Hobbit second viewing reaction
Jan. 29th, 2013 01:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
huinareMy viewing on opening day was swarming with emotions, happy and otherwise, and analysis. Seeing it again two days ago, I intended to view it in a less invested way, and with a mind to the fact that it’s better to have stuff added to one book than taken away from three books. A lot of stuff that bothered me the first time, I tuned out or didn’t mind anymore. This probably also dulled my senses to the parts I did enjoy, but whatever.
To get it out of my system, two things that still bothered me:
– Galadriel. To me it seems they’re trying way too hard to say, “Hey, look, there’s a woman in this movie! And she’s Powerful and Mysterious and Respected!”
– Bilbo is a decent fellow, but it’s silly that everyone acts like his returning to the company proves it. Where else is he going to go? Back, alone, over goblin-infested perilous mountains? Sure. I’ve got an enviable acre just west of the Morannon to sell you.
A misgiving:
– Someone stop me if I’m wrong, but I think the shadows were slanting uphill when the Company had escaped from the goblins and were heading down the mountainside in the late afternoon? If so, that’s just…not what happens when you’re descending the eastern flank of a slope of any size or gradient with the sun going down in the west.
The rest is positive:
- I can’t believe I didn’t mention Smaug’s eye before! This time I also noticed more the clever way they showed how much destruction he wrought at the beginning, without really showing him.
– “Chip the Glasses, Crack the Plates.” There’s going to be this on the extended soundtrack, right? OH HEY, THAT THING THEY’RE DOING WITH THEIR SILVERWARE HAS GOT TO BE A NOD TO THE MAORI TITI TOREA, LOOK HERE.
– Another thing I forgot to mention before was that part where Balin narrates how Thorin got the name Oakenshield, and then all the Dwarves are standing and Thorin turns around and music, and then I also seem to not have a pocket handkerchief on hand.
– So: saving hedgehogs, hugeass spiders on your house, Witch-king trying to off you, crossing the Hithaeglir at record speed on Sledge Lagomorph, forgetting to take your stick insect out of your mouth, being the diversion…it’s probably realistic to have no time to wash your hair in such circumstances (just, if it that bird dookie reappears in December, I’m going to need therapy).
– The musical theme at the beginning of the ‘Radagast the Brown’ track on the OST recurs when Gandalf opens a can of magic whoop ass on Goblin Town. Does this mean it’s just a “hey, wizards are cool” musical theme in general? It sounds quite sad to me. For all these reasons, I love it.
– So, the Great Goblin’s lard-wattles or whatever. From a certain angle it makes him look like he has this weird respectable old goblin-beard.
– Relocating the Carrock to the lower part of the mountains makes for an excellent closing vista.
– How did I forget the Eagles before? You know, I’m not a fan of Tolkien’s Eagles. Whenever they come soaring across the page, I kind of facepalm. But this film makes me -get– it, visually, in a way the text just cannot. This is a good reminder for me of things PJ can do very right. He can strike a certain chord that’s both epic in scope yet very intimate, if that makes sense. The visuals plus music for the whole rescue sequence gets me every time, er, each time.
To get it out of my system, two things that still bothered me:
– Galadriel. To me it seems they’re trying way too hard to say, “Hey, look, there’s a woman in this movie! And she’s Powerful and Mysterious and Respected!”
– Bilbo is a decent fellow, but it’s silly that everyone acts like his returning to the company proves it. Where else is he going to go? Back, alone, over goblin-infested perilous mountains? Sure. I’ve got an enviable acre just west of the Morannon to sell you.
A misgiving:
– Someone stop me if I’m wrong, but I think the shadows were slanting uphill when the Company had escaped from the goblins and were heading down the mountainside in the late afternoon? If so, that’s just…not what happens when you’re descending the eastern flank of a slope of any size or gradient with the sun going down in the west.
The rest is positive:
- I can’t believe I didn’t mention Smaug’s eye before! This time I also noticed more the clever way they showed how much destruction he wrought at the beginning, without really showing him.
– “Chip the Glasses, Crack the Plates.” There’s going to be this on the extended soundtrack, right? OH HEY, THAT THING THEY’RE DOING WITH THEIR SILVERWARE HAS GOT TO BE A NOD TO THE MAORI TITI TOREA, LOOK HERE.
– Another thing I forgot to mention before was that part where Balin narrates how Thorin got the name Oakenshield, and then all the Dwarves are standing and Thorin turns around and music, and then I also seem to not have a pocket handkerchief on hand.
– So: saving hedgehogs, hugeass spiders on your house, Witch-king trying to off you, crossing the Hithaeglir at record speed on Sledge Lagomorph, forgetting to take your stick insect out of your mouth, being the diversion…it’s probably realistic to have no time to wash your hair in such circumstances (just, if it that bird dookie reappears in December, I’m going to need therapy).
– The musical theme at the beginning of the ‘Radagast the Brown’ track on the OST recurs when Gandalf opens a can of magic whoop ass on Goblin Town. Does this mean it’s just a “hey, wizards are cool” musical theme in general? It sounds quite sad to me. For all these reasons, I love it.
– So, the Great Goblin’s lard-wattles or whatever. From a certain angle it makes him look like he has this weird respectable old goblin-beard.
– Relocating the Carrock to the lower part of the mountains makes for an excellent closing vista.
– How did I forget the Eagles before? You know, I’m not a fan of Tolkien’s Eagles. Whenever they come soaring across the page, I kind of facepalm. But this film makes me -get– it, visually, in a way the text just cannot. This is a good reminder for me of things PJ can do very right. He can strike a certain chord that’s both epic in scope yet very intimate, if that makes sense. The visuals plus music for the whole rescue sequence gets me every time, er, each time.
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no subject
Date: 2013-01-30 01:28 am (UTC)Re: the Eagles. Likewise, on repeated viewings, I appreciate the beauty of that scene (Eagles flying over the landscape_.
no subject
Date: 2013-01-30 02:42 am (UTC)(Your icon =D)
no subject
Date: 2013-01-30 11:33 am (UTC)I agree about the forks and spoons casting at Bilbo's house and the fact that it is a NZ-styled piece makes so much sense. Now I want to see the Titi Torea done with swords...just saying - LOL.
I was never that fond of the eagles, but PJ in this seems to show well the true power inherent in these creatures as well as how they can be a true asset in a battle, not just a convenient plotline.
I want to see it again....*sigh*
- Erulisse (one L)
no subject
Date: 2013-01-31 08:28 pm (UTC)I bet Dwalin and Nori could totally do that. Imagine Mr. Baggins' grave concern if they started throwing swords around in his house. =D
(I saw it again on a Sunday afternoon, and it was really cheap...)