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Legolas_Shoehorn
Bree
Mar 9 2016, 7:15am
Post #1 of 16
(1570 views)
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Did the Hobbit Trilogy made you a better movie goer?
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I ask this question in terms the hype-ish anticipation and overall reception this second trilogy created among fans.
Imo it didn't turned out as i expected and i am still somewhat disappointed. In the first two years (AUJ & DOS) i really
thought Peter Jackson became the next George Lucas.
But after i saw the Appendices of the BotFA EE i felt sorry for what i said about Peter Jackson. I really appreciate that
he admitted 'not being on top of it'. The rushed production made it impossible to recreate the heights of LOTR.
So during the Hobbit Trilogy years i have grown as a movie goer. When the personal anticipation clashes with the
actual product - the subjective chaos in your mind follows right on. You start to search for someone to blame why it
didn't work.
For future movies i anticipate, i will try to be more objective and less subjective until i know all the facts.
My English is not that good, my Elvish is better ;-)
(This post was edited by Legolas_Shoehorn on Mar 9 2016, 7:16am)
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AshNazg
Gondor
Mar 9 2016, 3:42pm
Post #2 of 16
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It doesn't matter what the excuse is. If PJ wasn't on top of it, or didn't have enough time, then the studio should have given him more time or he should have been less ambitious and made a smaller movie - which is what most people wanted anyway.
(This post was edited by AshNazg on Mar 9 2016, 3:43pm)
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Kilidoescartwheels
Valinor
Mar 9 2016, 4:22pm
Post #3 of 16
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It doesn't matter what the excuse is. If PJ wasn't on top of it, or didn't have enough time, then the studio should have given him more time or he should have been less ambitious and made a smaller movie - which is what most people wanted anyway.
There is no "most people" opinion, different people wanted different things. There are plenty of people who are perfectly fine and even love these longer, more ambitious films. The one I had the most problems with was BOT5A, and I thought it was greatly improved when PJ added stuff.
Proud member of the BOFA Denial Association
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Kilidoescartwheels
Valinor
Mar 9 2016, 4:37pm
Post #4 of 16
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Well that's an interesting question. I actually liked the first two movies just fine, and I never thought PJ became George Lucas, but the third movie did have some problems. What I've thought of is, perhaps it's the audience that is part of the problem, in that we've now become so used to OTT action from movies like Marvel superheros, that we may be expecting all movies to be these total OTT blockbusters. I won't name any movie in particular, but I have seen a few movies where I thought the story vanished under all the OTT action (or maybe they forgot to write one!); certainly some people feel that's what happened in The Hobbit movies. And I'll be the first to agree that yes, some of the action was overly long and didn't really contribute to the story (Warg chase), but other things were part of the original story (Goblin tunnels, Barrels out of Bond). However, what PJ got right he REALLY got right (Smaug attacking Laketown).
But mostly I think The Hobbit movies suffered what almost all sequels suffer from - not being the first. My all-time favorite movie is probably SW-A New Hope. None of the subsequent SW movies have really reached that extremely high level, and really, how could they? I liked The Force Awakens well enough, but no, it didn't really hit that all time favorite status, either. Further, The Two Towers is my favorite Middle-earth movie, and no, none of the Hobbit movies hit that high either. Doesn't mean they weren't very good, though. I will be experiencing something similar with the Batman v Superman movie coming out soon. It would probably be unfair to expect it to be as amazing as any of Nolan's Batman movies, but it could still be very good (though to be honest, my expectations are low). Maybe that's the secret - try not to compare the movie with something else, just watch it and enjoy it for what it is. Probably impossible to do, but worth a try.
Proud member of the BOFA Denial Association
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Avandel
Half-elven
Mar 9 2016, 5:02pm
Post #5 of 16
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Imo it didn't turned out as i expected and i am still somewhat disappointed. In the first two years (AUJ & DOS) i really
thought Peter Jackson became the next George Lucas.
But after i saw the Appendices of the BotFA EE i felt sorry for what i said about Peter Jackson. I really appreciate that
he admitted 'not being on top of it'. The rushed production made it impossible to recreate the heights of LOTR.
Having watched FOTR this weekend, it popped into my head as "epic fantasy scene + swelling music" - one after the other rolls by, just sayin', IMO how much more difficult, in a way, the Hobbit films were to do, as IMO the Hobbit book has a hobbit as a main character and lots of whimsy - e.g. what an amazing balancing act PJ pulled off with the Hobbit films.
Your comment - and I may be wrong about this - reminds me of a lot of other comments where it seems to be forgotten that the BASE material is a children's book which doesn't involve the saving of all of Middle Earth, so those heights IMO are going to be different. As it is, for me, in general, the Hobbit performances are better than in LOTR. (Not that, IMO, I don't think in the Hobbit that more should have been done with Fili ; on the other hand, for sure I think more should have been done with Faramir and Eowyn. ) E.g., there are moments in the Hobbit I don't think could BE any better no matter how much time was involved.
Did the Hobbit films make me a "better" movie-goer? Yes, in the sense that I loved the films so much I watched and re-watch the Appendices, and I suppose got some better idea of what may go in to pulling off a fantasy epic. I have more respect than ever for the best CGI (Smaug) and am stunned by all the people that need to be involved in something like that. I have more respect for camera work and the light technicians and the make-up people.
No, in the sense that if I don't like a film, I don't like it, because I don't go to a movie for visuals/special effects . For instance, I opted to not go to "Everest" as IN GENERAL comments seem to be that while the narrative and all was "OK" the very best thing was the location filming. Since I am very aware of the events of the Everest story, I didn't think I needed to pay theater prices for that. And I was glad I saw Pacific Rim on cable, even tho the kaiju are cool. I still love the film the "13 Warrior" even tho supposedly the production had issues, because of the cast and some lines. Tho admit that if I am already not liking a film, IMO bad effects don't help either (IJ Crystal Skull).
And LOTR's swelling epicness doesn't change the fact I think there's too much Arwen and I wanted Glorfindel. (And I can't believe a sequel is planned for Prometheus - speaking of disappointments - and it hurts to think so much is spent on turkeys like that current "Gods of Egypt" and this "London has Fallen". Gerard Butler or not, that money could have been used for the sequel to the Hobbit film that focuses on dwarf exiles after Erebor and Thranduil's backstory *cries*)
The HEIGHT of EPICNESS!!!!
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Avandel
Half-elven
Mar 9 2016, 5:12pm
Post #6 of 16
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But mostly I think The Hobbit movies suffered what almost all sequels suffer from - not being the first.
For me, in the sense that PJ's Middle Earth wasn't "fresh". IMO the shame of it is tho, for some of these criticisms of the Hobbit, is, for me, not seeing the real marvelous-ness of the changing landscapes in the Hobbit films. Well, maybe I'm projecting my own love for the films, but IMO all it is such a remarkable achievement while still being PJ's Middle Earth.
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CathrineB
Rohan
Mar 9 2016, 6:24pm
Post #7 of 16
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I was thinking about this yesterday actually. How much 'BotfA' in particular was probably the biggest disappointment I have ever felt in a movie. Of course one of the main reasons for that being I already having way too big expectations. Even if it had ended up just being "good" I'd be let down. In this case it was pretty close to terrible. So bad if I watch the Hobbit movies I'll watch the first two, but not the last.
Guess I hopefully have learned not to get overly excited about a movie. I read 'In the Heart of the Sea' two years ago or so before the movie came out in december. Doesn't matter that it got mixed reviews, my expectations became quite low so once I did see the movie I loved it despite the changes. That's the way you want to leave the theater.
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LSF
Gondor
Mar 9 2016, 7:17pm
Post #9 of 16
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Don't think it made me a better movie-goer. Movies aren't my main interest in entertainment, that honor goes to video games.
I typically don't hype up things in my mind before seeing it, even if I'm following the news or whatever trailers and such about it. If I'm interested in something, I just see it. I let it make whatever impression it'll make on me.
I know I love a movie if I watch the behind-the-scenes material multiple times. Considering I've watched the hobbit ones many many times, I'd say its a good tell that they're my fave movies
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Dwarewien
Rohan
Mar 9 2016, 9:26pm
Post #10 of 16
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since my level of anticipation is pretty much the same as it's always been. I was just as excited for Jurassic World (especially since it's the first Jurassic Park movie I've seen in theaters since The Lost World) as I was about more movies about Middle-earth (well, except for BoFA, since I was dreading that one, for obvious reasons). Even if a movie isn't exactly how I was anticipating it, I wasn't in any way disappointed if it didn't live up to those standards (I'm no book purist, so I don't mind changes and/or additions, never have). The only problem I had with BoFA (I'm talking about the theatrical version, since I still haven't got up the nerve to watch the Extended Edition) is what happens to my favorite character, nothing more. And I don't avoid spoilers, either. I read spoilers all of the time, and not once has it ruined the experience for me. I'm going to see it anyway, so what's the difference? 
"Will you follow me... one last time?"
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HOBBITFAN13
Lorien
Mar 9 2016, 10:55pm
Post #11 of 16
(1302 views)
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After watching AUJ and DOS that was the first time I was in a movie theater saying I am disappointed. I was fine with AUJ but after DOS I hated it. After seeing DOS, I thought these are my Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones to Middle Earth in my opinion anyways.
I was so excited for DOS and I was crushed like you said. I became more objective and less subjective after those two movies and BOFA.
Like the Force Awakens, I was so excited for that so much that the day before I saw it I thought wait... am I being over excited because its Star Wars but I was wrong TFA was great and that was the most I ever had in a movie theater exceeded my expectations.
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wizzardly
Rohan
Mar 10 2016, 12:24am
Post #12 of 16
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it made me reevaluate the Middle-earth movies
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Early on, before any filming had begun I had a bad feeling. The fact that it was never clear who the director was going to be, and talk of internal conflicts with the studio, gave me a feeling that something wasn't quite right here. Then from the moment it was announced it would be 3 movies, and they released the dwarf designs, I was like, "uhh, well alright lets wait and see." AUJ came out and it wasn't too bad...but definitely not what I had hoped for. DoS was just plain awful. The addition of the love story imo was unforgivable, but the fact that it changed so much of the story completely killed it for me. All the subtle charm of the book was gone, and replaced with ott action sequences at every turn. There were some things I did like and felt they did well, but overall, it became buried in all the extra PJisms to the point where I decided there was no point in seeing the last one...and from seeing a few clips on youtube...it seems I was correct.
Afterwards, I found myself nitpicking the things I didn't like about the LotR movies, which don't get me wrong, I enjoyed a lot...but now I see the things I don't like in them in a new light and it irritates me now, when I didnt mind it so much back then. So basically, the hobbit movies actually made me more of a purist than I was before.
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dormouse
Half-elven
Mar 10 2016, 9:37am
Post #13 of 16
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In the sense that I think you mean it, Fellowship of the Ring made me a better movie goer because it taught me to be open minded and embrace the unexpected - to accept the film for what it was, not what I wanted it to be, and enjoy it in that light.
But I like your thinking.
For still there are so many things
that I have never seen:
in every wood and every spring
there is a different green. . .
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lionoferebor
Rohan
Mar 10 2016, 11:11pm
Post #14 of 16
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I'm not sure if The Hobbit films made me a better movie-goer...they didn't make me worse. What The Hobbit films did teach me is never to judge a movie by its trailer (or other promotional material). Also, how to and how not to tell a story.
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TaliaEmerald
Bree
Mar 11 2016, 11:34pm
Post #15 of 16
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And I always will, I watched Peter's LOTR films before I read the book (I actually haven't finished the books yet). I hold high respect for Professor Tolkien, after all if it wasn't for him we wouldn't even have Middle-earth at all. The way I see it was that Peter and co. simply expanded Tolkien's world.
Elven Lady of the Greenwood Realm
Website:
http://429205116927399394.weebly.com/
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N.E. Brigand
Half-elven
Mar 14 2016, 9:52pm
Post #16 of 16
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Cum dilectione hominum et odio vitiorum?
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Or as St. Augustine's phrase is often paraphrased these days, "Love the sinner, hate the sin" -- is that what you're saying?
Coincidentally, the subject of hatred in Tolkien's stories is being discussed right now in the Reading Room, with reference to Sam's feelings towards Gollum (and a nod to C.S. Lewis's novel, Perelandra, which Tolkien admired).
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