BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » The Hobbit

Neferu · November 10, 2014 9:32 am

I´ve read the book and when I heard that Peter Jackson wanted to shoot 3 feature-length films with the story, I can´t believe this will be possibe. But it surely was - as we can see . Of course there are many things in the films that wasn´t mentioned in the book and normaly I hate this, but the Hobbit-films are so well done, that in this case it doesn´t bother me. I like them so much, PJ can make more and more and more.

nakahara · November 10, 2014 11:05 am

I´m getting more and more excited about the movie evryday. Can´t get enough of Martin as a hobbit:

Isn´t he adorable?

SolarSystem · November 10, 2014 12:38 pm

He definitely is adorable. With that hair he looks exactly like my plush lion.

tonnaree · November 10, 2014 12:50 pm

I want to ruffle his Hobbit hair.

SolarSystem · November 10, 2014 1:57 pm

Absolutely.

besleybean · November 10, 2014 5:14 pm

I never managed to complete the Hobbit...but I am reading Thrones just now.

REReader · November 28, 2014 6:19 pm

Some promotional stuff Martin is doing for The Hobbit:

Martin Freeman Talks Bilbo's Pain and Saying Goodbye to The Hobbit (IGN)

When Frodo Met Bilbo: Martin Freeman and Elijah Wood come together for Empire photoshoot (Empire Online)

Liberty · November 28, 2014 7:34 pm

Love the photo in the Empire link! They really do look like they're related there, although maybe brothers rather than father and son.

REReader · December 2, 2014 7:35 pm

More Hobbity things...

A clip from the film, featuring Martin/Bilbo:

Some red carpet interviews on the 3news website. (The first interview bit is beyond tedious, but the longer bit following is better.)

REReader · December 3, 2014 9:11 pm

If anyone is interested in seeing the Hobbit early (Dec. 11), in iMax, in Manhattan, the LA Times is having a showing.

Since the date on that is yesterday, I don't suppose there are any seats left, but free is free, so if you've a mind to try...

***

From tv3: Martin Freeman says Bilbo Baggins is an everyday hero.

(Yes, I know, I read the book.)

(But it's still true.)

Last edited by REReader (December 3, 2014 9:11 pm)

A lovely light · December 3, 2014 10:02 pm

Very nice interview of Ian with Martin as interviewer http://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/films/martin-freeman-interviews-sir-ian-mckellen#.VH9BtuHmRTY.twitter

Last edited by A lovely light (December 3, 2014 10:03 pm)

Whisky · December 4, 2014 1:34 pm

Not sure if I will watch it, the trailer doesn't convince me.
I was disappointed with the first films. The Hobbit is a very different book to LotR, but the films feel like just another LotR movie to me, as if they didn't understand the difference. The feeling of the movie is wrong to me, and I cannot relax while watching. I always get thrown out of the story. A good movie makes you forget you're in a cinema, pulls you into the story. For me, that didn't work with the hobbit. I cannot put my finger on what it is. Cast is great, scenery, everything looks really amazing, and yet... maybe it's because the hobbit story isn't epic and they tried to film it like it is. Imo, they should have tried for a new feeling for this different story. Somehow, the hobbit, for me, would better be a TV series. I don't think it's really a big screen story. Maybe that's bothering me.
Also the long sequences of action stuff really put me off. I like action if it's for the purpose of the storyline, or if it's true to the book, but I don't like it for just showing off in a "here are our special effects" and "this is what we can do" way. Already the title with "battle" in it makes me feel uneasy... the kind of battle pictures I have in my mind will be totally overrun by Peter Jacksons need for epic big special effect battle, I fear.
I'll probably stick to the LotR movies and the old version of the Hobbit. Which is a shame, because Martin is really good, and I like the dwarves very much. And the dragon, obviously...

Last edited by Whisky (December 4, 2014 1:36 pm)

Liberty · December 4, 2014 2:21 pm

Those are interesting comments, Whisky. I had the same feeling of not being able to forget I was in a cinema, and I thought it was because I watched the last two in 3D, but maybe there's more to it in that. And yes, I'm hoping the battle takes up about the same amount of the story as in the book - but the title suggest it will play a more prominent part! It does feel a little as if there had to be lots of action scenes, love scenes, etc. I'm not even wild about Tolkien, but there's a magic about the book that's missing in the films ... although, to be fair, I did read it as a very young child, and it's difficult to recapture the magic of a childhood reading.

I still loved the films (although not as much as the LOTR films) and I will definitely be going to see the new one!

Last edited by Liberty (December 4, 2014 2:23 pm)

SolarSystem · December 4, 2014 4:50 pm

Whisky wrote:
The Hobbit is a very different book to LotR, but the films feel like just another LotR movie to me, as if they didn't understand the difference.

That's basically what it comes down to for me. And I don't even know the book and have no idea what the films should feel like. All I know is that to me they feel exactly like the LotR films, and that's pretty sad when you think about it. Peter Jackson somehow just seems to copy his own work. And of course he can do whatever he wants to do, but I'm a bit tired of it by now. Same look, same feel as with LotR... I'd be interested in seeing another vision.

besleybean · December 4, 2014 5:52 pm

Smaug stole the show for me last time...

REReader · December 4, 2014 6:38 pm

Martin seems to have done a series of interviews for the release of the Hobbit film...

E Online has video of Martin talking ending the series and not having read the books as a child.

3News (from New Zealand) has video of has a 4-minute video about being part of the Hobbit films and character analysis.

Malay Online has a video with brief interviews with various cast members interspersed with short film clips.

And there's a long print interview with Martin on the Khaleej Times website; he talks Hobbit.

Last edited by REReader (December 4, 2014 6:39 pm)

nakahara · December 4, 2014 7:53 pm

REReader wrote:
Martin seems to have done a series of interviews for the release of the Hobbit film...

E Online has video of Martin talking ending the series and not having read the books as a child.

3News (from New Zealand) has video of has a 4-minute video about being part of the Hobbit films and character analysis.

Malay Online has a video with brief interviews with various cast members interspersed with short film clips.

And there's a long print interview with Martin on the Khaleej Times website; he talks Hobbit.

Thank you, that´s a nice flood of information. I managed to miss most of those interview - it´s superb that it is pssible to watch them all here.

nakahara · December 4, 2014 7:58 pm

SolarSystem wrote:
Whisky wrote:
The Hobbit is a very different book to LotR, but the films feel like just another LotR movie to me, as if they didn't understand the difference.
That's basically what it comes down to for me. And I don't even know the book and have no idea what the films should feel like. All I know is that to me they feel exactly like the LotR films, and that's pretty sad when you think about it. Peter Jackson somehow just seems to copy his own work. And of course he can do whatever he wants to do, but I'm a bit tired of it by now. Same look, same feel as with LotR... I'd be interested in seeing another vision.

It probably just a matter of personal taste. I absolutely love the magical atmospehere of these movies and I like it that they more closely interconnected Hobbit world with LOTR world into which it rightfully belongs to. And perfect costumes, actors and props are just an icying on this delicious "cake".

SolarSystem · December 4, 2014 10:42 pm

I guess when it comes to liking or disliking movies (or films, music, theatre, you name it), in general it has a lot to do with personal taste.

Russell · December 6, 2014 6:07 am

SolarSystem wrote:
Whisky wrote:
The Hobbit is a very different book to LotR, but the films feel like just another LotR movie to me, as if they didn't understand the difference.
That's basically what it comes down to for me. And I don't even know the book and have no idea what the films should feel like. All I know is that to me they feel exactly like the LotR films, and that's pretty sad when you think about it. Peter Jackson somehow just seems to copy his own work. And of course he can do whatever he wants to do, but I'm a bit tired of it by now. Same look, same feel as with LotR... I'd be interested in seeing another vision.

Found that a very interesting comment! Can see why feel that way, but at the same time (like naka said), doing the same style makes all the films fit together into one long streamlined epic, no? And this coming from someone who's also not a huge Tolkien-ite or sheepishly even read his stuff, but know Hobbit was a kid's story, so making the battle a big focus is understandably uncertain, too. Although considering he didn't even have the idea for LOTR yet when wrote Hobbit as a light tale (and wasn't Bilbo unconscious for some of latter stuff?), makes sense to tie them all together by showing more of what happened in the fight between Good/Evil that continued years later. Plus, as was said, Smaug did kinda steal the show from the rest of that plot stuff in the second film.