I SAW IT!!! I SAW THE HOBBIT - AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY!!
I went to the gala premiere Sunday night and I SAW IT!! And now I REALLY need someone to talk to about it!
I know we'll soon get a lot of more detailed threads and new topics for the Hobbit movie but I thought this thread could be for all our "OMG, I SAW IT AND I LOVED IT" comments.
And of course, you must expect spoilers in this thread! Lot's of them!

So what are your first impressions? What scenes did you like and did anything disappoint you?

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I loved Riddles in the Dark... They struck the perfect balance between the light and the dark. The seriousness of the scene mixed with the lighter tone from the book.

Thorin was great! And beautiful!

OMG the soundtrack, so much more.. bigger, better, totally epic than the pre-listen on Rolling Stone!!

Rivendell!!! So good to be back and yay for a less serious Elrond.. less eyebrow!!

The languages... they put so much more into the different languages so there should be plenty for fans to use and learn and study for years to come! Lovely!


Expectations not quite met...

They didn't explain why Bilbo decided to go on the adventure all of a sudden out of the blue

The troll scene.. rather silly.. but I didn't like it much in the book either. If you liked it in the book, you mght find it entertaining in the movie too

The way the council patrionised Gandalf...

Radagast.. I don't know but it reminded me of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

3D and HRF.. it was smooth and clean but I didn't see it added anything particular to the movie.


OMG, obviously there are so many things I want to talk about and comment on but it's midnight and I need sleep now. I can't wait to hear your first impressions so bring them!! And I'm gonna see it again for the midnight showing on Tuesday.. SO EXCITED!!!!

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>>Be the change you wish to see in the world<<



Banner credit: Shadowcat & Nurrantiel Mashiara

YES I SAW IT AS WELL!! I went to the midnight screening last night and the late hours were more than worth it! I'm glad you openend this thread, because I woke up this morning almost bursting with the urge to talk about it

My favorite parts were Bilbo and the Dwarves at Bag End, and Riddles in the Dark. Both scenes were exactly as I had imagined them, and they made me laugh and shiver at the right moments.

I also loved Thorin, and how they provided him with some background before the actual story even started. It really gave his character more depth than the grumpy, stubborn Dwarf we know from the books, it explained why he became the person he was at the beginning of the Hobbit. Also, Richard Armitage did a wonderful job as Thorin, the perfect mix of authority, emotion and general awesomeness

Soundtrack: SO GOOD! Loved how they included some bits of the LOTR soundtrack, but also managed to provide this movie with a whole new theme. Misty Mountains song in full gave me goosebumps, and hearing the theme back several times during the movie... perfect. And the inclusion of the songs was fun.

And the Dwarves, they were good. Very good. And so very cool! I never would have thought I would even feel the slightest attraction for a Dwarf, but I might have to come back on that opinion

General: more languages, location, the White Council.. Ugh, wonderful.

What I didn't like:
Radagast, same as you Ëa! He seemed more at place in Narnia than in Middle Earth.

Some parts seemed a bit too digitalized.. What I liked about LOTR were the 'real' scenes, and it seemed that the majority of scenes in this movie were made on PC rather than being filmed on an actual location.

I was confused about the difference between Azog and the Goblin King. I thought they were one and the same person, but apparently they are two persons?

And I didn't like Thorin attacking that Azog fellow after he climbed from the tree. It made the scene a bit too long and overly dramatic. Although the accompanying music was cool


In general, this movie really met and actually succeeded my expectations, that were already set quite high!

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So I saw it again for the midnight showing on Tuesday. I already had tickets before I was invited for the gala premiere.

We had better seats in the middle so the 3D was a lot better although I'm really not fond of the HFR. There are so many epic scenes where they put so much detail into every character and every action in the scenes and the eye can't follow because everything is so fast. It feels like you're missing out on a lot of the stuff going on and it is sad... I think I need to see a regular 2D version just to be able to enjoy the details.

I really did not like the troll scene. It felt so out of place in tone.. it was rather silly.. I mean troll blowing his nose on Bilbo would be funny in like PotC or Harry Potter but for me it felt out of place.. I know the book is a children's book and the book-people might enjoy the nod to the book.

I understand why the white goblin got so much screen time and why they needed a main baddie for the movie but I found him really annoying.

And what's up with all the bridges... none of them have railings? Neither the ones in Rivendell nor the goblin-built ones... and the dwarves don't seem fond of railings either, think Moria... What's wrong with these people?

I didn't like that Radagast's hedgehog was called Sebastian.. that's too much of a non-Middle-earth name.. magic was broken for mere there.
And rabbits?? Seriously, rabbits??? Why?

I didn't quite buy why Bilbo is absolutely sure he doesn't want to go on the adventure the night before and when he wakes up he's like. "Wait for me, I'm going too". I know it isn't well ecplained in the book either but I would have liked something.. more.

And I missed more female characters.. the only female to have lines and more than a nano second of screen time was Galadriel. I know there are no females in the book either but.. I just missed it..

The eagle scene was so poetic and beautiful.

I LOVED Riddles in the Dark, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED!!!! I already mentioned it but it was perfectly balanced with the comic and the serious. You could tell that Gollum is already a very established character. They played on his schizophrenia just perfect.

OMG, Martin Freeman!! He was perfect. He nailed Bilbo'd character and he'sgot such a comical talent. His facial expressions - priceless!!

So, still waiting for more impressions.. now get on here, I know there are plenty of yuo guys who have seen the movie!!

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>>Be the change you wish to see in the world<<



Banner credit: Shadowcat & Nurrantiel Mashiara

I saw it today!

THE SOUNDTRACK! Words cannot describe it. Luckily I pre-ordered it and it arrived yesterday so I resisted listening to it until after I saw the film.

The only thing that really annoyed me was Galadriel. The whole dynamic between her and Gandalf was so wrong.

The Azog thing didn't really bother me that much. OK, yes they've mucked up the dwarves and Moria's history but oh well, it's a good plot for a film.

I actually loved Radagast.

FIGWIT! FIGWIT! FIGWIT! I don't care what they've named him he's always going to be Figwit to me.

I realised today that I'm a geek. A very big one. I went to Birmingham to see it in the IMAX cinema (the only one in the West Midlands) and as they were handing us the IMAX glasses they also gave us each a pack of 4 posters. They've very nice posters but they've written "The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey" in Tengwar on them.
It's wrong. They wrote "The Hobbit" with the vowels over the preceding constants (and wrote "b" out twice rather than representing the double letter using the wavy line) and then they wrote "an unexpected journey" with the vowels over the following constants.
So it doesn't make sense! I was getting quite angry about it. I know they've done it to make it look nicer but still!

Anyway, I'm still trying to gather my thoughts about it. My overwhelming feeling at the moment is to cry.

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All by Bellatrix
Married Nymphadora Tonks 29/6/13

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^ By me and my SS *squiggle hugs*

Like you JF, I didn't go into the film expecting great things. I have watched a couple of the earlier production videos and I watch the first trailer that was released last December but I've avoided everything else.

I went into the cinema expecting them to change lots and to add lots of stuff in. It probably helped that I read the book up until chapter 7 (so the Eagles) the night before so I had it all fresh in my mind.
I basically went in with a clear mind. So I was blown away.

About the scenery. At the beginning I started crying because it was so beautiful. I was so happy. (I'm just strange. )

Just some more thoughts. I love how they've managed to keep the light-heartedness of the book as well as still having all the serious stuff. Like in FotR they made Merry and Pippin into the funny characters because the book is actually very serious and audiences need some comic relief.
But I'm really glad they've kept the comedy and the silliness of the Hobbit. I was worried they would have kept the film quite serious so it was similar to LotR. I don't really know what I'm saying here. I suppose it's that between the two books the Hobbit is very much a children's book with very silly, very funny parts in it and I've glad they've kept them in.


Another thing. What on earth is it with the eye candy having to be an archer? When I first saw the trailer and the early posters my main thought was what they did to Kíli. I like to call it "The Legolas Factor". Turn one of the characters into eye candy for all the girls.
But now I don't care. I loved Kíli. I don't care that they turned his character into eye candy because it's very good eye candy. But then again Aidan Turner is one of the very few men that I find attractive. (I'm a Being Human fan.)

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All by Bellatrix
Married Nymphadora Tonks 29/6/13

Watched it at midnight last night!


HOWARD FREAKING SHORE. Possibly the thing that gave me the most joy while watching was the score. I absolutely love the "Misty Mountains Cold" song, especially when the full brass section gets into it with the huge sweeping majestic scope. AAAH. And then when the elves from Rivendell showed up to battle the orcs they played the LOTHLORIEN BATTLE THEME AND I JUST AUGH THAT THEME IS SO GORGEOUS AND FANTASTIC AND NOW I GUESS IT'S ELVES IN BATTLE IN GENERAL AND NOT JUST LOTHLORIEN AND SO I BET WE GET MORE IN THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES AND OH MY GOSH. And when Gandalf was talking about why he chose Bilbo! The simple hobbit theme! On the one instrument, no embellishes, pure hobbit! Ooooh, it's just so beautiful.

Gandalf talking about Bullrorarer Took - pure Tolkien. The dwarves washing-up song - pure Tolkien. Those moments made me so happy.

WETA AND ANDY SERKIS OH MY GOSH YOU ARE ALL PERFECT I WANT TO LOVE YOU FOREVER. The CGI has improved so much from LotR. There were times I swore it was just Andy Serkis with some makeup on, the amount of detail and expression they were able to capture. It was amazing. And Andy going back and forth, being so lovable and joyful at being able to play games with someone else as Smeagol, and then just flipping the switch and being Gollum. It was absolutely fantastic that he got to show such extreme sides.

I did not expect to love Richard Armitage as much as I do. I love the actor, but I'm not a huge fan of Thorin. He's always just seemed too aloof and too close to being cruel/hard/a jerk/whatever. But Richard did a great job of making him come to life for me and be a full character that I could both sympathize with and dislike other parts. And I liked the little foreshadowing nod to "your pride will be your downfall" and I'm interested to see that play out.

I was not a big fan of the beginning. It felt a little too clunky to me, trying to get all the exposition out. I get that you need to know this exposition (and every time it came up it just slightly pulled me out) and that there's not really any good way to do it, but maybe less voiceover or something? I don't know. Regardless, seeing the beautiful design of the hall under the mountain almost made up for it. =D

I really, really loved Rivendell. I think that was my favorite part of the movie. The way they treated Elrond was fantastic! There were just all these subtle changes in the costume design that let you know they were still in the hopeful, summertime stage of the elves. There's peace in the land and this hope that elves will still be able to stay a lot longer. Hugo Weaving had excellent acting choices - he was just more active, more energetic, less solemn than he was in LotR. He stood or walked when before he would've sat, his clothing was purples and blues instead of browns, I mean just everything overall made me love it so much more. And of course, thrilled to see Bret McKenzie back as (apparently now) one of Elrond's right hand elves? =P Fan power! I'm really hoping the extended dvd (they'll have one, right? They HAVE to) will have him singing a song because he was standing there while they were playing the music, so fingers crossed.

Of course, Martin Freeman did an excellent job as Bilbo. He had a great mixture of ordinary hobbitness and courage. But probably my favorite moments were when he was talking to Bofur about Bag End, when he was watching Gollum as he was deciding to kill him or not, and when he told Thorin he wanted to help them get their home back. Just great overall acting in those moments (well, and everywhere else but you know).

I am SO excited to see the Mirkwood elves more. They were nicely done in the little glimpses, so it should be great!


I agree, JF. It also really harkened back to the comment about how Galadriel wanted Gandalf to be head of the White Council instead of Saruman. She trusts his instincts more, believes his heart in the right place more, and I think that really shone through in the way they interacted. Love the White Council all around!


Yes! They did a great job of changing the tone for these movies, which I am glad of. I know a lot of people were worried about it being just three more LotR movies, but this really showed that it is a children's story, and while there are dark elements, it's overall light with some dark and not dark with some light.

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going on a journey through my old claims

When he appeared on screen for the first time during the Battle of Moria I assumed he was the one that killed Thorin's grandfather, which we later found out was true. Since that was confirmed, I expected him to be killed in that same battle, which we were led to believe for a few hours, untill we found out he wasn't actually dead. Now I wonder what his role will be in the story..



Can't believe I didn't mention that before! I loved seeing Elrond all active and warrior-like, compared to the more calm and serious version we saw in LOTR. This made him look younger and less troubled than during the War of the Ring, which fitted perfectly in the timeline. At first I was a bit confused by his happy attitude, but then he mentioned that they'd had peace for over 400 years, so no reason to be sad and depressed.

I was also intrigued by Saruman's behaviour on the White Council: He seemed a bit too eager to supress Gandalf's suspicions, which fits perfectly with his later behaviour. I LOVE how much attention they put into getting all those time-related details right



Too be honest, I hadn't even thought about that. I can absolutely see what you mean, Kíli being the most cleanly shaven and fresh-looking Dwarf of them all, but my attention was actually more revolving around Thorin

But for a full, well-informed opinion I'll probably have to see it again

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Okay, I loved the movie. I had small quibbles with Radagast's sled, the White Orc and the CGI, but over all I loved it.

The dwarves are by far my favorite race of Middle Earth and seeing them on screen was fantastic. One scene that struck me as particularly great was when Bilbo is about to abandon everyone and has a conversation with Bofur and the audience is reminded that the dwarves are essentially homeless. They are refugees fighting to stay alive and keep what they love and it was fabulous (I have so many dwarf feelings on this but I won't even get into it).

The pacing was askew for me. I thought it was a bit all over the place, but this is also coming from the person who would have been happy with three movies solely based on the book where the filler was just camp-side banter and hangout sessions where we play get to know the dwarves.

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Heavens no. Hell Yeah.


Set 1: Nurr | Set 2: Me

Okay, so I saw it on Tuesday night. And I loved it. But because I'm in the middle of revising for my final exam this semester, I kind of haven't realized yet that I've seen it. I'm seeing it again on the 19th, after which I will be back with a fully formed opinion on just about everything. From reading through you guys' stuff I can tell that I liked and disliked some different stuff than you, but my overall opinion right now is one of blissful love. I will be more coherent and opinionated in a few days though

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by Lembas

Spoilers to follow, obviously:



I saw it Friday night and refused to watch any additional trailers beforehand because even though I've read the book, I didn't want to ruin the actual movie for myself and know what was going to be said in what scenes, etc. If that makes sense?

ANYWHO...

I loved it. I want to see it again! I honestly enjoyed the entire movie, though I did have some pet peeves, mostly being with the CGI - though maybe that was just me, cause we ended up in the front row (having come into the theater late) and I nearly broke my neck trying to lean back in order to see the entire movie screen. Why do they even have those dumb seats right up next to the screen? Might as well have just taped myself to it for goodness sake. But to me, some things didn't look like they actually fit into the film - mostly things like the Wargs, Radagast's bird, and even the eagles bugged me a bit. But other things looked okay, like Azog and the trolls, and Smeagol too. I dunno, could have just been me

But I actually really loved Thorin more than I thought I would - all of the dwarves to be honest - but Thorin felt reminiscent of Aragorn to me so maybe that's why. And I now think he's sexy, maybe moreso than Kili.

The beginning was so good - I love how well-blended it was with LotR. And seeing Frodo/Elijah Wood again made me squee inside! Oh teh memoriesssss <3

Going against what seems to be the popular opinion, I actually enjoyed the troll scene, to be honest (and in the book, too). I thought it was hilarious, especially the parasites part Our whole audience was laughing so hard at that. I liked the humor throughout the entire film, really. It was nice to break it up between the serious bits.

Rivendell was gorgeous and I didn't want those scenes to end. Galadriel looked flawless and beautiful, whether she should have been there or not - no question about that. And all of the character interactions in the movie were great, very good chemistry between the actors.

And the music. Oh my god, I thought the fight scenes were epic to begin with but the music made them a million times more awesome. And the Misty Mountains song? Holy crap. Howard Shore is genius for composing something so beautiful and haunting and I think Tolkien would have been proud of that.

Before I end this, I have to add that I nearly died at seeing Thranduil on screen for the first time We obviously know where Legsy gets his good looks hehe

I seen it tonight & let me say i had one HUGE disappointment about this move = it ended!
Needless to say I thought the movie was absolutely awesome !

I just thought the scenes with Gollum & Bilbo in the cave were so epic and how Peter Jackson made sure that Gollum had a little bit more younger and healthier look to him at the time is just the kind of detail that these books deserve when put on a movie screen and Jackson once again did not fail me in no way shape or form as I was the first to start the hand clapping at the end & am so more excited now to see the Desolation of Smaug!!!

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Cold be heart hand and bone cold be travellers far from home
They do not see what lies ahead when sun has faded and moon is dead

Finally saw it this afternoon. Liked the washing up song, and that whole scene. Any little bits like that from the book made me squee. My three favourite Dwarves are still my favourites. I liked the characters, and um, also the actors playing them. (Kili, Fili, and Thorin. Rowr!) In my opinion, Thorin still looks like he might fit in with the Rangers of Gondor. Maybe Kili too.

Riddles in the Dark... it looked great. Happy with that, it was my fave book scene (from that part, at least.) Can it be next year, so I can see Smaug already??

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Saw it opening night, went in costume. So much much! I loved it as well, I was really impressed with how the directing was clearly different from the LotR trilogy, but the movies are still relatable. My biggest issues, like many of you, were with the fancy-shmancy 3D effects which I didn't think were necessary (though it was neat to get my green "hobbit" 3D glasses). It's a bummer that Azog was completely CG. It would've been amazing if they put special effects make-up on a bulky actor and enhanced it from there if needed (we all know how amazing the Uruk-hai looked!).

I love Radagast, but I definitely see the Narnia comparison. I was completely heartbroken when I learned Ngila Dickson wouldn't return for costume design, and while Ann Maskrey is talented, I think unlike Nglia she tends to make what what we think as more stereotypically fantasy designs.

There were little plot holes here and there, but I'm thinking they'll be nicely patched up in the extended edition which I eagerly await!

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I saw The Hobbit yesterday afternoon and I was pretty pleased with how it turned out.
The opening was kind of nostalgic as far as seeing Frodo and old Bilbo once again, but I do have to agree with Nurrantiel with the whole exposition being a bit on the odd side, like it somehow didn't really fit in with the plot in someway. My only other nitpick really is that some scenes were out of order from the book. For example, in the book the Eagle scene was supposed to be before they meet Radagast in the book, but again that's just me nitpicking.

The CGI didn't really bother me too much, though the Troll scene did look a tad on the fake side. And I actually liked Radagast, he may have a few screws loose and may be timid like a mouse, but I guess it's that quirkiness that makes him stand out. Plus, when he was on the sleigh with the rabbits my mom turned to me and said, "That reminds me of Santa Clause." And I had to agree with her.

My favorite parts though had to be the dwarves entering poor Bilbo's house and their singing. I loved how cheery and upbeat the That's What Bilbo Hates song and has to be my favorite song that they sung, though the haunting song about their home was also well done. It was like I could feel their woe. I also liked the Rivendell scene, they managed to re-capture the beauty of the place and it was good to also see Elrond again. Galadriel was also a character I enjoyed seeing, but I think with the scenes of her and Gandalf there will be more shipping in that department, I don't know...
Also, the Riddles in the Dark scene really captured how I pictured it in my brain, they really made Smeagle/Gollum come to life and I loved it when Gollum was like "Shut up! ...I wasn't talking to you." Almost reminded me of a bipolar, psychotic grandmother haha.
I also have to agree, I loved Thorin's backstory. It truly breathed life into the character and gave a more clear explanation as to why he hates Orcs so much and is so bent on reclaiming the Lonely Mountain.
The scene where Bilbo also mentioned the Shire and how the Dwarves don't have a home and he'll help take the Dwarve's home back was really touching, I have to agree Martin Freeman captured Bilbo really well!

A bit out of stray with the review I may have a prediction...
Since the Necromancer was mentioned and is bringing back people from the Dead, my theory is that since this movie is supposed to be pre-LotR that the Necromancer will try to bring back Sauron but somehow fails to completely do so and that's how the Eye of Sauron came to be. Like I said, it's just a prediction, I don't know if this actually happens or will happen...

Overall I enjoyed the movie and I cannot wait for the other two to be completed.

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Tiro, I Anor hílol. Edro gûr lín. Hebo estel.

Sadly, I didn't get to see the movie until today, but oh my god. Was it perfect? No, but it was pretty damn close.

I think I need to see it again before I can write a completely coherent and thoughtful reaction post, but there were so many good things. Thorin. The dwarves having their own little personalities (I particularly love Fili and Kili being sassy arrogant reckless teenagers). The beautiful soundtrack. Thranduil's deer. Erebor. New shots of Rivendell.

The tone was certainly different to LotR, but it worked--it was fun, a bit silly at times (like the book) but still had a healthy dose of Epic, and overall it was incredibly enjoyable.

Oh, and Martin Freeman--absolutely nailed it.

Anyway, I've accepted the fact that I am going to be a rabid Kili fangirl and y'all can deal with it because he is a babe. <3

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- married fingon fingolfinion 6/4/13 -
~art credit~