BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Enter the Dragon (Tolkien-Style!)

The Doctor · May 14, 2013 1:09 am

A quite short article and yet with a few gems in it.. read http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/05/13/enter-the-dragon-tolkien-style/?mod=google_news_blog

Mention Smaug, the classic storybook dragon of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” and a ray of delight flickers across Benedict Cumberbatch’s pale eyes.

Smaug, “a most specially greedy, strong and wicked worm” of Tolkien lore, is for many children their first encounter with fire-breathing, scaly dragons. “First one for me,” Cumberbatch is quick to add. “My dad read the book to me and it was a bedtime treat if I had done well. If I had been a good boy, I’d get two chapters as opposed to maybe one or none if I had been really bad.”

...

"Cumberbatch, star of “Sherlock” and “Star Trek Into Darkness,” singles out his father’s interpretation of Smeagol (“I’m convinced that Andy Serkis must have visited when I was being read bedtime stories”), but it was the dragon Smaug lording over the pile of gold that held the most allure.

“This incredibly vainglorious, beautiful, fantastical creature of myth with such power and human frailty, his vanity and self-promotion and ego being his own self-destruction really, and not realizing his weakness and his strength, and having a literal Achilles heel — it fascinated me,” he says."

Last edited by The Doctor (May 14, 2013 1:11 am)

Kerkerian · October 1, 2013 1:13 pm

And here it is, ladies and gentlemen: the long-awaited trailer containing Smaug! Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbOEknbi4gQ

kittykat · October 1, 2013 2:04 pm

Kerkerian wrote:
And here it is, ladies and gentlemen: the long-awaited trailer containing Smaug! Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbOEknbi4gQ

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*freaking out*

sj4iy · October 1, 2013 2:06 pm

That is so awesome! Can't wait now!

SusiGo · October 1, 2013 2:35 pm

OMG, must be a dragon in a very big cello.

Deilenn · October 1, 2013 2:55 pm

It looks great, I'm so impatient to finally see it at the cinema! :D

tonnaree · October 1, 2013 3:01 pm

I just fangirled so hard I think I broke something. *swoon*

miriel68 · October 1, 2013 5:09 pm

B. voice is great, but I cringed watching the trailer. It seems even worse than the first part, kind of cheap rip-off of LOTR, Thorin a pale imitation of Aragorn, a lot of pathos, battles, Legolases and she-elves warriors. Ah yes, and LOADS of CGI. Sigh.

The Doctor · October 3, 2013 1:35 am

miriel68 wrote:
... and LOADS of CGI. Sigh.

And a surprisingly metal-twinge to Smaug's voice - I imagine dragons to be more organic?

sj4iy · October 3, 2013 1:44 am

The Doctor wrote:
miriel68 wrote:
... and LOADS of CGI. Sigh.
And a surprisingly metal-twinge to Smaug's voice - I imagine dragons to be more organic?

Metal-twinge? Can you describe what you mean?

Russell · October 3, 2013 2:38 am

Am I the only one who imagined that voice saying (well, amazingly 'rumbling') "You. Should have let. Me Sleep!"

SolarSystem · October 3, 2013 9:06 am

I don't know about 'metal-twinge', but to me it is quite clear that they did a lot of computer processing with Benedict's voice - which is probably unavoidable to achieve the desired effect. When he says "don't be shy" I actually really recognized his voice (and it sounded quite sexy, I admit!), but apart from that I had to listen really closely.Judging from the trailer I have to say: I like his natural voice far better.

tonnaree · October 3, 2013 10:34 am

Russell wrote:
Am I the only one who imagined that voice saying (well, amazingly 'rumbling') "You. Should have let. Me Sleep!"

Right there with you Russell.

I fully expected his voice to be enhanced/altered but I still heard Ben underneath it all.

kittykat · October 3, 2013 1:47 pm

miriel68 wrote:
B. voice is great, but I cringed watching the trailer. It seems even worse than the first part, kind of cheap rip-off of LOTR, Thorin a pale imitation of Aragorn, a lot of pathos, battles, Legolases and she-elves warriors. Ah yes, and LOADS of CGI. Sigh.

Don't watch it, then. Simple.

Song · October 3, 2013 1:55 pm

Isn't it a mix of The Hobbit and the Simmilrilion? (spelling) Stands to reason it would be a little different. But as for a cheap rip off.. its the prequel so there would be some similarities. XD I liked it, Bens voice made my stomach flip.

sj4iy · October 3, 2013 2:10 pm

I don't think that his voice has been enhanced very much at all. Maybe a bit of an echo...but he can do an extremely low voice.

Song · October 3, 2013 2:17 pm

Yeah he said he actually hurt his throat doing Smaug because he had to go so low. Theres a light metallicness to the voice but its a dragon, stands the reason it would sound different to a human.

sj4iy · October 3, 2013 2:19 pm

Just semantics, really, but I don't hear a metallic edge in there. More of an openness, an echo...gives the feeling that a very large creature is talking. But I don't hear any metallic qualities, myself.

Song · October 3, 2013 2:22 pm

Might just be the quality of the audio on the video I saw Its soooo amazing deep I'm so excited to finally hear Smaug speak!

kittykat · October 3, 2013 7:41 pm

Song wrote:
Isn't it a mix of The Hobbit and the Simmilrilion? (spelling) Stands to reason it would be a little different. But as for a cheap rip off.. its the prequel so there would be some similarities. XD I liked it, Bens voice made my stomach flip.

Not quite. It's a mix of The Hobbit and the appendices found in the back of ROTK. Tolkien was planning to write a longer version but died before he could, so the material went into the appendices.

It's highly unlikely that the Silmarillion will be adapted; it's owned by the Tolkien Estate and they're not happy with the films...