Chuck Mayer
Senior HTF Member
In olden times, this thread would already be on page 4 after a midnight showing. All my usual HTF mates must have gotten fat, stupid, and old. I don't want to review the film properly, because I'd like to see it in 2D at a reasonable time first. But I will share some quick impressions. As this is a new movie, I created a new thread.
The HFR is better, but I still don't like it. I ended up seeing the double feature, and I'm happy I did. Although I'd seen the first film a few times lately (HBO and the EE, with my son), seeing them theatrically is always nice. I did like seeing both of the films in 3D, though Jim Cameron doesn't have anything to worry about.
I do believe the structure of the film suffers a bit, since it was originally the last third of the first film and the first half (or so) of the second film. As it's own film, it feels a bit crowded and loose.
This film has quite a bit more action than the first film. Some of it is wonderful, some of it is gratuitous (but wonderful), and some of it feels like overkill. Maybe that was the late hour, but some of the action in Laketown at the end make the climax feel a bit less focused.
My biggest gripe is the Dol Goldur stuff. I'm certain it is going somewhere in There and Back Again, but it did nothing for me in DoS. I'm all for more time with Gandalf, but I didn't like the scenes. That said, Sir Ian kills it again as Gandalf the Grey.
Back to the quest, they spend the first film setting up Azog, and the second film is all about Bolg. I don't give a rip about Bolg (except for his pimp hammer/axe thing). Several of the dwarves got fleshed out a bit more, but still not all of them. That said, no gripe from me. 13 is a hard number to keep track of and make unique, and PJ does a pretty good job here.
Some lame compositing (reminisicent of TTT) rears it's ugly head, but for the most part, the effects are quite good. When they need to be great, they are.
Which leads us to the titular dragon. Smaug lives up to and exceeds all of my expectations. Good performance, great design, incredible animation, fantastic character. He and Bilbo's scenes were (no surprise) the highlights.
I'll give a better, more proper review when I get a nice, old-fashioned 2D 24 fps showing under my belt.
But I wanted to get a little bit out there.
Well worth it if you liked the first Hobbit film. Still riddled with PJ's excesses, but I've grown accustomed to them (and even fond of several of them).
The HFR is better, but I still don't like it. I ended up seeing the double feature, and I'm happy I did. Although I'd seen the first film a few times lately (HBO and the EE, with my son), seeing them theatrically is always nice. I did like seeing both of the films in 3D, though Jim Cameron doesn't have anything to worry about.
I do believe the structure of the film suffers a bit, since it was originally the last third of the first film and the first half (or so) of the second film. As it's own film, it feels a bit crowded and loose.
This film has quite a bit more action than the first film. Some of it is wonderful, some of it is gratuitous (but wonderful), and some of it feels like overkill. Maybe that was the late hour, but some of the action in Laketown at the end make the climax feel a bit less focused.
My biggest gripe is the Dol Goldur stuff. I'm certain it is going somewhere in There and Back Again, but it did nothing for me in DoS. I'm all for more time with Gandalf, but I didn't like the scenes. That said, Sir Ian kills it again as Gandalf the Grey.
Back to the quest, they spend the first film setting up Azog, and the second film is all about Bolg. I don't give a rip about Bolg (except for his pimp hammer/axe thing). Several of the dwarves got fleshed out a bit more, but still not all of them. That said, no gripe from me. 13 is a hard number to keep track of and make unique, and PJ does a pretty good job here.
Some lame compositing (reminisicent of TTT) rears it's ugly head, but for the most part, the effects are quite good. When they need to be great, they are.
Which leads us to the titular dragon. Smaug lives up to and exceeds all of my expectations. Good performance, great design, incredible animation, fantastic character. He and Bilbo's scenes were (no surprise) the highlights.
I'll give a better, more proper review when I get a nice, old-fashioned 2D 24 fps showing under my belt.
But I wanted to get a little bit out there.
Well worth it if you liked the first Hobbit film. Still riddled with PJ's excesses, but I've grown accustomed to them (and even fond of several of them).