A Wizard's Pipe is Mighty Tough

[oldreddog]

Never trust a (skateboarding) elf!!!!!!
Gimli was portrayed as a bumbling buffoon and the butt of many a joke, very far from the noble dwarf of gravitas from Tolkien's pages.
I struggled to watch the first Hobbit film and needed to re-read the book to get the bad taste out of my mouth.
Bored of the Rings was a bit of a laugh though.

 

[wyfbane]

I have loved the works of Tolkien since I was a child. I read the Hobbit for the first time when I was 8.
I remember the first Lord of the Rings film by Ralph Bakshi. It was MUCH more true to the plot line of the books even though it was more abbreviated. I am still sad the funding fell through for his 2nd film.
So I looked forward with eager anticipation to the new ones, based off of how well done (relatively speaking, technologically) the Bakshi film was.
I never in my mind imagined some asshat would meddle with the actual characters in the story. I was appalled by the 1st film, waited YEARS to see the others and seethe now that peter jackson (spit) has milked The Hobbit out to 3 films.
I refuse to be bought off with panoramic shots of new zealand and special effects tomfoolery...
Peter Jackson is a hideous, evil man. I loathe him.

 

[vfefrenzy]

I just returned from watching the new Hobbit movie, and I alternated between being entertained and annoyed. Pretty much everything they added was rubbish. At this point, the effects are not impressive, and often irritating. Many of the action pieces look like video game cutscenes in the worst way. And the "comic" relief is mostly just Jackson jerking off. You can practically feel the waves of "look how clever I am" emanating from the screen.I loved the first trilogy, but these Hobbit films have gone off the rails.

 

[brian64]

I just returned from watching the new Hobbit movie, and I alternated between being entertained and annoyed. Pretty much everything they added was rubbish. At this point, the effects are not impressive, and often irritating. Many of the action pieces look like video game cutscenes in the worst way. And the "comic" relief is mostly just Jackson jerking off. You can practically feel the waves of "look how clever I am" emanating from the screen.I loved the first trilogy, but these Hobbit films have gone off the rails.

I've only seen part 1 so far, but this precisely reflects my opinion of it. I found it sufficiently disappointing compared with LOTR as to leave me with little desire to see parts 2 & 3.

 

[kanada]

I saw #3 yesterday and really enjoyed it. I take it for what it is, and nothing more. I'll always prefer the books but I do like watching the movies after I read the books each time.

 

[winton]

I saw part 3 of the Hobbit. I thought it was a long battle scene with a few breaks of non-battle. Not the way I remember the books.

 

[davek]

Being a huge LOTR fan since childhood, I was stoked the other day when I quite by accident found the animated 1977 The Hobbit movie on DVD. Of course I jumped on it and immediately bought the movie. I had not seen the animated movie since I was a child. Of course, when I got the movie home, instead of a bowl of Fruit Loops or Cheerios, I enjoyed the movie while puffing contentedly on a pipe. It was a wonderful evening that despite the pipe, made me feel like a child once more.

I believe I smoked a bowl of Fruit Loops before I saw that one the first time as well.
I've not seen the newest Hobbit. I'll watch it, but I can wait a year for the DVD. Last night I re-watched The Fellowship Of The Ring. The LOTR movies had *many* issues but they had heart, like the books. The Hobbit movies have none.
In my mind's eye I see some characters and places as they were portrayed in the movies now, as they were done well. Some, I will keep my own visualization of. Aragorn was done well, and Minas Tirith. Sauron and Lorien... not so much.

 

[phil67]

Loved the movie version of LOTR (yes, I read the book years ago including The Hobbit), but The Hobbit film(s) are a bastardized and ridiculously inflated nonsensical version of the book to further feed upon the coffers of movie goers. I tried to watch 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' (the first installment) DVD from Netflix and only got through about 40 minutes of it before I ejected it and returned it. After that sour experience I have no desire whatsoever to watch any of the other offerings from Jackson.

 

[kanada]

a lot of "non hobbit" sections from the movie are drawn from the appendices of the LOTR and Unfinished Tales.