thoughts on Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy

Depends on how you go into it. It's not the same type of movie as the LOTR trilogy, so you can't compare.

The Gollum scene was done perfectly, IMO. One of the top scenes for all 6 films. There's a lot in there that I didn't enjoy and felt it would have been better in 2 movies.

pretty stupid TBH but it's not Jackson's fault.

I fault the studio for trying to milk another trilogy after the model of the LOTR trilogy using a book that was only a couple of hundred pages.

It was enjoyable if you don't try to compare it to LOTR in any way.

As a fan of the book I found it terrible. If you just take it as a fun romp for preteens loosely based on the Hobbit it is a lot more palatable.

The set piece scenes were quality stuff. They should've condensed it down to 2 movies. The CGI was just too much at times. I truly liked the attention to detail in the set, costume, and prop design of LOTR. The attention to detail was great. However, in the Hobbit, I think they just relied way too much on the CGI to make up for that stuff.

There are a few problems with the Hobbit trilogy, other than the fact that it shouldn't have been a trilogy.

First, the action scenes are too long. This is a Peter Jackson hallmark fail. He delivers plenty of action, but the scenes just go on and on and on, and become more ridiculous as the scene drags on. Action scenes should be exciting, not exhausting. He keeps trying to go over the top with these scenes, and then over the top of over the top. Scale it down. Slow it down. Make it more personal.

Second, the third-tier love story of Tauriel and the Dwarf is ridiculous. I realize Jackson and company are trying to work in a love story here, and a female character as well. Why not have a female character we care about, independent of a love story, especially a ridiculous one between two races that hate each other, and are physical mismatches? This makes about as much sense as a killer whale and a dolphin getting it on. I think they could have had a more compelling love story, and character development for Legolas, if they focused more on how Legolas loved and lost with Tauriel.

Third, Bilbo and the Dwarfs carry the story, because it's what carries the book. It felt to me like 2/3 of the Dwarfs were comic relief. There are moments of Dwarf comedy in the book, but these are people who lost their homes and want it back. Show me more about why a dozen Dwarfs would not surrender to an army of hundreds when they showed up on their doorstep. Dig deeper on what motivates them. It needs to be more personal.

That being said, there are some good things that I enjoyed about the movies:

I thought Smaug was done well. I liked the fight between Smaug and the Dwarfs.

I liked the Dwarf set designs in the Lonely Mountain. I liked the battle at the gates of Moria, and Dane Ironfoot.

I liked the scene with Gollum, which was one of the keys to the whole thing working or failing.

I liked Gandalf investigating the re-emergence of Sauron.

Bilbo was acted well. I also liked Thorin.

Overall, it's not terrible, but it could have been better if the scope were smaller, and not as ambitious. The Hobbit is an intimate story of a introverted person becoming involved in a greater world. Though it has epic parts, it's not supposed to be an epic story, like LOTR. I think Jackson was too EPIC in his approach.

Just uneventful.

quote:

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I finally got around to watching Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy (extended version) last week,

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Just getting the TV in Miss. huh? nice

The cgi reminded me of James Bond skiing on those waves in die another day

They lost me at the mine car roller coaster scene in the Goblin King's tunnel. I lost interest and I don't think I've ever watched the 2nd or 3rd movies straight through - though I will catch bits of them if they are on as I flip through channels.