Simple question, I'm just curious as to the general consensus of votes regarding each one-and please, no comments along the lines of "I hated them both"....
There is great things about them both and I hope DoS EE leaves us plenty more to help flesh out the hasty action packed DoS feel, but sense we have no DOS EE to compare I am giving it to AUJ. There is some weak parts in AUJ,but it takes its time, while DoS is just bam, bam, bam, bam done. Some scenes need more meat and soul, while some are nearly perfect regardless if I don't agree with some of the choices that were made.
Because the changes in AUJ were harmless in comparison to the fan-fiction that was DOS. Also, the first hour of AUJ is my favourite part of the TH movies so far (and curiously, the part that critics bashed the most.)
(This post was edited by macfalk on Mar 3 2014, 10:05pm)
For the action, the opening scene with Gandalf and Thorin in Bree (with PJ's cameo, of course), and nothing bad happened to Thorin (meaning that he didn't almost die like he did in AUJ). I'm no book purist (I'd miss out on a lot of good movies and TV series if I was like that, since nearly everything I like is based on a book), so I didn't mind the changes to DoS (and I still don't). I always prefer the middle chapter of a trilogy (probably because nothing bad happens to my favorite character), so this probably means that TABA will not be my favorite either (though it may be a close second, much like RotK).
The first hour was perfection, the Song of The Lonely Mountain, Riddles, and a nice balance between action and plot, Bilbo and Thorin's character arc was front and cente, and it did largely feel like the book in many parts.
I certainly didn't love it overall (7.5/10 if I'm feeling very generous) but I liked it well enough and I've watched it four times now I think.
Though the absence of The Talking Purse has yet to be forgiven.
I didn't even care enough about Desolation of Canon ( as I prefer to call it) to be dissapointed, I will watch the EE out of curiosity but it was certainly not on the level of its fore bearer for me. Though the barrels and Smaug were great. Too much fan fiction and CGI ninjas, too little Bilbo and Character for me.
I cant really accurately grade the films, as personally they have been so inconsistent and surprising in many ways I can't really work out my true feelings, and I'm not interested enough to do so.
They are so different I don't want to compare them like this
[In reply to]
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I like both, but for entirely different reasons. It wouldn't be fair to compare them like "X is better than Y"
AUJ: short on entertainment, sufficiently rich in story. Still grows on me every time I rewatch it. DOS: A lot more like what I had in mind when I went to the cinema for AUJ: a fun popcorn cinema type of film with the backdrop of middle-earth. However, DOS is not a novel adaption and one simply needs to come to terms with this to enjoy it. I'm not quite sure if it will still be so much fun, when the novelty has worn off (I've only seen it once, so far)
I'm hoping that when DoS comes out on disk and I watch it again I won't hate it as much. I really want to at least like it okay. That wasn't the case when I left the theater.
AUJ got somewhat better when I watched it later at home on disk. It still comes in a distant fourth behind Return of the King in terms of how much I like it. DoS hasn't even gotten to the list yet.
Love them both, but AUJ is my favorite
[In reply to]
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and the dwarves in Bag End is my favorite part of AUJ. Love the dwarves, love Bilbo and Gandalf, love Bag End - it's a magic combination for me. And Thorin's conversation with Balin in Bag End is still my favorite scene in either movie (but their entrance into Erebor and Thorin's conversation with Thranduil are right up there, too). Overall, I just want more dwarf time!
I will wait for the 3rd part to have the broad picture before commiting to a particular movie.
But I have to say the thrill before seeing An Unexpected Journey was greater than DoS that's clear. I especially liked how the film started with Bilbo but the excitement somehow faded as it kept going away from the original story...
I still have difficulties with DOS really, perhaps it will be easier when I see it for the second time but it looked a lot articial with too much special effects.
The 3rd part I expect will be epic and might yet sway in a more positive ground my overall opinion concerning The Hobbit movie series. We will see..
(This post was edited by sam90 on Mar 7 2014, 9:09pm)
It's such a tough call I haven't voted yet, but I will. I've watched AUJ at home so many times I've probably memorized it (same thing happened with FOTR). I loved the introduction of the dwarves, and although alot of people complained that it was "too slow," I didn't think so. It was exhausting at times, though, with all the chase scenes and Gandalf yelling "RUUUUUN!!!!" And the time in the goblin tunnels was a bit much, along with Azog, who I don't care for at all.
Funny, but DOS is the opposite, maybe moving too fast. But there's alot to love here: the opening scene where Thorin meets Gandalf, Murkwood & Thranduil, Laketown, Smaug, and my favorite scene of all, the barrel escape. And even though there was tons of CGI, there were also a surprising amount of one-to-one dialogue scenes between actors: the previously mentioned Gandalf & Thorin, Thorin and Thranduil, Thranduil and Tauriel, Tauriel and Kili, and of course Bilbo and Smaug. The scene where Thorin and co entered Erebor was SO emotional, and again I've said before that the Orc attack in Bard's house is my favorite fight scene. However, I didn't care much about the splitting of the company, and the dwarves attacking Smaug was just too much (don't get me started on the "healing" scene). And as much as I love Thorin's singing in AUJ, I think he was even hotter in Erebor, where he started to turn bad and pulled his sword on Bilbo - sorry, but that's hotter than Smaug! OK, I guess DOS wins.
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