December is fast approaching which means it’s
that time of the year again: The Hobbit
Part 2 is almost out! Watching Lord of
the Rings was a unique cinematic event for me, as I’m sure it was for many
others. Waiting all year for the December
release and then watching the trailers months just built-up the excitement. It was like an early Christmas present, which
made the Christmas season even more fantastic.
I did enjoy The Hobbit Part 1. As a huge fan of Tolkien I was just pleased
to be transported back into Middle-Earth.
The opening section with Smaug taking Erebor was mesmerizing and the visual
effects of the dwarven stronghold were beautifully recreated. I also thought the clips of where the dwarves
fought against the orcs at Moria was very well done; a much more brutal, gritty
battle scene than any in Lord of the Rings.
However...
Something just wasn’t quite right. I didn’t have a problem with the higher frame
rate, although sometimes it did make my head spin on the panoramic shots. I thought it was just me but my friend next
to me also felt the same spinning effects.
I did have a problem with the tone of the film, in trying to appeal to
both children and adults, it failed at both.
A bit like the problem I have with my Super Spud books! I didn’t find the humour particularly funny,
it was trying too hard. Whereas there
are understated, not in-your-face humourous moments in Lord of the Rings which
are done very well (the part where Eowyn hands Aragorn soup she made thinking he’d
enjoy it, for example).
Saying this, I think parts 2 and 3 will be
much better. The action will be thick and
fast, Legolas is returning (though even he looks weird in the trailer) and
there will be some epic scenes involving Smaug, elves, the Necromancer and the
wizards kicking ass. I’ll try and get
tickets for the opening night, but if I can’t it won’t be a big deal to wait
for the rush to calm down. I hate packed
cinemas anyway, I much prefer to go when the screening is almost empty and
there are no idiots on their phones.
If I was scoring, I’d give the Lord of the
Rings 10/10 – it was perfection for me; as a fantasy lover and
Tolkien-enthusiast. I could sit and
watch the extended edition DVD’s all day.
But I’d give The Hobbit Part 1 probably
7/10. It was good, and definitely worth
my money but crucially, I won’t be buying the extended DVD edition. I just don’t think I could be bothered to
watch it more than once a year and it could have been shorter. I don’t have a problem with them making three
films, but that doesn’t mean each film has to be a 3-hour epic!
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