Posted on 12/06/2013 3:31:21 PM PST by BenLurkin
eter Jackson has picked up the pace. He began his Hobbit trilogy at an amiable, meanderingly wayward canter, and tried the patience of believers and non-believers alike with that initial supper scene, almost an epic in itself. But this second episode commences with a narrative whipcrack – a quick flashback to Gandalf and Thorin tensely discussing their great plan in the snug bar of the Prancing Pony – and then we're off, at a tremendous gallop.
The Desolation of Smaug is a cheerfully entertaining and exhilarating adventure tale, a supercharged Saturday morning picture: it's mysterious and strange and yet Jackson also effortlessly conjures up that genial quality that distinguishes The Hobbit from the more solemn Rings stories. The absurdity is winning: you're laughing with, not laughing at. For me, it never sagged once in its mighty two hour 40 minutes running time and the high-frame-rate projection for this film somehow looks richer and denser than it did the last time around. Maybe I'm just getting used to it. Jackson has shown that he is an expert in big-league popular movie-making to rival Lucas and Spielberg. His Smaug, with its fight scenes, chase spectaculars, creepy creatures and secret stone doors opening with a grinding noise, is something to set alongside the Indiana Jones films.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
Well, I had no problem watching the LOTR extended editions when they came out, so maybe I could hack it . . .
Why? It will only be co-opted by the environmentalists and ultimately end up a documentary on man made disasters on the Discovery Channel :/
A big red dragon. The main villain of the Hobbit book.
Ah, so Saruman was a “capitalist”? And here I thought he was a sort of cipher for Stalin, with the rapid industrialization and all.
May I suggest that you try reading the book?
I am very much looking forward to it! I started a tradion 12 years ago when my first two Grandchildren were small. We call it Pappaw Day me and the Grandchildren go for pizza and a movie. It started mainly to get the little ones out of the house while baking,cooking and last minute wrapping was done.
Now 12 years later its me and 6 grandchildren ages 7 to 19 and only us. no one else is invited. When the eldest turn 18 someone asked her about if she was still going to join in on Pappaw Day and she said she would always be there. And I added that I hoped a day would come when I would make a exception to the guest list and add my Grandchildren to the fellowship.
PS: I brought all of them black long sleeve tee shirts last year with the White Tree of Gondor on them. We will all be wearing them and I am looking forward to having a picture taken of us all in the lobby almost as much as the movie!
Sure, but you don’t need 6 hours of film to do the Hobbit, that’s just indulgent. Or maybe they are trying to conform to the “trilogy” format, since Hollywood doesn’t know how to do anything other than copy things that were previously successful.
Pff, Tolkien did trilogies before they were cool :)
Real imaginative. Now I get it. A saying comes to mind, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
A Dragon!
Sure there is. Money. They're going to make three times more, more or less, with three movies than they would with one, and with significant savings in production costs.
I would agree with you that 6 hours is too long for the Hobbit, but I want every bit of information of Middle Earth that is relevant in the movies, including the stuff that would fill out the background of Elrond and Smaug and whomever else. However, relevancy is the main qualification.
Some scenes in the first movie were quite superfluous in how it was done, like them running zig zag over what seems to be a small field when the party was being chased by orcs. That certainly could have been handled better.
One of the problems I had was the scenes with the Goblin King. The stunts during the action sequences just weren’t convincing to me.
I will wait for the movie : )
You are missing a GREAT read.
I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt on that one. I seem to recall that all three books where written several years apart and published as written.
But still, it’s ironic in any case since it proved to be a very good marketing technique.
Nah, the Scouring of the shire is metaphorically closer to prohibition and Al Capone. :/
The whole thing was written after twelve years (and several false starts; it wasn’t Tolkien’s full-time job). Allen and Unwin convinced Tolkien to release it in three volumes due to “economic” reasons; they didn’t have the resources to publish a big volume like that.
Smaug. Your classic dragon. Lives in a cave. Breathes fire. Hoards gold. eats wayward travelers. The usual stuff.
That’s awesome - dang I wanna come on Pappaw Day too - especially loved the tees with the Kings Tree on it! Pappaw you are a legend - well done!!!
Mel
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.