Off to see the Hobbit!

Buzz Bumble

Furry Ewok
"Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to see The Hobbit we go." ...oops! Wrong little hairy people. ;)

Apparently it starts of quite slow and the higher frame rate takes a while to get used to (if you're seeing that version).

I might bother watching it when it comes on TV ... or at least the first half since they usually put them in a ridiculous timeslot that finishes too late. One of the New Zealand TV channels is playing the Lord of the Rings movies on Fridays (last one this coming week), but I haven't been watch those either.
 

darthskellington

Dark Lord of the Typos
We really enjoyed it. It's got a differenent pace to it than the LOTR movies...as it should...it's a different tale. We didn't see a hi-frame rate version...which is good....I think that would have bothered me. We liked the fleshed out details from the book...and am looking forward to the next one.
 

Borsk

Administrator
Staff member
The high frame rate was extremely strange at the beginning of the movie. It was a bit odd looking throughout, but once the action picks up, it's not quite as noticeable. I'd recommend seeing the 24fps, non-3d version (I didn't think the 3D added much to it either).

As far as Hobbit versus LOTR ... I felt Hobbit has a better pace and I generally like these set of actors/characters better.
 

SWfan

Infiltrator
I went to see it in regular version 3D the day it came out. I don't think my theater had the hi-frame rate version.. I thought the 3D was really good.
 

Borsk

Administrator
Staff member
Well, there were 2 things going on that periodically pulled me out of the "movie experience":
  1. The high frame rate made some of the movements seem unnaturally fast. For example, old Bilbo zipping around his house at the beginning.
  2. The 3D effect, and this is something I haven't noticed as much other 3D movies, got off kilter if you weren't looking perfectly straight ahead. Just tilting my head to one side or the other caused problems. Perhaps it was just my theater or where I was sitting.
I would have enjoyed the movie more without those 2 issues. It's just little things that distract from the immersion. At least there weren't any crying babies.
In general, I'm not that enthused about 3D. But, for whatever reason, I seem to feel obligated to see that version of a movie in the theater. /shrug
 

darthskellington

Dark Lord of the Typos
3D tends to give me a headache, so I avoid it if at all possible. I have a friend who has a tv with a super fast refresh rate, and it seems to have the same effect as high frame rate on the Hobbit. I've seen an episode of Next Generation on his tv, and it gives it an off, super-fast effect. Really distracting.
 

darthskellington

Dark Lord of the Typos
I couldn't get into all the characters in this one, but I suspect that was because there were so many dwarves, you don't get to connect with every single one.
 

Buzz Bumble

Furry Ewok
There's a clip playing during some of the advert breaks on Sky TV here in New Zealand. It's from the "red carpet" of the movie's Premiere night, and the interviewer asks various Hobbit actors (including those playing the dwarves) to name all the dwarves ... most have no clue or can only name a few, only two name them all.
 

darthskellington

Dark Lord of the Typos
Luckily half the names rhyme...making it fairly easy to name them in order. Sort of like naming all the reindeer. :p And no, I can't name them all at this time. :p
 

Borsk

Administrator
Staff member
I couldn't get into all the characters in this one, but I suspect that was because there were so many dwarves, you don't get to connect with every single one.

Basically this:
  • I like Martin Freeman much more than Elijah Wood.
  • Hearing "Mr. Frodo" over and over is annoying ... none of that in this movie
  • No Legolas and his ridiculous CG stunts.
  • Dwarves are funnier in groups.
I generally like all the characters that re-appear ... Gandalf, etc. The Lord of the Rings movie had a lot of excellent actors/characters with smaller roles (Theoden and Denethor come to mind). The main characters like Aragorn/Arwen and Frodo/Sam were just "ok". I 'like' LOTR, but prefer The Hobbit quite a bit more.
 

Buzz Bumble

Furry Ewok
I only know some of the dwarves names because they were used as daily keywords in a competition run here to be at the movie's Premiere (which I was only entering for a friend) ... but it's hard enough for most people to name Disney's Snow White seven dwarves who have normal words for names. :)

I must say that the few interviews I've seen with Martin Freeman, he comes across as a rather obnoxious, over-egoed, self-important fool. I don't know what he was like before, maybe all the fame as gone to his head, as often happens.
 

Borsk

Administrator
Staff member
I must say that the few interviews I've seen with Martin Freeman, he comes across as a rather obnoxious, over-egoed, self-important fool. I don't know what he was like before, maybe all the fame as gone to his head, as often happens.

Perhaps. He's been good in the handful of movies/tv shows I've seen him in. Martin Freeman, the person, may very well be all of those things.
 

darthskellington

Dark Lord of the Typos
I've probably seen some behind the scenes stuff with him from the British Office, but if so, I don't recall much now. As an actor, I've enjoyed what I've seen of his work.
 

Buzz Bumble

Furry Ewok
The Warehouse stores (sort-of like Kmart / Wal-mart) over here in New Zealand already have The Hobbit figures down to half price ... in fact they're even less because although they're advertised on the "50% off" page of the latest junk mail catalogue, they're actually advertised as "NZ$6 each, save up to NZ$13".
 

darthskellington

Dark Lord of the Typos
Nice. I think the Hobbit toys looked pretty good. No plans to get any, but will certainly watch the clearance aisles. I have a small handful of 6" figs from LOTR, and snagged quite a few of the Armies of Middle Earth mini-figs when they went clearance and hit the discount stores.
 
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