TRAILER! IT IS HERE!! Desolation of Smaug - Trailer! ACTUALLY HERE!!! OMG!

Hey Tinuviel, it's good to see you again! I'm glad we have someone repping the crabbit faction. I agree with all of your criticisms, really, but I did feel a sense of energy when watching the trailer. Maybe it's just being excited at finally getting a peek.

Your point about Bilbo is really good. I made some snarky comments about Bilbo not being the main character of AUJ but if this trailer is any indication then PJ took such comments as advice.

I totally agree about the cgi effects, they were like Spiderman Flying effects like years ago when you can tell its all animated and it looks wrong. if they cant get it perfect or push the boundaries why do it?

Eldorion wrote:Hey Tinuviel, it's good to see you again! I'm glad we have someone repping the crabbit faction. I agree with all of your criticisms, really, but I did feel a sense of energy when watching the trailer. Maybe it's just being excited at finally getting a peek.

Your point about Bilbo is really good. I made some snarky comments about Bilbo not being the main character of AUJ but if this trailer is any indication then PJ took such comments as advice.

yeas its like Bilbo is an afterthought rather than the main character.

Norc wrote:i think smaug looks huge..

Agreed, I'm glad that they've got the sense of scale down, but I'm not sure I feel about the rest of his design.

but remember, Legolas was a jerk towards dwarf before he met gimli.

Yeah, but the problem with prequels is that you're stuck with less developed and generally less interesting versions of the characters, and at the end instead of resolution you just have them at the same point where you first saw them in the original film.

bard is handsome. no complaints though i know he should be old.

Well he only had like one line in the trailer so I can't complain about him, but he seemed to be channeling Orlando circa Curse of the Black Pearl from what little I saw.

Well, in PJ land, a protagonist that isn't macho isn't cool enough to be the protagonist, so he doesn't know how to direct such characters. In LOTR I felt like Frodo was such a sissy sometimes, but reading the books he's the complete opposite. In TH Bilbo's character was the same, but he felt like the third wheel. He's only there cuz his species name is the title.

Mrs Figg wrote:yeas its like Bilbo is an afterthought rather than the main character.

This is part of the reason why it's both easier and harder for me to shrug off the changes made to The Hobbit. It's easier in a way because the movies are turning out so different that it's almost laughable to suggest it's the same story or experience as the book. But it's harder because there are undoubtedly thousands if not millions of people whose only experience of The Hobbit will be with the films, and it feels almost dishonest to pass this off as TH while also claiming to make a faithful adaptation.

I am so disappointed. Smaug should be the most magnificent dragon we have ever seen, the one in Merlin is miles better and thats a tv show with a small budget.

Eldorion wrote:

Mrs Figg wrote:yeas its like Bilbo is an afterthought rather than the main character.

This is part of the reason why it's both easier and harder for me to shrug off the changes made to The Hobbit. It's easier in a way because the movies are turning out so different that it's almost laughable to suggest it's the same story or experience as the book. But it's harder because there are undoubtedly thousands if not millions of people whose only experience of The Hobbit will be with the films, and it feels almost dishonest to pass this off as TH while also claiming to make a faithful adaptation.

they should rename it, 'Peter Jacksons The Hobbit'. at least that would be more honest and we could accept all the additions and changes better, its all this lip service to being faithful to the source that irks me.

I mean, you know there are huge issues if the non-canon stuff didn't piss you off more than the canon. I agree with you Mrs. Figg. When people write, "In PJ we trust," I feel like throwing flamming pinecones at them.

---WARNING-WARNING---CRABBIT STORM LOOMING--STAND BY FURTHER WARNINGS- COMMENCE PANICKING NOW----

Please lay into it, Petty! I've been waiting for this day for far too long.

Preparations are under way- I plan on illustrating just what a travesty this is! Oh yes!

EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED IS IN IT PETER JACKSON YOU GOD YOU.

as i said, smaug looks huge, of course he should, but don't necessarily think that's a good thing. i mean, i expected something thinner, slimmer and more elegant. glowing, golden and just magnificent. his eyes were to small and he reminded me a bit of that t-rex from jurassic park. his lips seem to be made to talk and that bothers me a bit.... if we'll see his mouth move or if it's telepathic.

i feel smaug looks unfinished and a bit too plastic.

i agree about Legolas, Eldo.. it's not much character to go on.. i just hope it gets better when we see the movie

the only thing that gave me chills was bilbo sinking down, terrified, with the spiders.

The CGI needs a ton of work. Hopefully Weta has enough time to get up to scratch before December. Course they shouldn't have used so much CGI to begin with, but that's a moot point now.

yeah... here's some more smaug to study (there is a link on the gif so i feel sort of safe putting them up here)





nope. still not like it.

I will say that despite my distaste for some the visual stylistic choices they made, I do think that the design works looks very impressive. I do look forward to seeing Dale, the Lonely Mountain, and the Elven-king's halls on the big screen. I think they'll look spectacular. I'm very glad that we're seeing areas that didn't appear in LOTR; it made the filmmakers stretch their creative wings and I think the film will be better for that.

This is clearly going to be Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Hobbit Episode II: Attack of the Schmowg though.

yep the Elven Halls look interesting

I agree with that Eldo, some stuff looked really cool! I don't mind too much CG backgrounds, foregrounds, and the like (except Rivendell, that was just...) esepecially of frightening, otherworldly places. But when the characters are CG in them is when I think it all falls apart.

Eldorion wrote:This is clearly going to be Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Hobbit Episode II: The Desolation of SCHMOWG though.

yepp.. sadly sort of..

well, i am looking forward to petty's respons. i gotta do schoolwork.. bye.

Maybe Attach of the Schmowg would be a better title. I think I'll edit that in.

A ton of high-quality screenshots provided by Carne from the TORn forums.

https://imgur.com/a/ByJMY