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jtarkey
Rohan
Jan 22, 4:04am
Views: 1236
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It starts with Azog...it comes to fruition with Radagast....
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Can't Post
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I want to start by saying this:
When I first saw the film...I loved it. I instantly knew it wasn't as good as Lord of the Rings but, at the same time, I thoroughly enjoyed it for what it was. Now, I still really enjoy the film, but I've come to a realization latley after countless viewings.
The film, both as an adaptation and a cinematic venture, really begins to go down hill once Azog and Radagast enter the picture. Everything up until the flashbacks to Radagast and the battle at Moria is pretty much perfect.
This is interesting, because I'm talking from both the standpoint of the book, and the standpoint of a cinematic story. For me, it is dramatically apparent how clunky the story becomes once it veers away from Tolkiens book. Radagast feels totally out of place. His arc has no payoff whatsoever, nor does it have anything to do with the quest. Same goes for Azog. So far, neither of these characters, or the stories in which they embody, have anything to do with the dwarves reclaiming Erebor, or Bilbo growing personally. And then, once the company enters Goblin Town, the film feels right again. Riddles in the Dark is a great scene that certainly highlights the film.
Now, this could be remedied in the next two installments. If it is, it will prove that the film needs the other two in order to work in it's own right (a problem that none of the LOTR films had). If it isn't, it really just seems like sloppy film making. If anything is evident, it's that the 3 film split has already proven to hurt the films. I really wanted to believe that The Hobbit could be tied beautifully to LOTR, but at this point, it just doesn't seem like it's going to happen as well as I thought it would. The invented material has robbed the story of it's charm. Combine that with the off putting visual aesthetic of the production, and the lack of character development, and you have something truly disappointing on your hands.
I need to re-state that I really enjoy the movie. However, i feel a lot of sympathy for board members who have expressed their problems with the film. I feel, if you have to extensively rationalize why the film is actually great, you are kind of kidding yourself. Critics aren't being overly cynical, nor are people who dislike the film. I've always been very positive about this whole experience, even a few weeks after opening day, I was defending certain aspects of the film. Then I realized... "if I need to defend this, and try very hard to make sense of it, there must be a problem".
In conclusion, when the film sticks close to Tolkien, and the style and aesthetic associated with the LOTR films, it shines. When it veers drastically away, and tries too hard to connect the two trilogies with imaginary plot lines and shallow characters, it really falls flat.
"You're love of the halflings leaf has clearly slowed your mind"
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Subject
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Time
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It starts with Azog...it comes to fruition with Radagast....
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jtarkey
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Jan 22, 4:04am
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I don't feel the need to rationalize why I like it...
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bborchar
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Jan 22, 4:24am
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No, no, I'm not taking it very seriously...
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jtarkey
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Jan 22, 4:29am
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That's fine..
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bborchar
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Jan 22, 4:40am
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I've been into filmmaking my whole life...
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jtarkey
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Jan 22, 4:48am
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two cents from a book fan and a cinema fan
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Mooseboy018
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Jan 22, 5:39am
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I thought Radagast's intro and the moria flashback were done well
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lurtz2010
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Jan 22, 6:25am
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As a film enthusiast, I disagree about Azog
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Arthael
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Jan 22, 3:54pm
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like Saruman vs Gandalf in FOTR
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irodino
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Jan 22, 6:29am
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If you compare it to the LotR
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Súlimë
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Jan 22, 7:58am
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On Azog...
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glor
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Jan 22, 8:58am
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Fascinating insights, glor.
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Roheryn
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Jan 22, 10:02am
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It also explains the nazgul theme
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glor
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Jan 22, 10:07am
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Well, that goes along with
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Roheryn
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Jan 22, 10:27am
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Interesting
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Gelir
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Jan 22, 4:42pm
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Or, maybe not, just possibly.
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Roheryn
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Jan 22, 9:40am
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Radagast is given the duty of discovering the darkness growing in mirkwood
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jtarkey
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Jan 22, 10:50am
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Wait, though.
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Roheryn
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Jan 22, 11:11am
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its just my opinion...
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jtarkey
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Jan 22, 11:37am
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Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh simply can't write
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Nightwing
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Jan 22, 9:56am
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So you think they can only wrong?
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Roheryn
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Jan 22, 10:44am
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They write for the masses
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stoutfiles
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Jan 22, 1:41pm
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Cliches work...
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bborchar
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Jan 22, 2:23pm
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Well said
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Súlimë
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Jan 22, 2:55pm
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your argument is a circle
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Lindele
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Jan 22, 1:11pm
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My argument is not a circle...for me
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jtarkey
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Jan 22, 8:59pm
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The things added to this film...
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bborchar
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Jan 22, 9:28pm
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Love This Thread
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IdrilofGondolin
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Jan 22, 10:20pm
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My thoughts...
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bborchar
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Jan 22, 10:36pm
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Good Questions
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jtarkey
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Jan 22, 10:55pm
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The only things that bother me about Radagast are bird crap, stick insects and eye rolling. Azog is another matter
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AinurOlorin
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Jan 23, 11:12pm
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