re: Official Hobbit The Desolation of Smaug Review Thread (spoilers)

Did Smaug turn out ok/look good?

I get the CGi hate, but it doesn't make these movies terrible.


I think a part of what made the LOTR trilogy so awesome is the fact that most of the Orcs & alot of the other stuff were guys in costumes & makeup. I still like the Hobbit movies, but I do wish they would've stuck with the non CGI orcs. I'm no movie technology guy, but I'm guessing Jackson did more cgi in these because it's easier? Just a speculation. In no way does it make the movies "terrible", but I'll agree it's distracting in a way.

Well that's good, getting the best part of the book right is always nice. Though it looks like Beorn is played by billy ray cyrus or rod stewart.

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So what's the general consensus around here? Better than the first?

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Better then the first. Individual scenes are great, but the pacing and editing really hurt it.

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On a Tolkien related note, I thought some people might enjoy this. And to think I read that whole damn book!

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Yeah I need something like that because that book is HARD! I hope they make a movie on this. (Silmarillion)

Doubt that'll ever happen. WAAAAAAAY too much material. I'd prefer live action, but an animated mini series would be the most plausible way to go. And I'd be fine with that.

I think the production of a live action Silmarillion movie/miniseries would be very expensive and not as big of a money maker for the studios. It's unfortunate. But let's face it, these people aren't in it for the love of the literature.

ETA: I couldn't find that article on the cgi. Don't remember where I found it. It was weeks ago too.

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Yeah I need something like that because that book is HARD! I hope they make a movie on this. (Silmarillion)

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I hope this never happens. It would be impossible to get right. Even in a mini series or animated series. Also it's too tragic for it to work, very rarely does anything good happen.

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NOW, if someone really wanted to go balls out: History of Middle Earth as a GOT type series

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What is this History of Middle Earth you speak of?

The Silmarillion is the only Tolkien-written history as far as I am concerned.
And fairly linear...to me.
Its in chronological order and organized into chapters that make it all easy to digest, again, to me.

The Tolkien estate owns the rights to it, so no matter how much I'd like to see any type of version of this book, it probably isn't happening.

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RceTigers

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Are you on Peter Jackson's payroll?

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I'm guessing Jackson did more cgi in these because it's easier?

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And cheaper, probably. The great thing about LOTR is that they made most things, and just used CGI to replicate it or make those things they couldn't.

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I get the CGi hate, but it doesn't make these movies terrible.

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We're supposed to be able to suspend disbelief - if the effect can't do that - lose it. Look how effective GoT is without it. Of course they have many more hours to tell the story, but it can be done.

I point everyone back to Bladerunner - Ridley's visual masterpiece (in my opinion, although Alien is a damned good looking movie for its day.)

In addition to being my favorite film - it is the last great "in camera" special effects film - because the increasing use of CGI, particularly over the last 20 years has doomed it. They use motion and certain colors/textures to hide the deficiencies - but once you notice those patterns - at least for me - it gets worse and worse, because I pick up on the cuts and CGI inserts very quickly now.

Man of Steel was alright, but the bigger and bolder they make those sequences, the more obvious it is.

Avengers was about the best one for me, but since I've read those comics since I was 5 - I was already used to seeing them as cartoonish and fakey - so I'm helped some by my brain's contextual cues.