of stuff to make the story more epic and more like LotR, and I expect that will annoy some people, but for me it all worked pretty well.

The only thing I really didn't like:

Spoiler for Hiden:

The stuff at the start with Bilbo and Frodo, which presumably was left-over footage from The Fellowship of the Ring.  It seems really odd to use the same scene to start both set of films.

In response to the spoiler:

Spoiler for Hiden:

It wasn't leftover footage - it was just Peter Jackson jumping at the oppurtunity to have yet another link to his LOTR movies. Ian Holm looked to have some major prosthetics on as well - he's gotten a lot older since filming LOTR.

As for my own opinions. I'm not really a Tolkien fanboy - I loved the LOTR movies and enjoyed the books and The Hobbit well enough.

I thought that this film was particularly good as a huge epic fantasy movie that acts as a prequel to the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. But as an adaptation of The Hobbit (albeit only half of the book) - it left a lot to be desired.

But I really enjoyed it personally. I just doubt huge Tolkien fanboys OR non-fantasy fans at the cinema would be terribly convinced.

[xiagan]

[shep5377]

Xiagan wins the internet.

[AnneLyle]

I agree with dbaskis - it's not a faithful adaptation of the book, but then the book was written for Tolkien's children many years before LotR and is totally different in tone.

FWIW I mostly loved it, and will be posting a review on my blog if I can find time.

[Jaedia]

Xiagan wins the internet.

And as for the movie - I adored it. I'd heard so many meh or even bad reviews so when I went in not knowing entirely what to expect, I found it pretty amazing. Visually, it's stunning. The story is all over the place in honesty but I enjoyed it regardless. It's epic, much thanks to the music and the fact that it's Middle Earth. Again. And best of all - it's funny! If it weren't so darn expensive, I'd definitely want to go again and see it in 3D in a cinema with seats that didn't leave me with a dead butt by the end of the movie.