|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CathrineB
Rohan
Apr 19 2015, 6:41pm
Post #1 of 18
(1652 views)
Shortcut
|
|
What The Hobbit did better?
|
Can't Post
|
|
Alright so there has been a lot of negativity with the Hobbit and frankly after BotfA I haven't always been a sunshine about it either no point in lying  BUT looking away from that for once I want to ask you all a question and think of it instead of answering snarky back how much you hate the Hobbit 
Is there anything about "The Hobbit" you like better than in "Lord of the Rings"? Movies or books for that matter.
Like overall I agree with what seems to be the majority - I like LotR more too. But there is one thing in particular I like more in the hobbit than lotr and it's a huge thing to me:
- Characters. I love a lot more 'Hobbit' characters than in 'LotR'. So much that I can be rather passionate about them. This is thanks to the movies though because the book doesn't give us much personality whatsoever to the dwaves especially. When I first read 'the Hobbit' in 2002 I found myself loving Fili, Kili and Thranduil. After the movies there are still these three, but now also Bilbo and Bofur (and Bard actually). But like, I find myself adoring all the dwarves really. Even those shoved into the very back all the time.
LotR has amazing characters too, but I usually have a harder time picking out my favorite characters other than Pippin.
I love character driven movies which is kind of felt like BotfA pulled the rug from under my feet. But aye! Postive stuff! XD
Anything you guys can think of?
(This post was edited by CathrineB on Apr 19 2015, 6:43pm)
|
|
|
marary
Lorien
Apr 19 2015, 7:06pm
Post #2 of 18
(1548 views)
Shortcut
|
LOTR are technically superior films in so many respects, but...
The Hobbit films hold a higher percentage of my beloved ME characters (Bilbo!, the Durins, Thranduil, Bofur, Balin, Dwalin, the kickass version of Galadriel), and that sort of equalizes the viewing experience of each trilogy for me.
Pippin is also my favorite LOTR character. He's just the best and he has the most precious character arc in the history of ever. He's head and head with Bilbo as my favorite hobbit!
I'll actually go out and say that the Hobbit pulled off the more intimate character moments better than LOTR. I'm talking Bilbo and Bofur in the cave, Balin telling Fili/Kili about their family history and the battle of Moria, Thorin and Balin speaking in Bag End, the acorn scene, Gandalf and Galadriel in Rivendell, Fili defying Thorin to stay with Kili, everything between Thorin and Bilbo, Dwalin not trusting Bard.... the list really goes on. That says something. It's a shame this gets lost under the criticisms!
As a character driven story, the Hobbit actually surpasses LOTR. It's way more political and personal than LOTR, and I dig that. There's a lot of different interests rubbing up against each other. I think they pulled of the politics *really* well in BOFA.
(This post was edited by marary on Apr 19 2015, 7:09pm)
|
|
|
Smaug the iron
Gondor
Apr 19 2015, 7:10pm
Post #3 of 18
(1542 views)
Shortcut
|
But in a diffrent way. The hobbit do have all characters from the book in the films. Yes some has less in it (Beorn) and some has more in it (Bard). But in Lord of the rings we miss Tom Bombadil, Goldberry, Glorfindel, Elladan and Elrohir, Barrow-wights, Imrahil, the Dúnedain.
|
|
|
DisDwarfWoman
Rivendell
Apr 19 2015, 8:30pm
Post #5 of 18
(1473 views)
Shortcut
|
I like that the dwarves weren't just used for comic relief in the hobbit movies. I've always liked them better than the elves, so it was nice that they got more development, and a wider range of personalities/appearances in the movies.
Also, agree with what everyone else said about liking the characters themselves more as well. Besides Sam (my favorite hobbit), all of my favorite characters were in the hobbit book.
|
|
|
Mooseboy018
Grey Havens
Apr 19 2015, 9:54pm
Post #6 of 18
(1389 views)
Shortcut
|
My three favorite characters before the LotR movies even came out were Bilbo, Gandalf, and Balin. So I definitely agree about The Hobbit having "better" characters. And the fact that my favorite three were performed so perfectly made it even better. I still can't believe how much Bilbo and Balin surpassed my expectations.
|
|
|
DisDwarfWoman
Rivendell
Apr 19 2015, 10:03pm
Post #7 of 18
(1378 views)
Shortcut
|
I love Balin in the book, even more so in the movies, just perfect.
And I may be in the minority here, but I actually didn't like Bilbo at the end of the book. I thought he wasn't justified in taking the Arkenstone (various reasons, happy to discuss if anyone is interested). I loved how it was made it clear in the movie that he really had no alternative, and that he wasn't betraying the dwarves (as I felt he was in the book).
The "I'm not doing this for you" (to Bard/Thranduil) line was awesome.
|
|
|
Arannir
Valinor
Apr 20 2015, 2:01pm
Post #8 of 18
(1175 views)
Shortcut
|
Not very much... TH - for me - pales in comaprison in almost every way to the cinematic masterpiece that is LotR.
But what makes me smile even in the most upsetting moments of BotFA is Martin Freeman's Bilbo.
He was a great casting choice (even if I may not agree with the Oscar-hopes some here had had) and carried the weight of the lead actor better than Wood did (unfortunately all too often Freeman wasn't asked to carry as much of the story as he could have).
"I am afraid it is only too likely to be true what you say about the critics and the public. I am dreading the publication for it will be impossible not to mind what is said. I have exposed my heart to be shot at." J.R.R. Tolkien
We all have our hearts and minds one way or another invested in these books and movies. So we all mind and should show the necessary respect.
|
|
|
Kilidoescartwheels
Valinor
Apr 20 2015, 4:21pm
Post #9 of 18
(1125 views)
Shortcut
|
IF I set aside my ridiculous Thorin crush, then it's a tough call as to what I might like better in The Hobbit. My fave LoTR character was Gandalf, and I've said before that if they'd recast the actor I wouldn't have seen the movies at all. But Ian McKellan is in, YAY!!! I have to agree with one poster that Martin Freeman was a stronger Bilbo than Elijah Wood's Frodo, not sure if that's a fair comparison though since Elijah was like 19 at the time.
Truth is, there are so many things that PJ & co do SO WELL, like casting and set design, the attention to detail is amazing. And the action scenes are usually good, sometimes OTT in both trilogies, but both also have those more intimate, one-on-one acting moments. I mentioned one between Aragorn and a young boy (Haleth?) in Helm's Deep that stays with me, also Sam carrying Frodo up Mount Doom, and pretty much any scene with Theoden. I DEFINITELY like Merry and Pippin better than Alfrid, though I put that down to the script.
Anyway, you had TONS of those one-on-one moments in the Hobbit, like Bilbo & Gollum, Bilbo & Smaug, Thorin v. Thranduil (probably my favorite), & Thorin v Dwalin, so there may be a few more of those in The Hobbit trilogies than LoTR, but I could be mistaken. I probably like the singing better, honestly never did like the last song in TTT very much, but like all the songs in The Hobbit. Can't really compare Howard Shore to Howard Shore, can we? The only other thing I can think of is that I like Orchrist alot better than Glamdring, or Sting for that matter, and Aragorn's sword, whatever it's called (he did have a cool dagger, though!). But really, I think they're pretty much even.
Yeah, my two favorite things about the Hobbit! 
Why yes, I DO look like Anna Friel!
|
|
|
Avandel
Half-elven
Apr 20 2015, 6:21pm
Post #10 of 18
(1092 views)
Shortcut
|
Before I ever saw Thorin walk into Bag End...
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
I liked the Hobbit movies better. And it's a tough question, because it's hard to think back re the films what I FIRST thought of LOTR. It's hard to make a comparison for me, because I hadn't focused in on the making of LOTR in detail, or knew much about it. Guess a very positive thing I remember was being shocked LOL when Gandalf asks "is it secret? is it safe?" and to me Gandalf was shockingly GREASY. A LOT of LOTR to me was "gritty" and "greasy" compared to the shiny purity I had seen in my head , but I promptly decided that all of that was so RIGHT. Many of the LOTR visuals - the shadowy horses of the Nazgul, the wind-whipped plains of Rohan, Shadowfax, the scene where the Nazgul fly, the ride of the Rohirrim to Helm's Deep, the lighting of the beacons, Eowyn standing and looking into the distance - thrill me then and now.
But, tho I didn't spend a lot of time thinking about it - as I recall - there were what I think of as "technical issues" (I didn't like the treatment of the Ents for instance, and thought Treebeard came off as "too cute"), didn't like some of the narrative shifts from the book, and suppose most of all there wasn't characters or performances I REALLY took to - Gandalf, Legolas, Theoden, Wormtongue, Gollum, I guess being some of my favorites, but the majority of the performances I view as "fine".
LOTR is a "masterpiece" and an award winner - but after many many views, I still feel kind of distant watching it. Now - whether script or characters or performances - for me, the Hobbit movies were just INSTANTLY "better". I DO remember just sort of "falling into" and being "swept away" by the first sight of the young Bilbo and Gandalf - if I had been a toddler I would have laughed from the sheer joy and charm of it.
So, I guess - possibly being confronted with two "master actors" - for me anyway there was an instant sense of more "aliveness"? closeness? with the "new" character I meet (young Bilbo), and that feeling just continued, being confronted with IMO beautifully costumed, beautifully performed, dwarf characters. Guess the dwarf boot camp and "bonding" the guys as a team was remarkably insightful on PJ's part, because in thinking about it, that dynamic is showing up on screen, and something I responded to.
As for the visuals - for me, I can't cross compare - both sets of movies are lavish and richly detailed, and both have things I wish had been done differently. Plus there are differences re what was able to be done, 10 years ago, vs. what can be generated now. One thing I particularly enjoy about the Hobbit movies is the changing landscapes with the distinctive lighting for each region- I suppose the same could be same for LOTR, but it often doesn't strike me so much. I utterly love Beorn's house, Mirkwood, Laketown, Erebor, the frozen Ravenhill.
Ultimately for me I guess it's coming down to performances in the Hobbit. Chemistry? "Bonding" to many of the characters e.g. Thorin and Bilbo, the dwarves, Thranduil, Beorn, Smaug, Bard...even the trolls. E.g., it's almost as tho Thorin and Bilbo could be on green screens and I'd still be mesmerized by their interactions.
LOL this thread makes me want to watch AUJ again....one really positive thing in general - IMO it's a MIRACLE that all? of the LOTR cast that was needed was able to be in the Hobbit movies. Ten years is a long time, and even with physical conditions actors got in there and worked. I think that's pretty special.
And tho this isn't "nice" for me it was a good thing that RK was replaced by Dean, for me much more better.
Martin Freeman being willing to leave the Hobbit and come back re Sherlock - that must have been grueling, that year.
And for me - at the time, the "unknown" Richard Armitage. OMG when he steps into Bag End #MAJESTY. OMG finally someone besides Russell Crowe who can deliver a speech in a film and it's like a storm (AND he can SING and those EYES that show so much). OMG. Thank you, Richard.
Yep, If I had to choose, I'd choose the Hobbit movies, because I don't find my attention wandering *gasp* the way it can with LOTR. Tho I really never will be comfortable with comparisons, re the different time frame and different starting material.
|
|
|
elostirion74
Rohan
Apr 20 2015, 8:56pm
Post #11 of 18
(1043 views)
Shortcut
|
|
I prefer not to compare, but there are a few things
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
The Hobbit and LoTR are two very different works, which is why I rarely find it useful to compare the films.
Martin Freeman did a better job as the main character. I´m not dissatisfied with Elijah´s acting, but Martin´s was just better and more versatile.
I also like our first look at Rivendell better in the Hobbit, which I think mostly comes down to the greater blend of character interaction and landscape shots in AUJ. The part from where the company first looks out on Rivendell to Bilbo passing over the bridge was such an inspired section.
|
|
|
tripecac
Rivendell
Apr 20 2015, 10:47pm
Post #12 of 18
(1019 views)
Shortcut
|
I think the extra features (behind the scenes, production blogs, etc.) for the Hobbit are even better (more enjoyable for me) than the ones for LotR which were awesome awesome awesome to begin with.
The only thing I miss is multiple commentary tracks. But the behind-the-scenes videos seem better edited, prettier to look at, and ultimately more re-watchable than the ones for LotR.
|
|
|
RosieLass
Valinor
Apr 20 2015, 11:42pm
Post #13 of 18
(1013 views)
Shortcut
|
I loved everyone's performances in LOTR, but none of them did anything for me as heartthrobs.
Then along came Thorin.
Need I say more?
"Being negative only makes a difficult journey more difficult. You may be given a cactus, but you don't have to sit on it."
--Joyce Meyer
A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP
--Leonard Nimoy
(This post was edited by RosieLass on Apr 20 2015, 11:42pm)
|
|
|
MEM
The Shire
Apr 21 2015, 4:39am
Post #14 of 18
(965 views)
Shortcut
|
FOTR is my most favorite movie ever, but I have to say there are some things about the Hobbit films that I enjoyed more. It actually evoked more emotion in certain parts. For instance, the scene with Gandalf and Galadriel with the "Why the halfling?" speech. I watched AUJ shortly after the massacre at Newtown, so wondering about evil was at the forefront of my mind, but I have to say I was moved to tears by Gandalf's words (plus the music in that scene recalls Frodo standing at the shore by Parth Galen, my favorite moment in FOTR).
I also had a strong (happy) reaction to Bilbo's speech at the end of AUJ - his "home" speech. Same reaction to the acorn scene in the last film. I was sort of overwhelmed with warm, happy, hobbit-loving feels, and can't recall having that strong of a reaction while watching LOTR.
I thought the acting in LOTR was solid all around, but I think Freeman and Armitage did especially good jobs in the Hobbit films. I thought they had great chemistry in their scenes together.
I'm a Middle-Earth Munchkin.
|
|
|
BalrogTrainer
Rivendell
Apr 22 2015, 11:59am
Post #15 of 18
(829 views)
Shortcut
|
In Reply To
Martin Freeman did a better job as the main character. I´m not dissatisfied with Elijah´s acting, but Martin´s was just better and more versatile.
The decision to make all 4 Hobbits in LOTR roughly the same age (i.e. 15-20 years younger than Bilbo was in THE HOBBIT) definitely changed the dynamics of the story a bit, but I suppose it's only a hindrance to those who actually read the books prior to seeing the movies.
|
|
|
BalrogTrainer
Rivendell
Apr 22 2015, 12:10pm
Post #16 of 18
(828 views)
Shortcut
|
1. Making Thranduil, Bard, and the Master of Lake-town into more substantial characters, as opposed to the sort of cardboard cutouts they were in the book. 
also:
2. The Dwarves actually combating Smaug -- I always considered it a bit of a cheat that they never really genuinely earned back the Mountain, but rather regained it mostly by dumb luck, i.e. Smaug (incorrectly) surmising that Bilbo is from Lake-town and so leaving to lay the town waste, and then being slain there by one of its residents.
3. The pursuing Orc pack throughout the trilogy -- I think it gave more of an undercurrent of danger to the entire quest.
|
|
|
Gandalf the Green
Rivendell
Apr 30 2015, 10:42pm
Post #17 of 18
(699 views)
Shortcut
|
"I like that the dwarves weren't just used for comic relief in the hobbit movies"
Have we even seen the same films?
There was plenty of 'comic relief' involving dwarves... too much of it...
|
|
|
DisDwarfWoman
Rivendell
Apr 30 2015, 10:53pm
Post #18 of 18
(697 views)
Shortcut
|
I should have bolded the word "JUST".
Yes, some of the dwarves, like Bofur for example, were comic characters overall. But we also got Balin, Dwalin, and Thorin who were very serious overall, and lots of serious moments involving all the dwarves (the Misty Mountains song comes to mind). I didn't mean that there are NO comic moments (which I really do like), just that we get more serious scenes too.
It's like the hobbits in LOTR, we get a lot of comic moments with them (particularly Merry and Pippin) but also a lot of serious moments, so its a nice balance. Which is how I felt about the dwarves in the hobbit movie. Hopefully that is a more clear explanation of what I meant, and of course, you are always entitled to disagree with my opinion and no hard feelings.
|
|
|
|
|
