I'm with you re Saruman. It was very one note, Negative Nancy, and not in keeping with what my image of Saruman is. It was a little jarring, and especially the crack about Radagast and mushrooms.
Yes, the mushroom thing was a cheap laugh (as was Gandalf's giving Radagast a puff of weed). But cheap laughs, thou art PJ. It did surprise me that they didn't think to show the difference between the earlier and later Sarumans.
I very much liked the initially uptight Bilbo and think he was portrayed perfectly. His dislike of fighting etc. was just as I imagine most hobbits to be. I am sooo looking forward to the Mirkwood scenes . . . but not the spiders. (Yuk)
I'm so with you on Bilbo, especially at the beginning, which was well nigh perfect. Mirkwood's going to be wonderful, spiders aside (not a fan of them either!) :P
Thanks, Poil! I envy you your Thorin/Bilbo love, and I know I'll soon come around to the same fondness for it, if past experience is any indication. But the NY jaded cynic in me wasn't buying it at first blush. ;)
"A git in the making" -- yes, most definitely! :D
Radagast's silliness didn't bother me overmuch, mostly because we never learn from Tolkien that he's not silly. There are "holy fools" in religion, so why not in wizardry? But the sled race with the Wargs was a bit over the top, like a daft Middle-earth Santa dodging the Hell's Angels. :D
"Fangirls of the world will go bonkers when Bilbo confronts Sherlock Smaug." I know I will! P: I'm also looking forward to Lee Pace as Thranduil. He looked gorgeous in the prologue. Having just seen him in a play and in "Lincoln," I'm right there with ramalama in Lee-love.
"Denethor and those ruddy tomatoes" LOL! Awful, but even worse was having Gandalf cold-cock him out on the front lawn. And Bilbo/Thorin manufactured angst is way better than Sam being sent home on the steps of Cirith Ungol. Ack!
I don't know "Tale of Years, " precious. But glad to know someone's sharp enough to notice.
"These days I find PJ's Grey Havens to be drowned in golden syrup. Sometimes less is more. I will always adore the Film Hobbits of course, but I adore the Canon Hobbits more, and Martin's Bilbo is the best hobbit characterisation on screen EVER. EVER."
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(But I feel pretty much the same with your review of the movie, both the good and the bad.)
:)
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"A git in the making" -- yes, most definitely! :D
Radagast's silliness didn't bother me overmuch, mostly because we never learn from Tolkien that he's not silly. There are "holy fools" in religion, so why not in wizardry? But the sled race with the Wargs was a bit over the top, like a daft Middle-earth Santa dodging the Hell's Angels. :D
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"Denethor and those ruddy tomatoes" LOL! Awful, but even worse was having Gandalf cold-cock him out on the front lawn. And Bilbo/Thorin manufactured angst is way better than Sam being sent home on the steps of Cirith Ungol. Ack!
I don't know "Tale of Years, " precious. But glad to know someone's sharp enough to notice.
"These days I find PJ's Grey Havens to be drowned in golden syrup. Sometimes less is more. I will always adore the Film Hobbits of course, but I adore the Canon Hobbits more, and Martin's Bilbo is the best hobbit characterisation on screen EVER. EVER."
Hear, hear!! :))
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