The Hobbit films, previously to be directed by Guillermo del Toro and now to be directed by Peter Jackson again.

Clearly what Jackson needs to to do is go back and re-do the effects.

Will stan unreservedly for the original LotR films, so went in feeling jitters given the mixed reviews, and 48fps related guff, but viewed in "proper" IMAX HFR 3D (screen in Manchester is 2nd biggest in UK iirc) and figured might as well give into PJ's directorial vision. Loved it from start to finish. Running time not even close to being an issue, all the backstory and diversions just felt like more fun to me. Cast pretty uniformly ace, esp the dwarves, but Freeman made a very decent fist of it. Won't spoilerise anything, but the final sequence filled me with the kind of heart-thumping joy I get from the lighting of the beacons in RotK. Def want to see again.

oh and re: 48fps. No question, it's unusual and in many scenes takes away that filmic look which is part of cinema's established visual grammar. My eyes got used to it within a few mins though, and the extra clarity on the battles and location shots was eye-popping at times.

Damn Bill, I'm going to see it on Wednesday and I want my expectations kept low!

i didn't know that i wasn't watching it in HFR before so i take back my acceptance and now wonder what the hell is wrong with his wide panning shots

why did they subtly change the "time! time!" riddle thing?

much prefer this version of that scene

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puOXTlG94x8

Watching "Two Towers" now. Damn, we have a movie that starts with a wizard fighting a giant monster on fire falling through the center of the planet or whatever. Great fucking way to start a movie! After that it kinda gets slow but eh. And the Ents, as draggy as they are, are my favorite part of this whole series. I just love how surreal it is, these walking and talking trees, grumbling and creaking.

saw it last night in 2D regular FR - it was a lot of fun and i ignored any problems or inconsistencies (the giant eagles bit annoyed me though).

and Ned is correct - it's like eating a triple scoop ice cream with three flakes in.

I really really enjoyed it despite its many flaws. Didn't feel its length at all. The unexpected party and riddles in the dark were the best sequences.

I saw it in boring old 2D/24 as well and that was just fine for me.

Maybe that's the key. The only time I felt like I wished I was watching it in 3D/48 was during the opening sequences, which were plainly showcasing the new format. I'm tempted to say I preferred it to Fellowship, which is saying something. My main problem was with storyline (I read the Hobbit when I was a kid, so I don't remember much about the plot at all), but there seemed to be one too many deus ex machina moments where Gandalf would just turn up at the last minute and save the day with a spell. I vaguely remember the bit with the three trolls being a lot more cunning in the book, but maybe someone can clarify that for me.

Gandalf looked and sounded much much older than he did in LOTR trilogy. Obviously the actor is much older, but I was surprised by his wheezing and grunting, half expecting him to cast some sort of rejuvenating spell on himself at some point in the film.

i rather liked the dwarves singing/humming in baritone harmonies

Yeah me too. I liked the dwarves generally, though Thorin was a bit of a bore. Freeman was excellent as well.

Things I didn't like were Radaghast (just daft), the council thingy with Galadriel and a plainly already evil Saruman (which was slightly Phantom Menacey in its shoehorning in of familiar characters) and the big Goblin chase, which largely just made my eyes go funny. The trolls were mediocre, and you're right that there were too many deus ex machinas.

The White Orc was a decent addition, he was nice and scary.

I was able to parse Radaghast as a bit of cutesy light relief (loved the rabbit sleigh). Agree on Saruman - I wish they'd made him a more contrasting character to LOTR. Galadriel has always kind of wound me up, both in this and LOTR and I'm always feeling as though there ought to be a bit more backstory/explanation as to why she's so highly thought of in the films.

freeman's sitcom style of acting is one of the few things i didn't like about this (along with the stupid warg attacks)

radaghast was easily one of the best bits, just suddenly this disney ass dude with birdnest hair hotboxing dying hedgehogs

HFR was incredibly distracting at first, you feel like you're watching at 1.5x speed, but i got used to it after 10-15 mins. i dont really have a strong opinion on it yet, you do notice the lack of motion blur in the action scenes but otherwise its just there. i dunno.

the final scene with the bird and the snail was a really sick way to end it

radaghast was easily one of the best bits, just suddenly this disney ass dude with birdnest hair hotboxing dying hedgehogs

IRL LOLS. I loved the fact he had birdshit all over his head as well. Who played him?

oh it's Doctor Who. Of course!

the goblin king was voiced by dame edna!

so...n00b question here but the high frame rate version is 3d right? so you have to wear the glasses? how is the 3d glasses technology these days? still made out of paper with one red lens and one green lens? is it awkward wearing them with regular specs?

The modern 3D glasses are big plastic things and they fit over regular specs no problem.

ok thanks

Also polarised, not red/green. So if you put the left lens of one pair of glasses over the right lens of another pair of glasses, no light comes through. If you then take a third pair of glasses and put it between the first two at 45 degrees, light comes through again *minds blown*

the final scene with the bird and the snail was a really sick way to end it

?! wtf? is this some foreshadowing of when they get to the mountain or what

H4A is alluding also to what happens right after the bird and snail appear which is the sick part

in a not-spoilers way

yeah. which reminds me, i loved the image of smaug thrashing around in the sea of gold coins

Reminded me of Scrooge McDuck.

Saw this again in HFR 3D. Still exhausting, but enjoyed it more the second time.

The thing about the high frame rate is that it has the weird effect of making the CGI look way smoother and more integrated into the environment while the live action looks like sped up video.

I can see it being a format that would benefit computer animated movies but it's off-putting with live actors

otm

Chap OTM about Scrooge mcduck. Sleeping in a pile of coins can't be very comfy, even of you are a ginormous dragon

http://redlettermedia.com/half-in-the-bag-the-hobbit-an-unexpected-journey/

I would watch a whole Radagast movie. But I was also annoyed that LOTR had no Tom Bombadil. Not a huge fan of the books or anything but those and the ents are the only good parts.

i was wondering if tom bombadil and radagast weren't the same person... i guess not?

IIRC tom bombadil section of LOTR is achingly slow and serves little to the plot

Yeah, those bombadil scenes were a bit silly, but I always liked what he signified for the mythos.

The shape and history of that world is mapped out so exhaustively, from the creator god down to the smallest of small details. And just when you think it's all pretty much pinned down and you know where you stand, along comes bombadil to upset the apple cart. Tolkien basically pulls the rug out from underneath the whole hierarchy that he created. I mean, I wish TB didn't sing so much, but I like his status as more or les the only total mystery in his universe.

Fwiw thought this film was excellent in places but a bit of a drag over 3 hours, same as most everyone else it seems.

i really didn't think it dragged that much TBH. Maybe one or two scenes could have been a bit shorter, but it was so vivid and indulgent I didn't mind.

Yeah, I found it pretty zippy. I was a bit surprised when it ended.

still no interest but i am a lil smdh at those who dont expect a powerful wizard to be a deus ex machina tbh, in fact 90% of harry potter's shitness can be traced to dumbledore clearly not tkob in the manner that is to be expected of wizards

tkob should be tcob, not four fifths of a boyband from 1990

Sure, but as many have pointed out, if Gandalf can simply summon a flock of giant eagles to come and carry the party away from danger, why not go the whole hog and drop them off at the Lonely Mountain?

cause it's like 500 miles away, the eagles are doing a favour they're not a taxi service.

dwarves only fly short-haul

Sorry mate, don't go south of Rohan I'm afraid..

Gonna see this today. Normally I eschew 3D, but in this case am I really shooting myself in the foot if I see this in standard? I'm in NYC so there are ample options for both...

Wow this was my favourite fantasy movie since uh Willow, and I didn't care for LotR
I might've changed my mind about CGI-heavy fantasy, it did feel like a gaming-sitcom-animated film-musical-fantasy hybrid and I felt like I was actually watching something brand new
I was skeptical abt the trilogy aspect but then loved all the digressions in practice
I'd see it again tomorrow

:-)