Comments | rochvelleth: The Desolation of Smaug

rochvelleth

The Desolation of Smaug

Dec 17, 2013 17:20

I saw The Hobbit Part 2 (The Desolation of Smaug) yesterday. Some thoughts by way of a review...

( SPOILERS (for both the first two films AND the whole of the book )

film reviews, hobbit, film

Comments 9

itsanonyx December 18 2013, 10:02:10 UTC

In German articles I always read that it would be three movies in the end. And that they changed the release dates to December instead of Summer 2013 and Winter 2013.

rochvelleth December 20 2013, 12:22:20 UTC

I didn't know they changed the release dates. I just remember some of the original announcements that it would be two films, and then they decided to make it three. I don't remember when that happened though.

moonlightmead December 18 2013, 13:25:43 UTC

Thanks for this. I don't think your spoilers were too spoilery, especially since the book has been out for ever and ever. Number 18 is a little sad - I like that in the book and I wonder why they changed it. But I shall go and see it and find out!

rochvelleth December 20 2013, 12:23:31 UTC

That one isn't too big a change, so hopefully not too jarring. I think you might not even notice it if you hadn't read the book through relatively recently!

I hope you enjoy it!

alorarose December 27 2013, 15:57:41 UTC

I haven't read the book in years and I totally didn't notice haha.

requiem_17_23 December 20 2013, 08:48:23 UTC

I agree with much of the above. Once again, it feels like someone who didn't understand Middle-earth drew the plot and then someone who did came in and made everyone's actions and reactions believable. Tauriel is shoehorned in, but she's also a perfectly believable sylvan elf, and it's not like Legolas being a stripling youngster is actually important to any plot, so I didn't mind so much that they bumped him waay up the pecking order. The book is a bit of a whistle-stop tour, so the fact that the film didn't spend enough time in any of its locations isn't perhaps its own fault ( ... )

rochvelleth December 20 2013, 12:29:22 UTC

Ah yes, that's true - and I think you're right, it will work better when we have the third bit and can marathon the whole thing.

Thranduil is rather fabulous, isn't he? He has a great line in cloak swishing and just standing around looking magnificent. I thoroughly approve.

...he's really let himself go by the time of the Lord of the Rings

:) Yes, I found this a bit jarring! I suppose that transition from 20s to 30s for Orlando Bloom is just much more noticeable than e.g. 60s to 70s for Ian McKellen (plus, beard). But Legolas also sort of felt a bit different? I have a suspicion that Tauriel won't make it through film 3 and that will give Legolas a reason to go off the rails and become the leaner, marginally more aggressive version of himself in LOTR. But it's just a guess.

anonymous January 1 2014, 11:29:42 UTC

I heard that Barrels Out of Bonds was supposed to be the end of part 1. Personally think they should have stuck with two films.
Abner

rochvelleth January 2 2014, 17:47:57 UTC

Ah, I didn't know that. Perhaps that's why they put so much into the action scene when they're going along in the barrels.