Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Review Thread

[sshuttari]

Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Review Thread




The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the story of Bilbo Baggins, a character of the most innocent of sentiments. He wins us from the first scene, because he is one among us. It is not his heroic character which makes him surreal, but his vulnerability which makes him endear-able. We fall in love with Bilbo because he is scared of the unknown just like us. What makes him a hero is his conviction and spirit, which makes him embark on a wide-spread journey for the search of love and faith. It is somewhere in that journey, that you no longer root for Peter Jackson and his victory, but for Bilbo and his belief.

This is a very light hearted film compared to the grand scale of Lord of the Rings. Peter Jackson seems to be targeting the child in us (in some ways The Phantom Menace kept coming to mind) We introduced to the these wonderful dwarfs, and it takes about an hour for the film to really get going. and when we finally start on the Journey itself and leave Hobbiton we get lost in who is who during the fight and battle sequences.

Technically speaking the vivid colors and camera aspects as they move seem to be more for the 48fps that we have heard so much about. But I saw it 24fps setting which seemed just fine. I feel like PJ has really taken the journey to be more exotic and grand looking then it needed it to be. It's very bright, polished, and clean and I found it distracting. I loved the grittiness of LoTR and here it's like every detail has been heightened.

The battle sequences are well made and thrilling to watch but at parts they do look over drawn. Thre are times when Bilbo, and the dwarves doing superhuman things which really took me by surprise and a little out of the film. As they move along a mountain pointlessly involved in a battle (they're on the mountains legs) and a bridge is falling down to a chasm with dwarfs hanging off it. I don't know why PJ decided to do these sequences maybe to make them seem as epic as some of the LoTR scenes. But in "The Hobbit" it comes off out of place.

In the end it's a nice welcome back to Middle Earth I guess the little nitpicks I have don't stay with me well enough to give it a bad grade. Also it's hard for me to rate a story that's not even finished and here's hoping the next two films do a better job with pacing and please PJ no more forced battle sequences.


****/*****

[FranklinTard]

so a review thread started with no review...

[sshuttari]

I posted a review but sadly I had to put it down give me a couple of days and it will go back up

[Knerys]

How interesting....

[jbailey84]

So you can't post a review because of your job?

[Daniel]

Not to break your balls, but yea it's one of the long-standing rules here. No review, no review thread...

[sshuttari]

Yeah I know... I'm trying to get it up tonight!

[DarthVader 2004]

Whats so hard to understand he saw the movie but can't tell yet. Must work at some movie job. Can you give us hints in black tag form.

[Deexan]

SS has the shadiest reviewing techniques I have ever seen. It's quite something.

[sshuttari]

Originally Posted by Deexan

SS has the shadiest reviewing techniques I have ever seen. It's quite something.

I love you too!

[Deexan]

I'm just calling it how I see it!

At least you're replying to people in this thread.

[Daniel]

Originally Posted by sshuttari

Yeah I know... I'm trying to get it up tonight!

that's what she said

[Justin]

I'd like to see a more critical review from you, ss. You seem to like a lot of movies and that's great, but I'd like to see you really go into detail in why you either liked it, loved it, or on the opposite side of the spectrum, hated it. That would give me a better understanding of how a film measures up to your standards.

[sshuttari]

This one I'm a lost for... It's not as good as LoTR and it's hard to grade because going in, I knew it wasn't going to hold up to those standards. This is a lighter adventure and it shows.

Maybe This will help more if I had to grade each movie.

Fellowship of the ring 5/*****
Two Towers 4.5/*****
Return of the King 5/*****

[DarthVader 2004]

I am wondering what you thought of there acting in the movie. And I a long time ago decided that I would not compare it to LOTR simply because there not the same movie. To Me LOTR is like Raiders Of The Lost Ark and The Hobbit would be Temple Of Doom.
Both good films but one greater then the other.

[Neverending]

Originally Posted by Justin

I'd like to see a more critical review from you, ss. You seem to like a lot of movies and that's great, but I'd like to see you really go into detail in why you either liked it, loved it, or on the opposite side of the spectrum, hated it. For me, that would give me a better understanding of how a film measures up to your standards.

I've been saying that for MONTHS.

[sshuttari]

Originally Posted by Neverending

I've been saying that for MONTHS.

I feel if I go too much into detail it will take away from your own experience and the wonders of the film itself. And I know most of you won't want that. Because I do early reviews and don't want to be spoiled.

[sshuttari]

Screw it

Things I loved:

Martin freeman as bilbo. He nailed it every scene he's in is outstanding.

Gandalf is a complete bada$$ he's doing more here and screen time presence then he got in lotr movies.

Theron the guy who plays him. He is really good. The way his relationship builds with bilbo is great to see.

Gollum looks fantastic more menacing then lotr also his scene with bilbo is fantastic

Things I didn't like:

All the dwarves there names, couldn't distinguish between them.

The first hour is really dull and pacing is pretty bad.

The brown wizard (forgot his name) hated him. Like he reminded me a bit of jar jar banks. He's really out there and I know he's Important because he's talking about things that will come up in the next 2 movies. But he annoyed me

Way too much politics a lot of things dragged with the council and information that wasn't necessary. A lot of this could have been saved for the extended edition. And to think we're getting an ext. on top of this baffles me.

[Neverending]

Your likes/dislikes are similar to most critics.

[Doomsday]

That's what I keep hearing, the pacing is just dreck. I really hope it becomes enough of an issue to make them reel back the follow up installments and only make one more movie. I don't care what you throw into the extended editions, heck make 10 extended movies, but as for the theatricals they shouldn't throw in the kitchen sink. Leave some for the EEs. If people like them they'll like them, otherwise you can improve on the dvd versions and make them better than the theatricals (looking at you, ROTK).

I'm wondering if people are afraid to say 'no' to Peter Jackson. After King Kong and its 3 hours of dinosaur chases and weird ice skating primate romances that people would say 'okay PJ not everything needs to make the final cut and rival Doctor Zhivago in length,' but maybe it's gonna take a couple more movies for that to be the case.

[Justin]

Originally Posted by sshuttari

I feel if I go too much into detail it will take away from your own experience and the wonders of the film itself. And I know most of you won't want that. Because I do early reviews and don't want to be spoiled.

That's a fine line that you walk as a critic. Early reviews are quite common, but being able to go into detail is important. Otherwise it would be quicker and easier to just post a short summary of the film; e.g. "solid action but excessive in length". Do you know what I mean? You had a really good review awhile back that felt complete and concise, though I don't remember for which movie.

[Justin]

Originally Posted by Neverending

I've been saying that for MONTHS.

Maybe he needed some criticism from someone he trusts.

[sshuttari]

Originally Posted by Justin

That's a fine line that you walk as a critic. Early reviews are quite common, but being able to go into detail is important. Otherwise it would be quicker and easier to just post a short summary of the film; e.g. "solid action but excessive in length". Do you know what I mean? You had a really good review awhile back that felt complete and concise, though I don't remember for which movie.

Ha! Thanks Justin I appreciate that I use to write lengthy detailed reviews and people complained its too long.

So I started trying to make smaller reviews and getting to the point. Can never win I suppose....

[JBond]

I guess not.

[sshuttari]

Originally Posted by JBond

I guess not.

...