The One Ring Forums: Tolkien Topics: Movie Discussion: The Hobbit: "Wow! I never thought of it like that!"

The One Ring Forums: Tolkien Topics: Movie Discussion: The Hobbit:
"Wow! I never thought of it like that!"

Roheryn
Tol Eressea

Apr 27 2013, 10:46pm

Views: 1909

"Wow! I never thought of it like that!"

This question perhaps works better if you went in to your first viewing of AUJ fairly spoiler-free (as did I), but even if you didn't, maybe you can answer anyways. (And of course I'm assuming you were familiar with the book first.)

What about the movie, or which part of the movie, most made you stop and think "Wow! I never thought of it like that!"? PJ and co. have done a far bit of extrapolation and expansion, reading between the lines, etc., and I daresay what most of us saw onscreen differed from what we'd seen in our imaginations when reading the book. So what gave you the most pause for thought? What got you thinking the most? Where did you think "Wow!" the loudest? Maybe the first time you saw the movie, or maybe several times later (if you're like me, it might take you a while to get on with your thinking...).

Brethil
Half-elven

Apr 27 2013, 10:59pm

Views: 984

The sophistication of Erebor

The first thing that leaps to mind (other than Thorin) is Erebor. Somehow I pictured it as much rougher, darker...more cave-like. The Erebor SPJ gave us is a masterpiece of stonework, with soaring spaces, the balconies in front, and so much color! I never pictured color. And the attention they gave to the cultural references, like the stone walkways and the bold runes. Really I was a bit open-mouthed at first view (which was 3D, so I had some blur issues, much clearer in 2D for me) and I still never walk away when those shots are on the TV.

Like you I too was spoiler free. So I was really surprised.

Manwe, when asked a simple "Yes" or "No" question, contemplated, and responded "the middle one."

elaen32
Gondor

Apr 27 2013, 11:01pm

Views: 964

A number of wows....

1) The prologue ?Fall of Dale & Erebor- I had not had a very clear image in my head, from the little that is in the book or the Appendices etc. I suppose the populations seemed rather remote. Then, on seeing them realised on the screen, I could really invest in the tragedy much more
2) Azanulbizar- for similar reasons to the above
3) The definition of the dwarves' characters from the outset at Bag End- this was a particular joy to see and brought them to life as individuals, rather than a homogenous mass of hairy grumpy little men (which is how they come over in the book to me mostly). Wink

This brought the whole story, the quest, to life IMO
4) Thorin!!! Heart

A definite WOW factor if ever there was one- I first saw AUJ with my mother and she had to tell me to settle down (as if I was still a small child) when I kept nudging her and getting restless when Thorin arrives at Bag End.( I got my own back during "Riddles in the Dark" when she was so involved that she suddenly and very loudly said "Use the Ring for Heaven's sake, Bilbo!! Sly

)

"Beneath the roof of sleeping leaves the dreams of trees unfold"

Bellerock
Rivendell

Apr 27 2013, 11:12pm

Views: 913

The Stone Giants

I never thought of them as actually being made of stone. The fact that they seem to be part of the very mountains makes them more awe-inspiring.

Maciliel
Valinor

Apr 27 2013, 11:42pm

Views: 865

wows

1. erebor -- wow !
2. thorin -- wow (!)
3. dwalin -- wow (!)
4. balin -- wow (!)
5. fili and kili (wow wow !!)
6. thorin entering bag end -- wow (!!!)
7. rivendell -- always... wow.
8. the splendid vistas of middle earth as the company leaves rivendell -- WOW
9. stone giants -- in +awe+.
10. the arkenstone!!!!! WOW!!! so beautiful!! it not only has light within it, but it seems to flow out like a colorful mist. WOW!!!

all the company gets a wow. i am so grateful that pj and co fleshed them out as individuals. even though i would have liked to have seen each member get more individual moments, in comparison to the book, these are gutenberg-sized biographies.

erebor -- so much thought paid to the culture, the architecture... the diaspora... well done.

and, like brethil (who put it quite, quite nicely) erebor was an unveiling. the splendor, the space, the color.

the arkenstone.... it looked alive, so beautiful.

cheers --

.

aka. fili orc-enshield
+++++++++++++++++++
the scene, as i understand it, is exceptionally well-written. fili (in sort of a callback to the scene with the eagles), calls out "thorRIIIIIIN!!!" just as he sees the pale orc veer in for the kill. he picks up the severed arm of an orc which is lying on the ground, swings it up in desperation, effectively blocking the pale orc's blow. and thus, forever after, fili is known as "fili orc-enshield."

this earns him deep respect from his hard-to-please uncle. as well as a hug. kili wipes his boots on the pale orc's glory box. -- maciliel

Maciliel
Valinor

Apr 27 2013, 11:44pm

Views: 884

this made me chortle out loud

Quote

I first saw AUJ with my mother and she had to tell me to settle down (as if I was still a small child) when I kept nudging her and getting restless when Thorin arrives at Bag End.( I got my own back during "Riddles in the Dark" when she was so involved that she suddenly and very loudly said "Use the Ring for Heaven's sake, Bilbo!!)

this absolutely made me laugh out loud.... i think it was especially because of "for heaven's sake!"

cheers -- : )

.

sycorax82
Rohan

Apr 28 2013, 1:13am

Views: 821

The biggest 'Wow!' surely has to go to the Erebor prologue

That prologue is Peter at his very best. Visually stunning and perfectly encapsulating everything the audience needs to know about the Dwarves' history and Thorin's own personal quest. Sir Ian Holm does a fantastic job with the voiceover too.

I did NOT expect to get so much Smaug so that was the most pleasant surprise of all. Him smashing through the gate and taking Erebor was stupendously good, and all we see are his feet and tail!

sauget.diblosio
Tol Eressea

Apr 28 2013, 2:38am

Views: 768

Apart from what others have already said...

Bilbo was much funnier, and much more dynamic, than i ever imagined from the book.

Kaede
Rivendell

Apr 28 2013, 2:52am

Views: 779

everything above plus Goblintown

which was MUCH more (amazingly) elaborate and more vast than I had ever imagined. On the other hand, I'm quite glad the movie-ponies had a different, hopefully better fate than the book-ponies, since the movie-ponies had the good sense to pack up and leave after that little matter with the trolls.

Old Toby
Grey Havens

Apr 28 2013, 4:25am

Views: 703

So much of the movie was a WOW moment for me!

But here are a select few from my perspective:

1. Erebor - I am so very grateful this started the film! It was a real joy, seeing Erebor fleshed out, the entire backstory of the dwarves at the coming of Smaug, and the heirs of Durin all together.
2. Dwalin - I never imagined him physically like this, and I LOVE it! You can clearly see his dedication, his courage, and his general kick-assery.
3. Thorin - Of all the dwarves who were so marvelously brought to life in this film, he was the mind-blower for me. "Wow" hardly covers it. From the book, I never liked Thorin at all. His death was, for me, a complete so-what moment. This Thorin, on the other hand, I would follow wherever he led...even if he did get lost on numerous occasions!
4. The Misty Mountains song - a total "WOW I never thought of it like that" moment! I always imagined it being sung in a more sing-song, lighter vein. The entire sequence from Kili walking into the room where everyone is humming to the end of the song with the sparks flying out of the chimney was, and is, one of my favorite moments in the entire film. Absolutely beautiful beyond belief!

"Age is always advancing and I'm fairly sure it's up to no good." Harry Dresden (Jim Butcher)

Barrow-Wight
Rohan

Apr 28 2013, 5:50am

Views: 676

Erebor of course

That was really the only thing I wasn't expecting the only word I could say when I first saw it was "wow" the whole movie itself is mind blowing. I was watching a small part from AUJ earlier cause I'm making a music video for it I ended up watching 30 minutes of it lol

dubulous
Rohan

Apr 28 2013, 7:58am

Views: 697

Well, this wasn't even in the book, but...

...the elves of Rivendell, lead by Elrond, chasing away the orcs that had arrived too close to their lands. That was an awesome moment for me.

Yngwulff
Gondor

Apr 28 2013, 8:43am

Views: 656

Smaug

I always pictured him sleeping atop the hoard ... not buried in it which would better account for his armored and jewel encrusted hide I suppose.

Take this Brother May it Serve you Well
Vote for Pedro!

Angharad73
Rohan

Apr 28 2013, 10:10am

Views: 614

Erebor, certainly...

...because I never really could picture it to my own satisfaction.

And the Dwarves - the fact that they actually all have different personalities and they don't all look like Gimli. I feel that Thorin's hair also deserves to be mentioned at this point. Definitely a WOW! Wink

Another big wow! moment for me was Elrond, actually. In the LOTR movies he was so serious, so tragic, so dour (don't get me wrong, I love Elrond in LOTR!). He is described quite differently in the Hobbit book, but after seeing him in LOTR I couldn't really imagine him being any less serious. But in AUJ we get to see a lighter side to him - he smiles, he even cracks a bit of a joke! He still isn't one for belly laughs, of course, but he is a lot more light-hearted. Plus, he also is shown as a man of action, as he still goes out to fight the Orcs and Wargs that threaten the borders of Rivendell. I like this 'new' Elrond even more now.

In the same vein, Rivendell is not shown as a dying civilisation, but it is much livlier than in the LOTR movies. I hope that we'll see a bit more of it in the EE.

Maciliel
Valinor

Apr 28 2013, 11:00am

Views: 611

+so+ in agreement about the fate of the ponies

In Reply To

(and welcome to torn, kaede! : ) )

so in agreement with you about being a lot happier re the fate of the shire ponies.

i still have concerns, however, for the other ponies. in the book, they go to the mountain with ponies, and some of those ponies are eaten by smaug (who is puzzled by the smell accompanying one pony -- bilbo's -- which he can't identify).

i want those ponies safe!

cheers --

.

imin
Valinor

Apr 28 2013, 11:03am

Views: 603

Dale

I didn't imagine it at all like it was in the film but it really works for the film and i look forward to seeing more of it in the next two films.

I think from the tiny bits we have seen Beorn's Hall will be a wow moment for me as from what we have seen i think it looks great.

About it, lol.

And Iluvatar spoke to Ulmo, and said: 'Seest thou not how here in this little realm in the Deeps of Time Melkor hath made war upon thy province? He hath bethought him of bitter cold immoderate, and yet hath not destroyed the beauty of thy fountains, nor of my clear pools. Behold the snow, and the cunning work of frost! Melkor hath devised heats and fire without restraint, and hath not dried up thy desire nor utterly quelled the music of the sea. Behold rather the height and glory of the clouds, and the everchanging mists; and listen to the fall of rain upon the Earth! And in these clouds thou art drawn nearer to Manwe, thy friend, whom thou lovest.

painjoiker
Grey Havens

Apr 28 2013, 11:18am

Views: 631

This have always puzzled me...

So many people didn't picture the stone giants as being made of stone...
Why else would they be called stone giants?
If they were just giants throwing stones they would have been called just giants Smile

Vocalist in the progressive metal band Renamed.

imin
Valinor

Apr 28 2013, 11:21am

Views: 610

Mountain trolls

Mountain trolls are not actual mountains. Some people think the same for stone giants.

Nunilo
Bree

Apr 28 2013, 11:31am

Views: 592

Definitely Dale

I had never paid much attention to it and to me it had always been some sort of bland, generic town. It was really nice to see it so vibrant, colourful and rich in culture.

The overall dwarven culture and camaraderie was also a 'wow!' for me- it's definitely piqued my interest in Tolkien's dwarves and made me grow fond of all the characters, and the dwarves in general as a race.

sauget.diblosio
Tol Eressea

Apr 28 2013, 11:42am

Views: 585

Well, that's a bit different,

as a mountain is a region or area, and stone is a substance or material. You can be from, not made of, a mountain, and you can be made of, but not from, stone. I'd always assumed they were made of stone, myself. But that may have come from playing AD&D, where giants were usually named by what the were made of (much like golems), and trolls were named after where they were typically found-- which probably originated with Tolkien, anyway.

imin
Valinor

Apr 28 2013, 12:02pm

Views: 561

I see it the same really

I know what you are saying is right but i guess im just more simple and see it as you can be made of a mountain (PJ seemed to think so, lol) just as you can be made of stone.

Though i never thought of stone giants as made of stone - i have tried to find an answer as to whether they were made from stone or were just giant men. I think one can take it either way really though personally i think there is a little more evidence for them being giant men rather than actually made from stone. Plus just seems cooler that they were giant men i think, lol.

For a quick outline this gives a good account if you haven't checked it out before :)

http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/g/giants.html

painjoiker
Grey Havens

Apr 28 2013, 2:09pm

Views: 527

well,

We have Ice Giants in norse mythology and those are made of ice... and I think Tolkien tok inspiration from those when writing about the stone giants Smile

Vocalist in the progressive metal band Renamed.

Kaede
Rivendell

Apr 28 2013, 2:41pm

Views: 532

and probably made scene 88 go better...

I suspect (plot wise) that the ponies needed to be sent off stage sooner than Goblintown as the warg chase would have been very different with 16 ponies in tow...not to mention the problem of getting them down the rabbit hole to Rivendell.

Maciliel
Valinor

Apr 28 2013, 2:53pm

Views: 518

agreed... and....

one thing i missed in the ee of rotk, was a quick shot of bill the pony, as frodo and company swing back into the shire.

that would have been +nice+. and bill did wind up back home (so to speak), in the book.

cheers --

.

Elizabeth
Half-elven

Apr 28 2013, 6:19pm

Views: 484

The Dwarves

As others have said, they emerge from being a mostly indistinguishable mob in the book to being real individuals. A triumph for Jackson & co.

Mostly, of course, we have Thorin getting the "Boromir treatment." Whereas he was mostly a self-important jerk in the book, we're getting a much more complex character whose passing will certainly be far more of an event than in the book.

Rosie-with-the-ribbons
Forum Admin / Moderator

Apr 28 2013, 6:52pm

Views: 304

My wow's

Erebor. I always thought it more like a giant cave. Not so many bridges, levels etc.
The Dwarves. To me they were always more like the Disney version, different colours to keep them apart. In the movie they are all various characters as well.
The stone giants. I always figured them more as giants living in the mountains, throwing stones at eachother. Not being part of the mountain.

Sinister71
Tol Eressea

Apr 28 2013, 6:58pm

Views: 284

That was the only part of the stone giants that I liked

was the look of them. To me they did with them what Tolkien did with the Ents. tree herders made of living trees and Stone Giants actually made of stone. I thought that was a pretty cool concept. But one that should have been left in the distance... Then once the dwarfs started riding them like a roller coaster at six flags amusement park I was over them. and hated the direction they took with them.

Kimtc
Rohan

Apr 28 2013, 7:30pm

Views: 274

The orcs/goblins

By this point I had become pretty used to the LOTR orcs/goblins, so these are a lot different, beyond just Azog and his whiteness. Particularly having the use Black Speech, which you basically never heard out of an orc/goblin/Uruk in LOTR. So yeah, I just thought it would be more of the same orciness, and it wasn't.

Oh, and Thorin. I would say his hotness factor in the book was pretty low. Nonexistent, actually. Can't say I thought of anyone in the book as potentially hot beyond Bard, which is why I kept seeing Clive Owen in the role (although I think I see Clive Owen in all roles).

grammaboodawg
Immortal

Apr 29 2013, 3:16am

Views: 242

For me... it was the Dwarves.

I have still got a big "WOW! I never thought of THEM like that!" In the books, besides the main Dwarves, the rest of the dwarves were kind of a mass unless mentioned for a specific event or action. Each of the Dwarves in the film(s) are individuals with unique personalities, looks, and contributions to the Quest. I am so grateful for this! It's really expanded my reads as well as my viewings ;)

Another is what it's like to host a Dwarven Feeding Frenzy! And clean-up afterwards. Yeah... there are some awesome moments that I stop and consider in a whole different way now.

Great Question, Ro :D

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"There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West."

I'm SO HAPPY these new films take me back to that magical world!!

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