The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (Post-release)

Hobbit Office - Saturday Night Live

http://youtu.be/bg8NS6s0fkw

just came back from a early showing...................looks great in HFR 3d. now that the hobbit trilogy is done, im kind of sad..........what will peter jackson (and the rest of new zealand) do now.

Silmarillion Trilogy

Just got back from seeing it. I fell asleep a few times during the movie. :-\ Now, I'm not a super fan of any of the books or anything. In fact, I've never even read any of them. However I love the LOTR films. I've watched them all many times. I can't see myself doing this with the Hobbit films.

Its raining here and I am on my way to see it. I was at the Los Angeles premier last Tuesday but unfortunately wasn't there to see the screening, just to see the 4 I cared to see. And since all other advanced showings in my area I knew of were part of the 9 hour marathon, I had to wait until today to see this. Anyway, were any of you at the L.A premier as well?

And now that I've been back from seeing it, I can't help but gather my thoughts on this movie and not spoil anything. At most, without spoling anything, I can say I thought it was ok. Its my least favorite of the 3 Hobbit parts. From after the banishment, I thought everything was one huge, rushed mess for the most part, but CelticRuins and CutThumb have already expressed most of the same issues I have with BotFA. There are a few other things I have issues with but it is what it is.

One thing I wonder. Why don't all elves ride elks?

CelticRuins said:

I did see it on Wednesday night. My bf and I were "special guests" for an advanced screening, as we came in costume and "portrayed" the characters for our local theater.

I'll say that these movies are obviously not my favorite. 'Unexpected Journey' is! I loved it so much, while others had less than favorable things to say about it.

I'm still compiling my thoughts. We may go see it again on opening night, as we had a IMAX 3D viewing for the screening and 3D bothers the hell out of me. Just can't completely focus. But the detail in the costumes (that weren't FRIGGIN' CGI'D TO HELL AND BACK), were outstanding in 3D!

I did do a bitter write up as soon as I came home though, lol...it's spoilery, so if you're saving yourself avoid this: http://celticruinsdesigns.tumblr.com/post/104901025213/well-were-back

I'll probably write an even longer, more thorough report soon. Without a doubt in my mind now, I know these are the Tolkien fan's prequels. PJ has followed the exact footsteps of Lucas in the fact that he reached the highest of highs, got cocky and blew his wad on something that should have been simple and bitter sweet.

I wanted to have a good cry at the end of this...but I didn't. Scenes that should have been heartfelt were rushed or underplayed. The fact that such amazingly epic and beautiful scenes like Boromir's death, Theoden's death, the split second of Eomer finding Eowyn on the battle field...the Fellowship running out of Moria....were done by PJ and he gave us what we're getting now?? Sad.

So yes, the least I can say is that I'm slightly bitter. But eh lol. I still love the design work and the over all aesthetic of this Middle Earth. I always will. The costuming is fabulous as well as the set designs...again..THAT WEREN'T CGI'd.

I still have the hashtag: #AtleastWeHaveLotR...lol

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I'll be reading your review later. By the way, you and your bf make great elves.

So I've read your review and its quite humourous. lol There's not a thing I disagree with. And we'll always have LotR. Lightning just doesn't strike twice, eh? I was a fool to seriously have expected this to be on par with LotR just because it was done by PJ.

Shadow345 said:

Silmarillion Trilogy

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Despite Peter's willingness to do it, it will never happen hence his acknowledgement of going back to middle earth #onelasttime.

KhalDrogo said:

Just got back from seeing it. I fell asleep a few times during the movie. :-\ Now, I'm not a super fan of any of the books or anything. In fact, I've never even read any of them. However I love the LOTR films. I've watched them all many times. I can't see myself doing this with the Hobbit films.

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I opted out of the Hobbit marathon certain theatres were showing because I thought I'd fall asleep too. And truth be told, I just can't sit for 9+ hours for this trilogy or spend the $40 marathon ticket. I can do it over and over for the extended LotR trilogy, but Hobbit just doesn't make me feel the same. One thing I realized about the Company of Thorin, is that two movies in I don't give a damn about any of the dwarves. I don't know half the dwarves half as well as I should like, and like less than half of them half as well as they deserve. Unlike the Fellowship.


On a side note for anyone interested since this is related, Google Play is offering The Fellowship of the Ring theatrical version for free! You need a credit/debit card, or paypal to redeem it but you aren't charged a cent. Only in America though. I heard other countries were getting a different free movie from google but am not sure if that's correct though.

I liked it. It wasn't the book, but it was fun and had a lot of heart. Let's face it, it hasn't been pure since Legolas murdered an oliphaunt single-handedly.

I liked it. I'm long past over that it isn't a clone of the book.

There were a couple of editing choices I would've made differently, and often, digital replacement for actors stood out. And I know to make a digital army you make a few and clone them, but I was spotting repeats like crazy. All the orc armor has the same weathering/dents, they all have severed heads on their spears with identical features spiked in identical positions, etc.

(Spoiler, if that's even necessary)

"You will have to discover his name yourself." Really? Like knowing Arathorn is his father isn't a big enough giveaway that the Ranger he seeks is in line for the Gondor crown?

Is it me or was Billy Connoly entirely CG? Like, all of him except the voice? I don't think there was any of him, or make up or prosthetics in there.

I liked the movie and am only sad that this will likely be our last adventure in Middle Earth.

What was the Billy dig at the audience someone mentioned?

I dunno, I thought he was fine (even though I'm 99% he was entirely cg).

I liked the movie. But hmm. That green screen usage during the dwarven throne scene was way too obvious. The actors looked like they were softening out of existence. Their hair would disappear and than reappear when they turned their heads.

I will say this about the film that I really liked. No Hobbit praising of any kind. After the "you bow to no one" scene from RotK, I had it up to hear with hero worshipping the Hobbits. I was tired of all the praising, tired of all the surprises by the other characters ect. I get it. Hobbits are special because they're the kind of race you would least expect to do anything brave or courageous. If it wasn't for the last movie having the Dwarfs take the fight to Smaug in the end, I would have thought that Hobbits were the only courageous things in Middle Earth. When Bilbo defended the Dwarfs when he snuck away with the stone, I was like "Thank god. Someone speaking up for the characters who are actually working hard trying to accomplish something."

I was a wee bit disappointed with the conclusion to the battle. Who took the mountain? Did the elf get his trinket? Did the dwarfs get to keep the lonely mountain? Did the citizens of Lake Town get the gold needed to rebuild? I hope the extended edition delves a bit more into this area.

Treadwell said:

What was the Billy dig at the audience someone mentioned?

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I might have been a little over sensitive at this point but when the earth eaters, sorry, were-worms burst out of the mountainside and reared up into the heavens the full on CGI’d Billy bellows “You’ve just GOT to be joking!!!!!” .Sadly for me ,Peter Jackson obviously wasn’t.
So the orcs suddenly have super beast weapons that chew through solid rock like cake. So what happened next? Did they:
(a) Use them to immediately burrow into Erebor, destroying the Dwarfs and securing the golden treasures in one fell swoop.
(b) Make them roll across the battlefield and crush the Dwarf and Elf armies, which should have taken them about five minutes.
(c) Ever consider using them again at any time and anywhere else on Middle Earth such as , maybe the Battle of Helms Deep, or any fight for that matter where the ability to dissolve the ground under the enemies feet is considered by most to be a slight tactical advantage.
(d) Construct a vast labyrinthine network of underground tunnels that connected all the important places around Middle Earth then charging huge sums of money for everyone to travel and trade on them, there by securing the control of all fiscal and economic markets by the dark lord without him really having to try to hard at all.

Actually these are all trick questions because what they actually did next was to allow these huge monsters to reverse straight back into the same holes out of which thousands of Orcs poured ,and they were never seen in Middle Earth again.

So in a film that had (for me anyway) so many WTF moments of computer generated stupidity (and don’t even get me started on the Super Mario Elf ) and such a poor level of consistency with them I found it all terrible hard to forgive. But with things like the flying bat sequence (why did they use the same bats and stunt as they did in King Kong????) the sometimes terrible trolls ,orrible orcs etc I was pulled out of the film so many times it was hardly worth the effort of trying to get back into it.
Which is a shame, because with just some restraint and fore thought, all the elements of a great film were there, instead of a middling Middle Earth one.


PS I’ve also just read that after two or three years of doing other things PJ is apparently considering doing the big “S”. No worries there then!!

PPS Only Jeyl could like a film adapted from the book called "The Hobbit" that had very little actual hobbit in it. No surprises there then.

Paul Andrew said:

Is it me or was Billy Connoly entirely CG? Like, all of him except the voice? I don't think there was any of him, or make up or prosthetics in there.

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I think his mouth was CGI, as a result of his battle with Parkinson's.

I've long accepted the fact that the books and the movies are totally different creatures. So I go to see each movie hoping for another exciting romp across Middle Earth. And BotFA does not disappoint.

Only two things I really didn't like from my initial viewing of the movie: the first is practically every single scene with Alfrid Lickspittle (he should have just gotten squashed with the Master) and the dragon sickness scene with Thorin in the golden hall, which was kinda cheesy.

My favorite scene on the other hand has got to be the White Council vs Sauron and the Nazgul. Good to see Dark Galadriel make a return and in a spectacular display of power.

My wife and I saw it for our anniversary date. I thought it was okay. None of these 3 films even hold a candle to LOTR. Visually yes they are stunning, but emotionally and character wise, it felt like they almost slipped into self-parody.
our favorite part was Pippin singing the end credits. That was a lovely nod.

kalkamel said:

I've long accepted the fact that the books and the movies are totally different creatures. So I go to see each movie hoping for another exciting romp across Middle Earth. And BotFA does not disappoint.

Only two things I really didn't like from my initial viewing of the movie: the first is practically every single scene with Alfrid Lickspittle (he should have just gotten squashed with the Master) and the dragon sickness scene with Thorin in the golden hall, which was kinda cheesy.

My favorite scene on the other hand has got to be the White Council vs Sauron and the Nazgul. Good to see Dark Galadriel make a return and in a spectacular display of power.

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X2, thats exactly how I felt.

The ridiculous CG movements of the Heroes during the action scenes was what did it for me, I did love the art direction though.

Jeyl said:

I was a wee bit disappointed with the conclusion to the battle. Who took the mountain? Did the elf get his trinket? Did the dwarfs get to keep the lonely mountain? Did the citizens of Lake Town get the gold needed to rebuild? I hope the extended edition delves a bit more into this area.

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after seeing it again and thinking about it, I did feel like we got cheated at the end. I know lots of people complained about LOTR 20 endings but I liked it, it told you how these multiple storylines all ended. I didn't feel that way after BOTFA, I hope the extended edition does add more to everyones situation at the end of this movie.

SVTStingRay said:

after seeing it again and thinking about it, I did feel like we got cheated at the end. I know lots of people complained about LOTR 20 endings but I liked it, it told you how these multiple storylines all ended. I didn't feel that way after BOTFA, I hope the extended edition does add more to everyones situation at the end of this movie.

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I was waiting for them to have a scene of thorin being buried with the arkenstone, instead it was skipped to when Bilbo wanted to leave for home....could also have had a scene were he gets Sting ingraved with its name.