The Hobbit – I have seen the film. (no spoilers)

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

I was lucky enough to see “The Hobbit” last night at a “pre-premiere” in Aarau, Switzerland.  I went with my 13 year old son and a friend from work.

All three of us enjoyed the film. We saw the 48 frames per second super high definition 3D version.  It is worth looking for a cinema that has this.  The visual effect is stunning.  You can see every hair in the dwarves beards and every intricate pattern in the clothing.  The 3D is the best of any film so far.  The 3D works best in the quiet scenes.  In the big battle scenes, the 3D effect  with many actors is a bit confusing.

The story is the Hobbit from the book plus a lot of extra, which probably comes from the unfinished tales.  The story is very good – better, more rounded and more grown up than the book.  There is some nice humour.  The violence is less graphic than LOTR so you can take 12 years olds (or even younger kids).

I will not comment on the story as that would be unfair.

I am sure Tolkien purists will hate Radagast and his sled but it serves a purpose.  The funny haircuts of the dwarves make perfect sense as they help you sort out which dwarf is which.

I would recommend this very strongly.

Mick

[tnjrp]

I also went to a HFR3D showing yesterday. Not quite as enthusiastic about it as you but it was decent and unlike some sourpusses have whinged, most scenes did look very good to excellent from the picture quality POV (there was some variance tho). Action scenes were way overblown this time around however and the general tone reminded me of Gremlins in that The Hobbit also had plenty of childish stuff mixed in with things that prolly were too frightening for the wee 'uns. But like I said, decent. Significant other liked it a bit more than I did.

[Njall]

I am sure Tolkien purists will hate Radagast and his sled but it serves a purpose. 

Which one ?
What does it do that a good horse could not have done ? Except making a comic relief from an Istari of course.
And hate is too mild a word for what I thought when I first saw that... thing (speaking of the sled, not the movie) but after all I'm a Tolkien purist

Anyway, I agree with tnjrp, the film is decent.

[rob_alderman]

I'm seeing it today at 8PM and can't wait!

It's nice to hear a positive review, I've read so much negative stuff about the way it is filmed that I was beginning to worry!

Thankyou for not spoiling it either

[tnjrp]

TH:AUJ isn't doing too badly with the critics in general, at least if Rotten Tomatoes is any indication:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_hobbit_an_unexpected_journey/

I'd rate it a little below 74%, personally.

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

Dear Scurv,

The 48 FPS does make a big difference.

The film is noticably sharper and more detailed than anything that I have seen before.  
You can really see the wood grain in Gandalf's staff and the individual hairs in his beard.
You can see the pattern woven into the cloth of Bilbo's waistcoat and the wool strands in Gandalf's knitted gloves.  

The 3D effect is also much better than other films.  There are times where it really looks real.
I liked it best in the quiet scenes with a few characters talking to each other where you do feel like things are actually in front of you.

In the battles I sometimes found the 3D effect with lots of actors overwhelming and confusing.
(Maybe my 48 years old eyes are too slow to keep up.)

Mick

[Haarken]

Saw the Hobbit today, very impressed. Agree that the Radagast sledge scenes will probably infuriate Tolkien purists however they weren't as jarring as the Dwarf tossing and the skateboard Legolas scenes in LOTR. Saw the movie in 2D so can't comment on the new fangled photography. What I will say is that I completely forgot that it has been split into two films, cue a year of impatient waiting. 

[maxxev]

3 films friend, 3, not 2....

[Schogun]

The second installment in the franchise will be The Hobbit: There and Back Again, to be  released on December 13, 2013.

The final film is titled The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, released worldwide on July 18, 2014.

Gads! All 3 movies filmed at the same time and we still have to wait 1-1/2 years to see all three???   

[Conquistador]

The second installment in the franchise will be The Hobbit: There and Back Again, to be  released on December 13, 2013.

The final film is titled The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, released worldwide on July 18, 2014.

Gads! All 3 movies filmed at the same time and we still have to wait 1-1/2 years to see all three???   

Cynics would say, "Marketing."

Theatre types might say, "Editing."

Gracias,

Glenn

[tnjrp]

The second installment in the franchise will be The Hobbit: There and Back Again, to be  released on December 13, 2013.

The final film is titled The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, released worldwide on July 18, 2014

What what, they swapped the titles? IMDb doesn't know about this yet...

Gads! All 3 movies filmed at the same time and we still have to wait 1-1/2 years to see all three???   

Two words: post production.

---

Meanwhile, to those worried about such things...
http://www.geekosystem.com/gollum-fish-physics/

[palaeomerus]

Going to see it tomorrow at 2:35 PM central.

[Chairface]

Just got home from a preview screening, and I loved it! Turn off your brains for a while and you'll enjoy it too.

[rob_alderman]

I thought it was utterly fantastic. Some great references to other bits of background, some nice tie in's.

There are some changes, some things that aren't quite 'right', but most of them make sense in terms of on-screen character development and film time.

I won't say where, I won't say what, but it's all very good. I can't wait for GW to bring out some more models...

[tnjrp]

TH:AUJ isn't doing too badly with the critics in general, at least if Rotten Tomatoes is any indication:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_hobbit_an_unexpected_journey/

I'd rate it a little below 74%, personally

Looks to have taken something of plunge over the course of the last 20 or so hours. Now it's about at the level that feels right for me, at 68%.