Hobbit Trailer looks crap

[Kitanna]

It looks better than the first trailer. Maybe it if weren't for all the bow-twanging elves being beautiful, but ancient and terrible beings I'd like it even more. I do hope this is better than the first Hobbit movie.

I looked up the soundtrack today, but iTunes had a sample of one song up for preview. I See Fire by Ed Sheeran. Now, I liked all the credit songs, Enya's May it Be, Emiliana Torrini's Gollum's Song, Annie Lennox's Into the West, and even Neil Finn's Song of the Lonely Mountain (though this one took me some getting used to). I felt the songs for the trilogy always fit the mood of the movies. Song of the Lonely Mountain was ok, though it felt too folksy and somewhat of an odd choice, but I liked it. I See Fire song just seems entirely out of place. The song itself isn't terrible, but sounds more like it belongs on the Hunger Games soundtrack with Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars. Anyone else listened to the sample?

Also welcome to the Down Jabberwocky!

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

Morth will no doubt be gratified that this time they’ve taken the drastic step of *almost* including some lines from the book. Did you know the “King beneath the Mountains” song was really an Ancient Prophecy of Doom? No? Must be in the Appendices.

I'm actually gratified they kept the character names from the original book. I was expecting the dwarves like Kili and Fili to have racier names better fit for the modern HBO series viewer demographic, like Brace and Flint or Clovis and Jehan. Maybe Gaelicize them and call them Conor and Ciaran or make them Welsh like Dylan and Deryn.

Originally Posted by Kitanna

I looked up the soundtrack today, but iTunes had a sample of one song up for preview. I See Fire by Ed Sheeran. Now, I liked all the credit songs, Enya's May it Be, Emiliana Torrini's Gollum's Song, Annie Lennox's Into the West, and even Neil Finn's Song of the Lonely Mountain (though this one took me some getting used to). I felt the songs for the trilogy always fit the mood of the movies. Song of the Lonely Mountain was ok, though it felt too folksy and somewhat of an odd choice, but I liked it. I See Fire song just seems entirely out of place. The song itself isn't terrible, but sounds more like it belongs on the Hunger Games soundtrack with Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars. Anyone else listened to the sample?

My 13 year-old daughter loves Ed Sheeran. He is a talented young man, but the majority of Ed Sheeran's fan base is 13 year-old girls. That should be enough to tell you that the inclusion of this song is based on demographics and not warranted by artistic qualities conducive to conveying a Tolkienesque feeling for the movie.

[Kitanna]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

My 13 year-old daughter loves Ed Sheeran. He is a talented young man, but the majority of Ed Sheeran's fan base is 13 year-old girls. That should be enough to tell you that the inclusion of this song is based on demographics and not warranted by artistic qualities conducive to conveying a Tolkienesque feeling for the movie.

I had never even heard of him. I suppose there are worse choices out there and maybe this song will grow on me like Neil Finn's. *shrug*

[Kuruharan]

The reviews are starting to come in.

I like that the Huff Po reviewer acknowledged that this whole thing is a massive ego trip by Jackson, a sentiment I have not seen as bluntly stated as this very often in the media.

However, I am depressed by her closing line:

"Jackson is back on track."

This exercise in rampant unchecked greed and indulgence started off anywhere near a descent set of tracks..? I've not seen evidence of such.

Or does she mean that Jackson's knack for self-indulgence and hijacking stories is even more on display in the latest film...

We wonders, precious, we wonders...

[Nerwen]

I don’t know, Kuru, I can’t even get much idea what the reviewer actually thinks of the movie– the tone is enthusiastic, yet the substance seems to be largely, “hey, here’s some stuff that actually didn’t get screwed up this time... Yaaay! Go Peter!”

This perhaps shows the benefit of setting the bar low enough to begin with...

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

This perhaps shows the benefit of setting the bar low enough to begin with...

The bar is set so low that I believe it can now be referred to as an underground cable.

[Kuruharan]

The bar is set so low that I believe it can now be referred to as an underground cable.

Ah ha ha ha!

The trickle of released reviews has now become a flood.

Just browsing the leading lines from the reviews I'm guessing the film has pacing problems (whodathunk) because it is something alluded to repeatedly even by the critics giving a positive review.

The guy from Newsday who said the romance was a welcome addition infuriates me. I suppose he is entitled to his opinion, but that doesn't make it a good one.

I'm also becoming wary of these repeated references in reviews to Thranduil being "campy." What did Jackson do to the Elvenking's protrayal?

Oh yes...and...from the Time review...

this second of three film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 novel The Hobbit will be livelier, ruder and less slavishly faithful to its source than last year’s initial episode, An Unexpected Journey

SLAVISHLY FAITHFUL TO ITS SOURCE?!!!!

We need to start a petition drive to get this man fired AT ONCE! Either that or force him to watch a movie adaptation that actually is slavishly faithful to its source...in the hope that it might make his head explode.