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The One Ring Forums: Tolkien Topics: Movie Discussion: The Hobbit:
Finally! We know why Smaug doesn't have 4 legs!
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Bishop
Gondor


Oct 25 2014, 1:30am

Post #1 of 52 (1986 views)
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Finally! We know why Smaug doesn't have 4 legs! Can't Post

I've always been very curious about this detail and how it caused the production team to have to go back and adjust Smaug's design mid films and redo AUJ. In the behind the scenes of the DOS EE we finally learn why. Peter Jackson simply decided to change the design during a meeting because he thought Smaug looked like a dog with four legs. I'm not disappointed at all, but I must admit I expected something more elaborate than that.


leonmuse
Rivendell


Oct 25 2014, 2:13am

Post #2 of 52 (1338 views)
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PJ is cracked, he is. [In reply to] Can't Post

He's been making some bad decisions lately that make me think... maybe his age has something to do with it. Maybe he's cracking, is all. His choices for LOTR were better, imo. Maybe it's not as simple as i'm implying, but it is a possibility.


__________________________________________________________
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
But, sad or merry, I must leave it now. Farewell."


(This post was edited by leonmuse on Oct 25 2014, 2:14am)


Barrow-Wight
Rohan


Oct 25 2014, 2:19am

Post #3 of 52 (1264 views)
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The Legend Of "Mad Jackson" [In reply to] Can't Post

 "Mad Jackson" a character who used to make crazy decisions about his films then vanish with a bang and a flash and reappear with sacks of money, became a favourite character of legend and lived on long after the true events were forgotten lol


(This post was edited by Barrow-Wight on Oct 25 2014, 2:19am)


Earl
Forum Admin / Moderator


Oct 25 2014, 2:21am

Post #4 of 52 (1214 views)
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Well, sometimes it's the simple things that make you realize you've gone way off [In reply to] Can't Post

It's like Gollum from the old animated film. You look at him and think "He looks like a frog". If the original design for Smaug made PJ go "He looks like a dog with wings", I think that's revelation enough that the design needed changing.

Just my thoughts.

And by the way, I don't have the EE yet, but I assume you meant "dog with wings" because all dogs have four legs.

The Hobbit Soundtracks - Being an online archive of information concerning Howard Shore's score for The Hobbit films.


Bombadil
Half-elven


Oct 25 2014, 2:29am

Post #5 of 52 (1197 views)
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Littl' ol' me would RATHER WATCH [In reply to] Can't Post

A Mad Man makin' a Movie
Maxxin' me to the point... of "STuPID Happy"
Than.... som dumb
Soap Opera?

All HAIL CReAZZY PJ

"life iszz TOO Short to be Sober?
ALL the time..."

(Bomby smokin'
SMOKE RINGS
...some of THAT STUFF
thazz LEGAL in Colorado)

Crazy

www.charlie-art.biz
"What Your Mind can conceive... charlie can achieve"


Barrow-Wight
Rohan


Oct 25 2014, 2:29am

Post #6 of 52 (1186 views)
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In the cartoon [In reply to] Can't Post

that's funny cause In the cartoon Smaug looked like a cat lol


Earl
Forum Admin / Moderator


Oct 25 2014, 2:31am

Post #7 of 52 (1156 views)
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That is very true... [In reply to] Can't Post

... a fuzzy ol cat. I can just hear him mouthing "...and my breath... DEATH!" Evil

The Hobbit Soundtracks - Being an online archive of information concerning Howard Shore's score for The Hobbit films.


Bishop
Gondor


Oct 25 2014, 2:34am

Post #8 of 52 (1162 views)
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THE DECEMBER - The legend comes to life [In reply to] Can't Post

 


leonmuse
Rivendell


Oct 25 2014, 2:35am

Post #9 of 52 (1147 views)
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I'm very fond of the old 1977 Hobbit Cartoon/animation [In reply to] Can't Post

Imo, it's far better than the Hobbit movies, if it's just to make this comparison.

I'm very fond of it and wish they'd made the whole LOTR trilogy, not just ROTK which wasn't nearly as good as The Hobbit one.


__________________________________________________________
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
But, sad or merry, I must leave it now. Farewell."


leonmuse
Rivendell


Oct 25 2014, 2:38am

Post #10 of 52 (1131 views)
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New Hobbit animated feature [In reply to] Can't Post

My dear Earl! Are you aware there's a new animated The Hobbit feature coming soon (november 26 to be precise) and that they'll release every one of the 19 chapters from the book?

I can give you guys the link, if you want!


__________________________________________________________
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
But, sad or merry, I must leave it now. Farewell."


Earl
Forum Admin / Moderator


Oct 25 2014, 2:39am

Post #11 of 52 (1126 views)
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It is cute, I'll give it that [In reply to] Can't Post

And I will admit some parts actually conjure up that feeling of sombre and grim adventure I got from reading the book that PJ's films do not.

I think it's all the action, the lack of character moments, and the colour grading in PJ's films that make the film "less real" for me. Still I like these films as well. They have their own merits.

The Hobbit Soundtracks - Being an online archive of information concerning Howard Shore's score for The Hobbit films.


tsmith675
Gondor


Oct 25 2014, 2:41am

Post #12 of 52 (1136 views)
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I think that was a great choice. [In reply to] Can't Post

I saw the clip. Four legged Smaug looked weird. It looks completely badass in drawings, but the designs they were working with didn't look right three dimensional.

Our destiny lies above us.


Bombadil
Half-elven


Oct 25 2014, 2:41am

Post #13 of 52 (1116 views)
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IMAGINE yourself in Seatoun in 1996? [In reply to] Can't Post

A Littl' chubby guy
Hiz Beautiful Wife &
their Next door Neighbor

THE THREE....slip into a HOT TUB
that turns into a Time Machine..

MUCH Later... they emerge aZZ... Multi-Million Dollar
Babies...currently in 2014

NICE PLOT

LUV thozze guys or GET out of the ROOM?

www.charlie-art.biz
"What Your Mind can conceive... charlie can achieve"


Bishop
Gondor


Oct 25 2014, 2:49am

Post #14 of 52 (1135 views)
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This is true for many things [In reply to] Can't Post

But I don't know about Dragons. It's funny actually, he stuns the room of producers/designers/animators into silence, who have spent the last two years designing dragons with four legs. John Howe kind of sticks it to him, as he demonstrates on his computer "There's Smaug with four legs. A very traditional dragon". Then he clicks on the image and the front legs disappear. "And this is Smaug.......with two legs. So, once Smaug had finally decided how many legs he really had, you need to go in and readjust the entire anatomy.....".

Now, just for the record I think Smaug looks awesome. And looking at some of the early directions, we can all thank bombadil they landed where they did. It's hard to believe he would have looked stupid with four legs though. Or like a dog with wings.

And yes, the animated version had no shortage of feline.


Earl
Forum Admin / Moderator


Oct 25 2014, 2:51am

Post #15 of 52 (1115 views)
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Thanks for putting that in context [In reply to] Can't Post

It's hard to imagine how it went down without seeing the BTS videos myself. I can't wait to watch them.

The Hobbit Soundtracks - Being an online archive of information concerning Howard Shore's score for The Hobbit films.


Bishop
Gondor


Oct 25 2014, 3:07am

Post #16 of 52 (1100 views)
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The BTS [In reply to] Can't Post

On the EE are phenomenal. It's always awe inspiring to see how these films are made. The trials and tribulations are equally as fascinating.


Lindele
Gondor


Oct 25 2014, 3:08am

Post #17 of 52 (1149 views)
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interestingly enough, [In reply to] Can't Post

what you call 'bad decisions' is obviously subjective because I think Smaug with 4 legs would have looked ridiculous…like something out of a terrible 'Hobbit' cartoon rather than a beautiful, poetic cinematic adaptation.

I'm not saying that I agree with all of his decisions but this was definitely a good one…very good.


Lindele
Gondor


Oct 25 2014, 3:12am

Post #18 of 52 (1116 views)
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ugh [In reply to] Can't Post

the design in the cartoon is so horrendous…the complete opposite of Tolkien's beautiful creation, like they weren't even trying…and the music, PLEASE.
I understand that it has sentimental value to some people…but just based on the music and design alone, the cartoon is enough to make me want to crawl in a hole and cry…and it can not even be mentioned in the same sentence as Weta and Howard Shore's work without making me laugh.


Scorchster
Rivendell


Oct 25 2014, 4:08am

Post #19 of 52 (1078 views)
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Probably because movement looks odd with 4 legs [In reply to] Can't Post

I think that a Smaug with 4 legs would look amazing just lying on his pile of gold; the issue is probably with animating him walking around - I have a hard time picturing him doing it elegantly as a 4 legged creature.

And I agree, looking at the final design in DOS, I don't really have any complaints about how Smaug ended up!


mae govannen
Tol Eressea


Oct 25 2014, 4:39am

Post #20 of 52 (1049 views)
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In full agreement with you. // [In reply to] Can't Post

 

'Is everything sad going to come untrue?'
(Sam, 'The Field of Cormallen', in 'The Return of the King'.)


mae govannen
Tol Eressea


Oct 25 2014, 4:42am

Post #21 of 52 (1066 views)
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Find this decisison excellent, as you do. // [In reply to] Can't Post

 

'Is everything sad going to come untrue?'
(Sam, 'The Field of Cormallen', in 'The Return of the King'.)


mae govannen
Tol Eressea


Oct 25 2014, 4:47am

Post #22 of 52 (1069 views)
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The legend of PJ the Great, yes, [In reply to] Can't Post

whose last 'Hobbit' film demonstrated he is the same genius as before... with his own flaws like anyone else. just as before.

'Is everything sad going to come untrue?'
(Sam, 'The Field of Cormallen', in 'The Return of the King'.)


mae govannen
Tol Eressea


Oct 25 2014, 5:16am

Post #23 of 52 (1078 views)
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Speaking of this specific decision of his, I find it a good one, [In reply to] Can't Post

and generally so in most other cases as well, so I don't share at all your overall conclusion, so unbelievable for me that at first I thought you must be joking.

'Is everything sad going to come untrue?'
(Sam, 'The Field of Cormallen', in 'The Return of the King'.)


Elizabeth
Half-elven


Oct 25 2014, 7:11am

Post #24 of 52 (1003 views)
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I agree. [In reply to] Can't Post

Large 6-legged reptiles just don't work, anatomically. Critters that develop wings do so by evolving their forelegs, as Smaug seems to have done. Smaug's design was magnificent.








BlackFox
Half-elven


Oct 25 2014, 8:53am

Post #25 of 52 (951 views)
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My thoughts exactly [In reply to] Can't Post

Smaug is a masterpiece.


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