The Road Goes Ever On and On: Everything Tolkien - Book 2

[The Old Maid]

As an apology for the wall-of-texts I tend to put up on threads, here are some short and sweet Tolkien links:

Reviews of the Rankin-Bass Hobbit:
http://talkbacker.com/movies/reviews/ki ... it/id=2034 and http://periannath.com/feature/ugly-elve ... -reviewed/

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A review of the Ralph Bakshi film: http://flyingmoose.org/tolksarc/bakshi/bakshi.htm

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Why more Tolkien actors ought to sit on their hands: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/M ... heGiantCow
(You know you’re hamming it up when TV Tropes names a cliché after you.)

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And the inevitable result? Fan Wars! http://www.dorktower.com/2003/01/01/comics-archive-374/

[Lady Galadriel]

Ironically, I just watched the Rankin-Bass Hobbit with my family last week, so I can give it a review here.

We have two boys (a 5-year-old and 7-year-old) in the family, and this was their first introduction to The Hobbit. Other than covering their eyes once in a while (for example, when the ugly goblins popped out onto the screen, and when Gollum was screaming with rage), they didn't seem to get very frightened.

My biggest impression of the film was how quickly it moved! It covered the entire book in a mere 77 minutes! Admittedly, it skimmed certain parts and completely skipped others. (MILD Spoilers) The Dwarves' two-by-two introduction into Bag-End is replaced with the Dwarves appearing all at once. Beorn doesn't appear at all. The Battle of Five Armies is mostly shown as a large cloud of dust (inside which we understand the armies to be fighting). But the big point that I'm trying to make here is that it is possible to adapt this book without making it into a long, drawn-out trilogy!

One of the reviews that The Old Maid linked to discussed the author's preference for the 1970s Smaug in comparison to PJ's. Maybe it's just a matter of personal preference, but I have to disagree. Despite my misgivings and outright dislikes about DOS, I generally liked their portrayal of Smaug. I thought they did a fantastic job with making him look real and changing BC's voice.

While I have to say that I very much prefer PJ's version (due to the higher-quality and live-action), I have to point out that Rankin-Bass' version is much more faithful to the book than either AUJ or DOS. If you haven't seen it, I would recommend watching it at least for comparisons' sake. (Do be cautious if you have little children around. Even though the film is not overly violent, in my opinion many of the cartoon figures are ugly, and several are outright scary-looking!)

[daughter of the King]

I do admit to having a certain fondness for the Rankin-Bass Hobbit. The animation is quite dated and not very impressive, and the pacing is rather fast, but I do like that version of Bilbo. And the soundtrack, although certainly not like anything Howard Shore has produced, does include more of Tolkien's poetry.

I found this interesting read-along while browsing the web this morning: The Silmarillion Read-Along

Might be a good excuse to read (or re-read!) the book. I think it's been four years since I last read The Silmarillion, and I don't remember a lot of what happened. Other than Galadriel. Knowledge of her backstory made her character in LotR even more interesting.

[Varnafinde]

Very interesting. I've read The Silmarillion a few times, and it could be time to read it again.

There's a Readers' Guide, too - it looks helpful! Overview of the chapters and lots of good artwork - and some name lists, which are sorely needed for this book

[Pattertwigs Pal]

This starts a short run of LotR related Fox trot comic strips. I love them.

[fantasia]

Ok.... I have to say, I LOVE this poster. Just wish it was for the previous movie instead of the BoFA.
https://www.facebook.com/PeterJacksonNZ ... =1&theater

[johobbit]

I love this poster too. One of the best ones of the films, methinks. Terrifyingly effective. Actually, my first thought was that it reminds me a bit of a minute, exceedingly brave Gandalf before the Lord of the Nazgûl at the Gates of Minas Tirith. Except ... Smaug is a wee bit larger.

[Meltintalle]

That is a cool poster. (I did have to laugh at the tagline "The Defining Chapter" because, yep, this chapter will set in stone how I feel about the Hobbit trilogy. )

[Lady Galadriel]

Loving that poster. Especially after months with no news.

Is anyone else thinking it's about time for a trailer? I hope they show something at Comic-Con. What with the marketing going on for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 (which will be released this November), it seems to me that the Hobbit production really needs to step up their advertising...

Edit: Speaking of a trailer, it says on The One Ring that one has been rated on Alberta Film Ratings. Awesome!

[stargazer]

I like that poster too.

I didn't see the 1970s Rankin-Bass Hobbit, but I did see the animated LOTR from that era. Though I didn't see it, in some ways I think I'd prefer its treatment of the Battle of Five Armies (given in Lady Galadriel's spoiler above) rather than a huge epic fight with tons of action.

(Random: I can't help thinking of the animated LWW from the 70s with Tumnus having bright red skin and "Chia pet" green hair. Sorry).

That Silmarillion read-along is probably just what I need to read it again. It's been a very long time since I read it. I think I was spoiled by a friend's audio book version read by someone with a very cool and dignified English accent (I don't recall the details of that production, such as who the reader was).

[fantasia]

Is anyone else thinking it's about time for a trailer?

A few days ago TORn ran an interview with PJ that basically said they weren't far enough along with the effects for a trailer, but we should see a teaser soon (this week?). I'm guessing that's what's been rated.

[daughter of the King]

The official trailer for The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies is finally here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSzeFFsKEt4&list=UUjmJDM5pRKbUlVIzDYYWb6g

I'm still not really excited about this Hobbit trilogy thing. But if you like fantasy battle sequences, I'm pretty sure this movie has plenty.

Please don't ruin the Arkenstone plot. Please don't ruin the Arkenstone plot. Please don't ruin the Arkenstone plot.

[fantasia]

Considering how I felt coming out of the second movie (which was pretty disappointed to put it mildly), I thought the teaser looked... pretty good. Like, I thought I saw some stuff from the book in there! Whaaaat???

So I have gone from not terribly interested in seeing this in the theaters to possibly giving it a chance.

Biggest dislike: Galadriel and Gandalf. GRRRR!!!! Hollywood, could you possibly have a hero character someday that's a hero and not coddled and hand-held in order to be halfway decent?

Biggest likes: Bard looks awesome. The battle looks like it has the potential to be awesome (though did anybody ever doubt the latter? Hollywood lives for battles.

[johobbit]

But if you like fantasy battle sequences, I'm pretty sure this movie has plenty.

I do not, not overdone, anyway. And drat! But not at all surprising. Btw, a huge ditto to your small print point there, Dot.

Some of these may need not to be Spoilered, but just to be safe ...

Dislikes: I anticipate too much action in this third installment sacrificing good character development. Again. *sigh*

And yep re Galadriel and Gandalf

Stupid Azog

Is that Radagast on his light-speed sled again? /edit wait, from TORn, that's a dwarf war-sled ... huh?! /end edit

Tauriel doesn't do anything for me

General: I see Kili (and who were the others who stayed back?) is reunited with the other Dwarves again: I wonder how that will transpire ...

Likes: I was very drawn to Bard, although I still say he looks way too much like Orlando. When he asks of Thorin "Will you have peace or war?" ... goosebumps, oh yeah.

Bilbo

Random: Pippin's heart-wrenching song inserted there, while one of my (many) very favourite bits from The LotR score, does not seem to fit the feel of The Hobbit, even if just in the teaser: I found it pulled me out of this story and transported me to Gondor and Faramir.

[Meltintalle]

re: Fantasia's biggest dislike I was actually pretty, meh, whatever, they're sure working that angle. I think I used up all my indignation last time around. I hope (based on last time) that it's just a blink-n-you'll-miss-it thing... I was actually a bit more confused by the shot of Galadriel's feet. What were they trying to suggest there? She goes and looks in her mirror?

Ditto Dot. They've been heavy-handing it all through the last movie, don't about face now...

My biggest dislike: The sled. Seriously. Whaaa? Why?

Random: The use of Pippin's song, to me, suggests that they do intend to leave you heartbroken at the end of the movie. (I remember seeing Faramir's charge for the first time and breaking down in tears in the theater. And they don't even have a pause button.) So... I think it's a good sign even if it doesn't seem to thematically fit...

[starkat]

Just watched the trailer for a second time and I think I finally figured out what bugged me the first time around. They are trying too hard to have it set up for LotR. The tone, the flash of the "eye", the song, the way it seems to set up for a more depressing end... it seems like they are trying to foreshadow LotR so that future watchers will watch The Hobbit movies and roll straight into LotR and "understand" without being told that there is a time gap between movies and that's why LotR is such a dark story to begin with until the introduction of hope into the story.

The elf and the wizard... *sigh* is all I have to say on the topic. It never fit and they keep trying to shoehorn something in.