The Hobbit
I have seen The Hobbit!
I've always been kind of a shameful Tolkien fan, in that The Hobbit has always been my favorite of the books. (Though, the fact that I've never managed to get through all of the Silmarillion is probably worse.) I'm not sure how old I was the first time I read it - maybe 7? I know that I didn't read Lord of the Rings until I was maybe 10, but I know I read The Hobbit years before that.
It wasn't just that it's a simpler tale - though it is - but I've just always plain liked Tolkien's dwarves and hobbits best. I've always, well, kind of found his elves boring. (Except Legolas, but honestly I mainly care about Legolas as part of Legolas/Gimli, so, uh.) Plus, I distinctly remember going to see The Hobbit as a kid when the Children's Theater did a production of it, and it being awesome. I have always really loved The Hobbit. I mean, I could very honestly quote to you most of the first chapter from memory as a kid. I can still do the first few lines, to the point that I knew exactly how they changed them when Bilbo quoted them in the film.
And I actually ended up really loving this movie. Really, really a lot. I mean, there are some issues with it, especially for me the whole sequence with the dwarves in The Goblin City* was kind of ridiculous and could've been tightened up rather a bit, and generally I did think it was a bit long, but overall, I really loved this movie.
I think what made it for me was Thorin and Bilbo. Not just Thorin/Bilbo (though, uh, yes please), but they were both such strong hearts of this film - Thorin especially - that a lot of the completely ridiculous and even some of the stupider parts just sort of fell to the wayside. Them and Gollum - oh, Gollum - just made this movie for me.
I mean, yes, I could've done without the damn birdpoop in Radagast's costume or the ridiculously distracting throat scrotum on the Chief Goblin, and Azog was sort of glaringly CGI, but for the most part, just. This movie works fantastically as an adaptation for me. Is it a perfect copy of the book? No. Is that okay? For me, definitely yes.
The unexpected party was wonderful, and I love how much of the singing they left in. The scene with the trolls was fantastic. And the riddle scene! Oh, the riddle scene was perfect. And Erebor! Oh, Erebor was lovely and regal and so much better than, you know, the stone tunnel and treasure cave it seemed to be in the book.
And Bilbo! Oh man, Bilbo was perfect. Just perfect.
Also, uh, so how about that Bilbo/Thorin, huh? Jesus. I don't want to ship it, because seriously, I know how that story ends and I do not like that much angst in my pairings, but holy shit. That, uh. That was kind of glaringly obvious there, wasn't it.
And I think I ship Gandalf/Galadriel now.
Basically, would totally see again. And I could see myself getting much more fannish about this than the LotR films, despite the fact that those are, so far at least, much better films, for the simple fact that I won't be wanting to throw things at people yelling about how Aragorn/Legolas is just plain wrong. (I, uh, may still be slightly bitter about that being the dominant pairing in that fandom and Legolas/Gimli being a rarepair. I... may have fandom-related LotR issues.)
*Yes, I know that's not its name, but I could just hear Jennifer Connelly saying "Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City" in my head the whole damn sequence.
(Oh god, this is my only Tolkien icon, and man this thing is fug. I think I made it in 2003.)
comments on Dreamwidth
I've always been kind of a shameful Tolkien fan, in that The Hobbit has always been my favorite of the books. (Though, the fact that I've never managed to get through all of the Silmarillion is probably worse.) I'm not sure how old I was the first time I read it - maybe 7? I know that I didn't read Lord of the Rings until I was maybe 10, but I know I read The Hobbit years before that.
It wasn't just that it's a simpler tale - though it is - but I've just always plain liked Tolkien's dwarves and hobbits best. I've always, well, kind of found his elves boring. (Except Legolas, but honestly I mainly care about Legolas as part of Legolas/Gimli, so, uh.) Plus, I distinctly remember going to see The Hobbit as a kid when the Children's Theater did a production of it, and it being awesome. I have always really loved The Hobbit. I mean, I could very honestly quote to you most of the first chapter from memory as a kid. I can still do the first few lines, to the point that I knew exactly how they changed them when Bilbo quoted them in the film.
And I actually ended up really loving this movie. Really, really a lot. I mean, there are some issues with it, especially for me the whole sequence with the dwarves in The Goblin City* was kind of ridiculous and could've been tightened up rather a bit, and generally I did think it was a bit long, but overall, I really loved this movie.
I think what made it for me was Thorin and Bilbo. Not just Thorin/Bilbo (though, uh, yes please), but they were both such strong hearts of this film - Thorin especially - that a lot of the completely ridiculous and even some of the stupider parts just sort of fell to the wayside. Them and Gollum - oh, Gollum - just made this movie for me.
I mean, yes, I could've done without the damn birdpoop in Radagast's costume or the ridiculously distracting throat scrotum on the Chief Goblin, and Azog was sort of glaringly CGI, but for the most part, just. This movie works fantastically as an adaptation for me. Is it a perfect copy of the book? No. Is that okay? For me, definitely yes.
The unexpected party was wonderful, and I love how much of the singing they left in. The scene with the trolls was fantastic. And the riddle scene! Oh, the riddle scene was perfect. And Erebor! Oh, Erebor was lovely and regal and so much better than, you know, the stone tunnel and treasure cave it seemed to be in the book.
And Bilbo! Oh man, Bilbo was perfect. Just perfect.
Also, uh, so how about that Bilbo/Thorin, huh? Jesus. I don't want to ship it, because seriously, I know how that story ends and I do not like that much angst in my pairings, but holy shit. That, uh. That was kind of glaringly obvious there, wasn't it.
And I think I ship Gandalf/Galadriel now.
Basically, would totally see again. And I could see myself getting much more fannish about this than the LotR films, despite the fact that those are, so far at least, much better films, for the simple fact that I won't be wanting to throw things at people yelling about how Aragorn/Legolas is just plain wrong. (I, uh, may still be slightly bitter about that being the dominant pairing in that fandom and Legolas/Gimli being a rarepair. I... may have fandom-related LotR issues.)
*Yes, I know that's not its name, but I could just hear Jennifer Connelly saying "Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City" in my head the whole damn sequence.
(Oh god, this is my only Tolkien icon, and man this thing is fug. I think I made it in 2003.)
comments on Dreamwidth