The second Hobbit movie...

[tarotgal]

I just got back from seeing The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug. I liked it a lot. Didn't absolutely love it, and I think I liked the first movie better. But I liked it. Lots of amazing Kili h/c and so many moments that PERFECTLY support the fic that I've been wanting to write since the last movie (but hesitated to write because of potential things in this movie... that I now have no worries about). In fact, I spent a lot of the movie writing said fic in my head. Which is not to say the movie was full of boring, dull moments (I must admit, I kind of get bored when Gandalf goes off on his own, but that's how it was in the LotR movies, too; I like Gandalf best when he's kicking some ass and saving people or leading the way in an adventure or giving other characters great bits of wisdom... not when he stupidly heads off alone when his groups need him most). I liked a lot of moments in the movie... just didn't feel that they pulled me in enough overall to keep me concentrating on the scene at hand and not the fic in my head.

I hope to write a proper review tomorrow; it's been an insanely long week and after a couple rough nights when I only got a few hours of sleep, I'm too exhausted tonight. I definitely liked it, just wasn't madly in love with it. Except, perhaps, for all the Kili & Fili moments ;-)

Comments

[ladykorana.livejournal.com]

I actually loved this one lots more than the first one.

The first one, stuff like the trolls and goblin king felt gratuitously gross and cartoony. Then there was all the extra Azog stuff, and that unnecessary fight at the end after hiding in the trees that had me rolling my eyes and looking at my watch. It felt bloated, IMHO. Still loved it, of course. But I only saw it in theaters twice, compared to 10 times each for the LOTR trilogy.

On the other hand, I've always been fascinated by Dol Guldur, and the White Council, and the joining of wizards and elves to expel Sauron from there. So any time Gandalf leaves to do that stuff, I'm so into seeing the appendices come to life. But then I'm always interested in stuff that relates to Mirkwood and therefore Legolas.

And there we come to the heart of it. Legolas Legolas Legolas! It is ironic he got more actual focus in this movie than in 3 LOTR movies combined, but I loved it! I squee'd so hard inside at his exchange with Gloin and the pic of wee Gimli. And Thranduil was just magnificent. And his home! the outer gates were just like id imagined! So much to work with!

Speaking of magnificent: Smaug. Wow. So very well done.
Though if any part had me bored it was just a bit too much time spent chasing around under the mountain. I was starting to wonder what would be left for a third movie there. I couldn't stop thinking "Stop destroying the amazing stonework!" And "the dwarves are going to have their hands full restoring this place". Probably not what they wanted me thinking right then.

I loved the Kili H/C, though I'm mixed about splitting the dwarf company. By far the biggest departure from canon PJ has made in any Tolkien movie. But Tauriel/Kili is sweet and it felt like lots of LOTR H/C fic I used to read, and I'm always up for that. I suspect purists are up in arms about it, but not me. :)

[cowboyguy.livejournal.com]

The most frustrating part of last night was when people asked me, "So, what was your favorite part?" And I couldn't say, "Milk screaming in pain." :D

I liked this one more than the first, although there were a few parts that seemed overly drawn out. And I actually quite liked Tauriel, and I was expecting not to.

[cowboyguy.livejournal.com]

And I completely hate the autocorrect on my phone because, um, "milk"? That was supposed to be Kili. XD