Re: In theatres: 'Desolation of Smaug' | SPOILERS

by malickfan Wed Jan 01, 2014 3:40 pm

But that angle sucks

-Applicable to 90% of the screenplay

by Radaghast Wed Jan 01, 2014 3:42 pm

I see your 90% and raise it another 10% Very Happy

by Radaghast Wed Jan 01, 2014 3:45 pm

malickfan wrote:Rather whiny article written by a misinformed author, but he raises a few good points:

http://www.theimaginativeconservative.org/2013/12/desolation-peter-jackson.html

I didn't write a proper review either Petty said everything for me.

...Tolkien’s Silmarillion, for material. That volume is, in essence, Tolkien’s notes on the history and theology of Middle Earth. It is filled with half-finished stories and sketches for works Tolkien never intended to complete but rather used to orient his own mind for the story of The Lord of the Rings.

by Radaghast Wed Jan 01, 2014 3:51 pm

Norc wrote:blah... fuck the book, i bet tolkien would've gone back and done some minor changes regarding the effects of the ring if he had the time. ...

He actually tried but was dissuaded.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit#Revisions

He also rewrote Riddles in the Dark, of course. I don't think that more than a quick nip and tuck were needed elsewhere to bring TH more in line with LotR.

by malickfan Wed Jan 01, 2014 3:52 pm

Yeah, that was my reaction HAVE THESE PEOPLE ACTUALLY READ IT???

If Phillipa Boyens couldn't be arsed to read it for 25 years, I doubt any of these idiot writers have.

by Radaghast Wed Jan 01, 2014 3:55 pm

It amazes me how often reviewers get things wrong. Aren't they paid to write reviews?

by Bluebottle Wed Jan 01, 2014 3:56 pm

Radaghast wrote:
Unfortunately, it must be admitted that that's the angle the movies are going for, i.e. Sauron growing in power and the Ring having that effect on Bilbo. But that angle sucks.

Yeah, my point would be that they preempt it by it having too much effect on Bilbo too soon. But then again I haven't seen it. Shrugging

by Tinuviel Wed Jan 01, 2014 3:56 pm

I keep thinking of Smaug as the Hydra from Hercules. That thing freaked me out when I was a kid (still does) which is probably why I keep having nightmares of Smaug chasing me around the mountain or me cowering in Lake Town when he comes. Sofa

In theatres: 'Desolation of Smaug' | SPOILERS - Page 36 1387183002000-HTDOS-SMAUG-0071

I couldn't find a decent picture of Smaug, but I think they got the look of him right.

by Radaghast Wed Jan 01, 2014 3:57 pm

Pettytyrant101 wrote:No they dont- there is still 60 years to go before Sauron arises ro power, and 60 years before Gandalf even begins to work out what he is dealing with, right now PJ is making ole Gandalf look like a right twat, even the fucking dragon thats been asleep for 60 years can work out instantly what it is and he hasnt even seen it

Yeah, besides the issue of McKellen sleepwalking through the role, the character himself looks incredibly incompetent. Just a total buffoon.

by Radaghast Wed Jan 01, 2014 3:57 pm

Tinuviel wrote:I couldn't find a decent picture of Smaug, but I think they got the look of him right.

It's not the look I have an issue with, so much as the feel, I think.

by malickfan Wed Jan 01, 2014 3:59 pm

To be fair Mckellen had to do ALOT of greenscreen and explaining the obvious work in these films, it's hardly going to be the funnest of things for a 75 year old.

by Radaghast Wed Jan 01, 2014 4:01 pm

Oh, totally agreed. I don't really blame McKellen; I think he did the best he could under the circumstances, but there just isn't much there to work with.

by Radaghast Wed Jan 01, 2014 4:08 pm

Hah! I just looked at the actor playing Dwalin and he actually is bald. So, my bad Embarassed

by Mrs Figg Wed Jan 01, 2014 4:29 pm

Radaghast wrote:Hah! I just looked at the actor playing Dwalin and he actually is bald. So, my bad

Its probably the stoopid tattoos on his head that make it look plastic.

Agree about Sir Ian, he had a horrible time and nearly left, and I think it shows in his performance. I despise PJ even more for treating Sir Ian so badly. When he found out HIS LEAD ACTOR (apart from Freeman) was not happy and was threatening to go, he should have sorted it out, and made changes instead of trying to sweeten him up with flowers in the dressing room. If a Shakespearian actor with 50 years experience, who is used to working under pressure up close and personal, in cold and draughty theatres, says he cant work in an environment , you should take him seriously. PJ you idjit.

by malickfan Wed Jan 01, 2014 4:31 pm

I still find it incredible how bored Martin Freeman seems in the behind the scenes stuff.

by Radaghast Wed Jan 01, 2014 4:38 pm

Mrs Figg wrote:
Radaghast wrote:Hah! I just looked at the actor playing Dwalin and he actually is bald. So, my bad

Its probably the stoopid tattoos on his head that make it look plastic.

Yeah, I think you're right. They accentuate the line in his skull, which makes it look like a cap, perhaps.

by Radaghast Wed Jan 01, 2014 4:38 pm

malickfan wrote:I still find it incredible how bored Martin Freeman seems in the behind the scenes stuff.

It's hard to imagine any of the actors are doing this for anything but the check.

by Mrs Figg Wed Jan 01, 2014 4:40 pm

yeah I agree, I also get how embarrassed the 'Dwarves' look in their publicity stuff, its as if they know they all got paid for not having to learn one line of dialogue. (apart from 3 of them) Its the easiest acting job they will ever have.

by Radaghast Wed Jan 01, 2014 6:22 pm

One thing about Tauriel: if having her in the movie was about "feminine energy" why weren't there more female elves, especially non-warrior ones? I'd maybe believe the line about "feminine energy" a bit more if Tauriel wasn't so obviously a token.

And a couple more observations:

How are those dead dwarves in Erebor so well-preserved? Didn't Smaug kill them 170 years ago?
Bard asks the people of Lake-town at one point if they remember what Smaug did to Dale and is answered with a chorus of affirmatives. Again, 170 years ago, so how do any of them remember it?

by Bluebottle Wed Jan 01, 2014 6:27 pm

Well, if you go by the Terry Pratchett logic all the dwarves could be either male or female I guess. Shrugging

by Radaghast Wed Jan 01, 2014 6:30 pm

Bluebottle wrote:Well, if you go by the Terry Pratchett logic all the dwarves could be either male or female I guess.

Same with Tolkien, though not with Jackson, the Anti-Tolkien.

by Bluebottle Wed Jan 01, 2014 6:33 pm

I was always very impressed with that construction of Pratchetts, then I found out that Tolkien had Pretty much described it the same just not taken it as far.

Still it's a brilliant sulution to the; "Where are all the dwarf women?" thing.

by chris63 Thu Jan 02, 2014 3:13 am

by **Orwell** Thu Jan 02, 2014 10:04 am

One shot they might have kept in. Less silly than most.

by Bluebottle Thu Jan 02, 2014 3:56 pm

Bluebottle wrote:I was always very impressed with that construction of Pratchetts, then I found out that Tolkien had Pretty much described it the same just not taken it as far.

Still it's a brilliant sulution to the; "Where are all the dwarf women?" thing.

As Tolkien implied of his dwarves, Discworld dwarfs of both sexes have beards. However, while Tolkien stated that female dwarves are rare, and disguise themselves as male when they must travel, female Discworld dwarfs are common, but are traditionally indistinguishable from males at all times. Dwarfs prefer not to spend much time on the subject; the dwarfish language has a gender neutral pronoun, usually rendered as "he" when speaking human languages.

I always liked that perspective. Nod