New Movie: The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies

[Della]

Or at the very least, less elves. I didn’t mind Kate from Lost but Orlando Bloom was completely necessary. That time could’ve been much better used giving it to Bilbo.

Well, Legolas was the Elf King’s son, so I was okay with him being in the films. Tolkien hadn’t yet dreamed him up when he wrote The Hobbit, which is why he wasn’t mentioned. I thought the love triangle between Tauriel, Legolas and Kili completely unnecessary. PJ could have included female elf warriors without all that. And we really didn’t need another reason to feel badly about Kili’s death–that of losing his “only” love. In fact, I think it would have been more touching for him and Fili to have died defending Thorin as Tolkien described it. There was a lot of visual and plot pudding in PJ’s Hobbit trilogy.

 

[DlandFan06]

Well, Legolas was the Elf King’s son, so I was okay with him being in the films. Tolkien hadn’t yet dreamed him up when he wrote The Hobbit, which is why he wasn’t mentioned. I thought the love triangle between Tauriel, Legolas and Kili completely unnecessary. PJ could have included female elf warriors without all that. And we really didn’t need another reason to feel badly about Kili’s death–that of losing his “only” love. In fact, I think it would have been more touching for him and Fili to have died defending Thorin as Tolkien described it. There was a lot of visual and plot pudding in PJ’s Hobbit trilogy.

It’s all about da pandering. Lol.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

It’s all about da pandering. Lol.

I don’t know about you but this typical fantasy fanboy isn’t a huge fan of elf x dwarf romance. 8P

 

[JackVk]

I don’t know about you but this typical fantasy fanboy isn’t a huge fan of elf x dwarf romance. 8P

Hear, hear! Tauriel (the elf chick) was a politically correct character shoehorned into the story, to the point where they change it!

Of course, they make up for it by having a good chunk of the movie be fight scenes. The most awesome move was arguably when the Elf King caught several orcs in the antlers of his moose and lopped off their heads. . If not that, the scene where Gandalf, Radagast, Saruman, Elrond, and Galadriel fight off Sauron and the Nine Kings (loved Galadriel’s “begone, servant of Morgoth!” Line).

 

[DaveBj]

Hear, hear! Tauriel (the elf chick) was a politically correct character shoehorned into the story, to the point where they change it!

Of course, they make up for it by having a good chunk of the movie be fight scenes. The most awesome move was arguably when the Elf King caught several orcs in the antlers of his moose and lopped off their heads. . If not that, the scene where Gandalf, Radagast, Saruman, Elrond, and Galadriel fight off Sauron and the Nine Kings (loved Galadriel’s “begone, servant of Morgoth!” Line).

I would be curious to find out by how much the three Hobbit movies would be shortened if all the battle scenes were edited out. Who has a lot of time on his/her hands?

 

[Dandelion_Wine]

I would be curious to find out by how much the three Hobbit movies would be shortened if all the battle scenes were edited out.

That and the stuff PJ made up and added. I bet it’d be around, say, 1 MOVIE!!

 

[DaveBj]

That and the stuff PJ made up and added. I bet it’d be around, say, 1 MOVIE!!

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Hear, hear! Tauriel (the elf chick) was a politically correct character shoehorned into the story, to the point where they change it!

True to my typical fanboy nature, I like elf girls. Yesh, even the cool, action-gal types that juxtapose your demure woodland-princess-in-distress. 8P It’s just really strange though that people accuse Jackson for pandering when shipping a dwarf and an elf isn’t exactly the most mainstream idea.

If not that, the scene where Gandalf, Radagast, Saruman, Elrond, and Galadriel fight off Sauron and the Nine Kings (loved Galadriel’s “begone, servant of Morgoth!” Line).

An inside joke among my friends was that it showed to the world what a level 20 DnD party would look like.

 

[Captain_America]

Glad I missed all of this.

I did see the Lord of the Rings, which I think would be good for someone who hasn’t read the books.

But if you’ve read the books, your imagination does such a better job than the movies, no?

 

[jilly4ski]

So was anyone else super confused on how Bard’s son wasn’t killed/decapitated when Bard shot the dragon, using his son as the bow? My thoughts during that scene were “physics?”

 

[Della]

So was anyone else super confused on how Bard’s son wasn’t killed/decapitated when Bard shot the dragon, using his son as the bow? My thoughts during that scene were “physics?”

I’m probably misunderstanding you here, but Bard used his son to steady his bow and aim his arrow–not to be the bow.

 

[jilly4ski]

I’m probably misunderstanding you here, but Bard used his son to steady his bow and aim his arrow–not to be the bow.

Yes, he steadies the arrow, however, his neck was right in line with the bow string, where a normal bow would be. (The string was attached to the posts of the building and the son was the mid-point between). The string should have snapped forward (with the arrow) and at least crushed his windpipe, if not causing even even more damage,

 

[leekonghian]

Check out my new Tolkien blog as below:

hobbitandlordoftherings.blogspot.com/2015/01/tolkiens-quotes.html

 

[Joe_5859]

Yes, he steadies the arrow, however, his neck was right in line with the bow string, where a normal bow would be. (The string was attached to the posts of the building and the son was the mid-point between). The string should have snapped forward (with the arrow) and at least crushed his windpipe, if not causing even even more damage,

Three words: “suspension of disbelief”.

 

[Della]

Three words: “suspension of disbelief”.

Yes, directors often disregard physics or even obvious “errors” to move the story the way they want to. There’s a glaring one in Jurassic Park, for instance–when the T-Rex breaks through the electric fence to attack the car with the kids in it. In the scene closely following it, that side of the road is suddenly a deep gully/valley down which the car is pushed by the T-Rex into a treetop. I noticed it right away the first time I saw the film. I had to convince my dh that a valley had appeared where the T-Rex had been walking. There are websites devoted to such discrepencies–for those interested.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

For me, I must confess my misgivings are more shallow. I’m not a fan of tall girls pairing with short guys. It’s just not my cup of tea.

Glad I missed all of this.

I did see the Lord of the Rings, which I think would be good for someone who hasn’t read the books.

But if you’ve read the books, your imagination does such a better job than the movies, no?

Not exactly. Most of Tolkien’s descriptions lean heavily towards geography. You could say my imagination seems much like actual eyesight. Being nearsighted, I take in more detail when it comes to objects closer to my range of vision: magical objects, elaborate duels, grand architecture, the features of magical beasts etc.

I’m probably gonna get flamed for this but this is where I usually give more points to Rowling and Martin than Tolkien.

Rough, general details of landscapes are a little bit beyond me. Maybe I should hike more but even then, my mind tends to just wish for your typical turn-based battle encounter. I can admire good scenery but it’s sort of the thing I’d drink in within a heartbeat.

 

[jilly4ski]

For me, I must confess my misgivings are more shallow. I’m not a fan of tall girls pairing with short guys. It’s just not my cup of tea.

Not exactly. Most of Tolkien’s descriptions lean heavily towards geography. You could say my imagination seems much like actual eyesight. Being nearsighted, I take in more detail when it comes to objects closer to my range of vision: magical objects, elaborate duels, grand architecture, the features of magical beasts etc.

I’m probably gonna get flamed for this but this is where I usually give more points to Rowling and Martin than Tolkien.

Rough, general details of landscapes are a little bit beyond me. Maybe I should hike more but even then, my mind tends to just wish for your typical turn-based battle encounter. I can admire good scenery but it’s sort of the thing I’d drink in within a heartbeat.

LOL, I find myself spending good chunks of my reading time trying to “orient” myself within the written description. And am always thankful for the maps, without which I would be “lost.”

 

[jilly4ski]

Three words: “suspension of disbelief”.

True, I was just confused because at the time I was thinking that is why the kid was scared and then actually said out loud “is Bard going to sacrifice his son?” And then was surprised when they cut to the scene where he was alive.

 

[Joe_5859]

True, I was just confused because at the time I was thinking that is why the kid was scared and then actually said out loud “is Bard going to sacrifice his son?” And then was surprised when they cut to the scene where he was alive.

Funny. The thought didn’t even occur to me at all, but now that I think about it, you are right about the physics of it. Unless perhaps the son was standing far enough in front of the two points that were holding the bow string. I’ll have to watch that scene again more carefully when it comes out on video.

 

[tomarin]

For me, I must confess my misgivings are more shallow. I’m not a fan of tall girls pairing with short guys. It’s just not my cup of tea.

Not exactly. Most of Tolkien’s descriptions lean heavily towards geography. You could say my imagination seems much like actual eyesight. Being nearsighted, I take in more detail when it comes to objects closer to my range of vision: magical objects, elaborate duels, grand architecture, the features of magical beasts etc.

I’m probably gonna get flamed for this but this is where I usually give more points to Rowling and Martin than Tolkien.

Rough, general details of landscapes are a little bit beyond me. Maybe I should hike more but even then, my mind tends to just wish for your typical turn-based battle encounter. I can admire good scenery but it’s sort of the thing I’d drink in within a heartbeat.

I noted that (the geography-heavy descriptive passages) when I last read “the Hobbit” to my son. It wasn’t always easy for me to follow, and I’m newly at least theoretically interested in geography or orienteering (though I wasn’t when I was a kid, when I first read the book).