Re: The Desolation of Smaug pre-release thread [2] [SPOILERS]

[malickfan]

The two actresses's playing Bard's daughters are in fact Jimmy Nesbitt's daughters.

[bungobaggins]

I'm nervous. Too many kids in this movie.

[Eldorion]

I think it's cool that they're giving Bard a bunch of kids since I always got the impression that he was in his 40's at least reading the book, but it makes the casting of baby-faced retro-Orlando Bloom as Bard look pretty strange.

[bungobaggins]

Luke Evans is only 34. There's no age given to Bard in the appendices is there? I thought he'd be older.

[Eldorion]

Completely honest here, I thought Luke Evans was in his mid-to-late 20s just going on his physical appearance.

Whereas his son (from the production video) and elder daughter (from the above image) look like they're about 12-13, maybe.

Edit: I'm not aware of any birth-years for Bard (or his son Bain).

[bungobaggins]

I guess it could make sense that he has three kids if the oldest is 13 or 14, but it doesn't help that he looks younger than 34.

So what the hell happened to his wife? Oh, great I'm sure there's gonna be some schmaltzy story behind that.

[bungobaggins]

Ok, hang on.

I'm calling it now.

Bard's wife died in child-birth.

I'm going all in on that.

[RA]

I'm not really sure what to make of Bard's backstory; him having one that is. I mean I guess it's expected that they'd add one because the film's going to be three hours, but the whole thing sounds weird.
Call me crazy but I thought Bard's inclusion in the original story worked fine. Yes, we knew almost nothing about him, but it seemed to me like that was the result of the narrative focusing almost exclusively on Bilbo.

[Ringdrotten]

but it seemed to me like that was the result of the narrative focusing almost exclusively on Bilbo.

Yeah, the book is funny that way, having a main character that is a hobbit which the story centers around

[Pettytyrant101]

Had some strange ideas that Tolkien chap.  

[Tinuviel]

And keep in mind, the movies are about everyone but Bilbo.

And on a side note, two friends of mine who watched and enjoyed AUJ having not seen LOTR before watched it with me last night. I was flipping out, since I haven't seen it in months and my crabbit meter was already high from playing bad golf, and they just laughed at me. But then I showed them the DOS trailer and they were utterly confused. They had no idea what was going on. I'm convinced now that the audience PJ is trying to attract is one that is (very) familiar with the LOTR films and not the books. NOT the average joe movie goer.

[bungobaggins]

I'm convinced now that the audience PJ is trying to attract is one that is (very) familiar with the LOTR films and not the books. NOT the average joe movie goer.

He's making these movies for the people who liked the LOTR movies and don't care how the books are represented on screen (*cough* torn *cough*). He's making them for the kind of person who is going to see it 20 times in theaters no matter what. (I actually read a comment on the internet of someone saying they had seen AUJ 20 times in theaters.)

[RA]

Live and let live I guess  
If some people get enjoyment out the films, whatever. Doesn't bother me. Though I think both parties could co-exist, as it were: Enjoy a more faithful adaptation.

[Pettytyrant101]

someone saying they had seen AUJ 20 times in theaters- Bungo

What was hat a court order? Some cruel and unusual punishment? The modern equivalent of water torture?

"I think both parties could co-exist"- Lance

No, no,no Lance! The film is bloody awful on its own merits, its certainly appalingly awful by adaptation terms and is damn close to being, if not actually being, a slur on Tolkiens work and those who appreciate it.  

I say give 'em nothing!

[bungobaggins]

I don't know. I just thought, "20 times? Seriously?" I mean, I saw ROTK 3 times in theaters, and that's the most I've ever seen (or ever will see) a movie in theaters. Hell, I haven't been to the cinema since AUJ, but there are several films being released in late December that I'm interested in seeing, so I might have to actually go.  

[halfwise]

I saw TT I think 4 times, but the last time was with friends who wanted to see it or I wouldn't have gone.  I think cinematically it was the most enjoyable due to the introduction of Rohan and the battle of Helm's Deep.  Somehow the siege of Minas Tirith in RoTK was not as satisfying: perhaps my expectations were wound too tight. I really wanted to see the Lord of the Nazgul ride in through the gate, trampling the dead, with the horns of Rohan suddenly splitting the highest point of tension in the whole story.  That high water mark was badly fumbled.

[Pettytyrant101]

Yeah one of the worst cockups and one of the hardest to explain- Toklien gives a brilliant visual description of that scene- and to replace it with the Gandalf staff breaking scene is just awful and inexcusable.

[halfwise]

I want to think George Lucas had the entry of the Lord of the Nazgul in his mind when he staged Darth Vader's entry into Princess Leia's captured ship.  Visually and thematically very similar.  Perhaps just a coincidence.

[Mrs Figg]

I think it's cool that they're giving Bard a bunch of kids since I always got the impression that he was in his 40's at least reading the book, but it makes the casting of baby-faced retro-Orlando Bloom as Bard look pretty strange.

NO NO NO IT IS NOT COOL!!!!!!!!!!!   its twee.

[Eldorion]

I guess it might be more accurate to say I think it's fine. I don't have anything against it necessarily. They're going to introduce new supporting characters to fill out the extended runtime. Of the possibilities, I think that children for Bard are an inoffensive one.

[Pettytyrant101]

It all depends how they are used- if its for over sentimentality, to crassly pull on peoples heart string and to generate unnecessary and nausea inducing melodrama then defintely no.
Sadly its PJ and the Coven so I expect they will be used for ALL these things.

[Mrs Figg]

I just imagine more twitchy boredom waiting for it to stop.

[Pettytyrant101]

German magazine with lots of pics fro the DOS annual that I cant be arsed uploading- this should probably be filed under 'really spoilery'- Norc, you have been warned!

http://www.premium-format.de/the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug-annual-2014-review/22015.html

Things of interest/annoyance (mainly if not all annoyances)- Bard is described as being a bargeman and he 'shows them the way to the Lonely Mountain'- so what they cant spot the mountain themselves? Bit surprising given they could see it from the carrock!
Tauriel is described as 'a warrior to be feared and reckoned with.' 'headstrong' and who 'doesnt always follow orders'- bit of a shit sort of a Captain of the Guard then, how did she get the job?- 'she is quite unlike other elves'- yeah Tolkien wrote them!- and apparently Thranduil decided the wood-elves shouldnt be involved in others affairs but she, no wait for it, defies him and goes after the dwarves anyway.  
Legolamb is described as being 'very protective of Tauriel' and 'not as set in his ways as his father.'
Thranduil is blamed by Thorin for not helping, nothing new to guess there, but it also says once he works out the dwarves are going back to reclaim the treasure he demands payment of some of the treasure in return for freeing the dwarves.
And conformation Beorn is the 'last of his kind' and that his people were wiped out by Azog. Beorn also seems to play a prominent role in convincing Gandalf their is an evil about and to go investigate Dol Guldur.


I feel ill.

[Eldorion]

I think we've heard most of this before, but it's nice to have confirmation, I guess.  Tauriel really does sound like a bad fanfiction character.

[Pettytyrant101]

It all sounds like bad fanfiction- they have this amateurish desire to connect everything to everything else, nothing is allowed to happen in isolation for them.