The Hobbit!

[tarotgal]

I just got home from seeing the first hobbit movie. It was my first time seeing a LotR movie at midnight. And I must admit, I fell asleep briefly during the talking scene in Rivendell and during the first wrag attack (yes, there was more than one). But only briefly and I knew I was seeing the movie again in about 15 hours, so I didn't beat myself up over it. I had an incident with my eyes last night so they weren't at their best; I didn't push them. But it was only a short-lived nodding off. I went with my Harry Potter group and a member of one of the local Geek clubs. There were... 10 or 11 of us. And we chose the wrong theater. Apparently, theater 2 was the overflow of people who didn't make it into 9 and in 9 there were lightsabers. Ah well. We got perfect seats right in the middle. Couldn't have been better. And, yeah, I got there 2 hours and 15 minutes early.

My friend and I clapped at "The Hobbit" title credit but we were pretty much the only ones who did (disappointing) and I had to lead the theater in applause at the end! ME! I know! I am SO not a leader! But I couldn't wait and had to clap and others joined right in. Yay.

Anyway, I totally loved it. Not as much as the LotR trilogy, but this was only my first viewing.

Spoilers below! Just tiny ones and me freaking out, but, still if you wish to be unspoiled, do not read any more of this!!!!!!



Just got home from watching The Hobbit for the first time. I have tickets to the 7pm showing in IMAX 3D (but I was blown away by it in regular, so I'm happy I saw that first). It really did feel just like being back in their world--only the sets were a little more detailed. There was detail packed into every inch of the screen--sometimes distractingly, but usually pleasingly. I really could have done without my friend literally gasping every single time Richard was on screen. There were a few instances when she didn't gasp, but instead murmured "so pretty!" instead; not an improvement. Yes, the man is great. But we've had years of watching him on Robin Hood--a few gasps the first few times we see him would suffice! LOL

I'm just going to list things now...
Brief Benedict Cumberbatch cameo
The beginnings of a lot of familiar things... like the witch king's sword
Getting some dwarf history without having to slog through those portions of the books I don't like/can't seem to follow
FRODO! Older Bilbo! MORE FOOTAGE! Bag End mailbox! SQUEE!
Portraits over the mantelpiece, just where they're supposed to be
Legolas' daddy!
Gimli's daddy!
Dwarves who were a lot more than just comic relief
Christopher Lee cameo--I knew about Cate & Hugo but Christopher was a surprise to me; wish they could have just offed him then and there
Hedgehog h/c
Bilbo's "home" speech near the end--I wish I hadn't been spoiled for that in the trailers; it would have been more powerful if I couldn't quote it along with him. LOL
Orc singing was... weird. Felt like I was in a musical suddenly. Dwarves and elves and rangers I could handle, but orcs? Weird to me.
Way too much action at times--I don't know what I'd cut, but the number of small battles started to get to me after a while. I think it would be different if I were watching all three back-to-back and the pacing made sense, but this was a series of little adventures and there was SO MUCH action. It was good, and really well done. I loved it, but my favorite parts were parts without so much action like...
Riddles in the dark! OMG RIDDLES IN THE DARK WAS SOOOOOO PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's my second fave scene in the whole book and it was done so perfectly!
Bilbo & Thorin hugging and my friend (not the gasping one) leaning over to me and whispering "And a ship is born" LOL
Bilbo's first time wearing the ring, similar to Frodo's first time wearing the ring
Bilbo showing pity
Bilbo besting the trolls
Bilbo doing ANYTHING. Martin was amazing!
Especially sneezing. I nearly fucking died. I was hoping for maybe, maybe a handkerchief mention. But not only that: we get a sneeze. And it was beautiful and on the big screen and I'd totally pay another $20 just to see that. You're the only people I can admit it to. I'm SO THRILLED. Now I'm pretty sure that if they use that payoff for consistency and have Bilbo catching that cold after the barrel escape scene in the next(?) movie, I will literally die in the theater with happy. But if they don't do it, I don't even mind so much because his sneeze was such perfection here. Guh.

Really, though, the movie was grand. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did, even. I can't wait to see it again! But, first, sleeeeeeep!

Comments

[ladykorana.livejournal.com]

I agree 100-million-percent. Except I didn't fall asleep. But two teenage boys in the row in front of me slept through at least two hours of it. I heard them complaining about it when the movie was over. No one clapped or cheered in my theater either. But the party and most of the LOTR costumes were over in the IMAX 3d theater. It was sold out when I got my ticket so I was just in regular 3D. I, too, lead my theater in some really weak clapping at the end. Go us!

I missed the Benedict Cumberbatch cameo, but I don't watch his show, so that doesn't suprise me.

They gave Figwit a name! Lindir! If only he knew how much elf slash I've read involving him, LOL.

What the heck was Thranduil riding, anyway? I admit, I will be disappointed if he's not wearing a crown of leaves when they got to that part. But I bet they'll make it a pricey looking crown, to exaggerate his weakness of greed, and to make it match the other elves' various headgear.

The Gollum section was magical. Utter perfection. You could hear a pin drop in the theater during that part, except for when we were supposed to laugh. Perfection.

[tarotgal]

Yay for applauding! Man, I hope the movie does well. The crowd was definitely at the 3-D showings across the hall and the other regular theaters (lots of costumes). But it had better do well in the box office.

I certainly didn't sleep through 2 hours! Maybe a total of 5 minutes if you add both times. A friend asked me afterward if Galadriel was implying that she and Gandalf had a relationship; I realized I had no idea because I didn't see some of that part, but I told her that considering Galadriel sailed into the west long before her husband did, she had enough solo time that I wouldn't put anything past her.

OMG I missed Figwit's name! How did I miss that? When was it said?

Benedict played the Necromancer... and the dragon, of course, but he's not so recognizable in that role. LOL

Thranduil... I dunno what that was. A moose/deer/elk thing from the woods, I guess? It was kind of embarrassingly showy; perfect for him. I wanted to see a crown as well, but he had one in my mind regardless LOL

[ladykorana.livejournal.com]

I was riveted during the Galadriel stuff. Oh man, all the different dynamics and angles and machinations and impressions of each other going on in that meeting! The White Council bit in the appendices has always fascinated me though.

Figwit/Lindir was the elf that first greeted the dwarves at Rivendell, and he introducted himself to them at that time. I didn't hear him clearly though, so I forced my bladder to wait just that little bit longer until I saw his name in the end credits. :)