The Hobbit

[Commander McLane]

Has anybody seen it yet?

I know that much of the pre-release discussion was about the dread for Peter Jackson's approach, waltzing a comparatively short children's book out into another megalomanic three-parter. I guess time will tell.

But has anybody else thought that it's basically about Martin Freeman reprising his role as Arthur Dent? A rather normal guy who wouldn't mind living an uneventful life somewhere in a small town, being dragged into an epic adventure that will blow his mind?

Discuss.

[Cody]

I haven't even seen the LotR trilogy yet... but how The Hobbit can become three films amazes me!

[Wolfwood]

Going to see the first part of The Hobbit this Saturday with my wife in HFR 3D, no less. I hope it is good, but I wonder about the length...

The LotR Extended Edition is an excellent landmark trilogy. Will be hard to match that especially with more "kiddy" source material...

[Shipbuilder]

My understanding is that the hobbit movie currently at the cinema covers the full story of the hobbit while the 2 remaining films are to be the story of what happens within Middle earth between the time of the hobbit and the LOTR based on various notes etc that Tolkien produced and I dare say some artistic licence.

I should hopefully be going to see it either this weekend or early next week so will confirm if someone has not already done so in the mean time.

[Cody]

What next... The Silmarillion, perhaps? <chortles>

[Selezen]

The first two films are the Hobbit, split up into two films with some added material based on Tolkein's notes and inferences from The Hobbit and LOTR detailing what Gandalf and the council do - remember when Gandalf disappeared for a few chapters? Well, he was getting up to all sorts of stuff related to what the motives behind the unrest in Middle Earth is all about and who this mysterious "Necromancer" really is.

The second film will be the second half of the book, dealing more with the Battle of Five Armies and the encounter with Smaug.

The third film is the one linking Hobbit with LOTR and is primarily constructed from the appendices of LOTR.

There are no film licenses for the Silmarillion therefore no material from that work will be in these films unless it also appeared in either LOTR or The Hobbit.

Jackson has gone to the same lengths with The Hobbit as he did with LOTR in that he has only changed things that needed to be changed to work on film and has been very aware of the lightweight nature of the Hobbit novel and has tried to "grow it up" a bit.

I'm going to see it on Monday for my birthday treat.

[CaptSolo]

"Children's book"? "Kiddie material"? Call me a child then.

[Selezen]

You're a child.

Tolkein himself said the book was a kids book. There's reams of stuff about it being a kids book. What's your problem? Adults can enjoy kids books too.

[CommRLock78]

What next... The Silmarillion, perhaps? <chortles>

- interesting thought

"Children's book"? "Kiddie material"? Call me a child then.

I hear ya - I love all the books, and "The Hobbit" is no exception .


I still haven't seen the third installment of LoR, but so far the only complaint was that they left out the ents smashing on Isengard - the ents are awesome .

[Smivs]

so far the only complaint was that they left out the ents smashing on Isengard - the ents are awesome .

Go for the extended DVD version These are far better than the theatrical release versions - they really fill-out the story and include lots of choice scenes that were missing from the original releases.
The whole story runs to around 12 hours in total - Try it in three 4-hour sittings in the same day!

[Selezen]

I've been trying to convince Mrs Selezen that this is a good idea in the run up to going to see Hobbit on Monday. No luck so far.

It's maybe the only time I'll have a really valid excuse for us to sit and watch them together.

[CommRLock78]

I've been trying to convince Mrs Selezen that this is a good idea in the run up to going to see Hobbit on Monday. No luck so far.

It's maybe the only time I'll have a really valid excuse for us to sit and watch them together.

Keep trying - hopefully she'll change her mind .

Go for the extended DVD version These are far better than the theatrical release versions - they really fill-out the story and include lots of choice scenes that were missing from the original releases.
The whole story runs to around 12 hours in total - Try it in three 4-hour sittings in the same day!

Cool, that's good to know that they actually completed the story. I don't know if I'd be able to sit down for three 4-hour settings in one day, but surely over the course of a weekend .

[Smivs]

Mrs Selezen.
You must do this! Get some ale and pipeweed in for the total immersion experience and spend a day in Middle Earth.
P.S. Don't invite any Orcs, though

[DaddyHoggy]

You're a child.

Tolkein himself said the book was a kids book. There's reams of stuff about it being a kids book. What's your problem? Adults can enjoy kids books too.

Tolkien was already working on the whole history of Middle Earth (which became The Silmarillion) so that he could write LotR, from that he extracted The Hobbit to tell to his son Christopher as a lightweight fun story before bedtime.

[Cody]

Tolkien was already working on the whole history of Middle Earth (which became The Silmarillion) ...

Not only Middle Earth - a whole universe called (damn, my memory fails me)?