The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

[Fritz]

Not yet.

Well it's possible that on occasion I may have been accused of not bring right in the head.

 

[The Ween]

Just got back from seeing it. I'm very sad knowing that this is the last time I'll see a new Middle Earth movie in the theater. I love this world Peter Jackson by way of Tolkien has built here. Probably more so than any other fantasy world I've ever experienced. It's just sad knowing that this was the end.

Beautifully done though. A very fitting end even though I hate to say it.

Oh who knows. Maybe one day we'll get to go back.

 

[jye4ever]

Finally today.

 

[Adolfo]

Seeing this tonight.

 

[Adrosi]

Being a huge Lord of the Rings trilogy fan... I sat myself through each of the hobbit movies hopefully optimistic. Saw The Battles on Wednesday and I personally hated it. Couldnt tell what I was watching half the time and or even as to why I was watching it. Very little storyline and the parts that are are so corny...

5 out of 10 for me.

At least its over and I can go back to know nothing will touch Lord of the Rings.

 

[furystorm]

Felt the same...

 

[Fritz]

I have given much thought and reflection on this after Trilogy Monday and my biggest gripe about this final film is that the 30 minutes PJ talked about being in the EE were not in the TE and an additional 30 minutes were not allocated to the EE.

That being said, I can't wait to see it again tonight!

 

[NAZGUL-KING]

We're seeing it tonight too. Can't wait.

 

[Matt S]

Gonna go see it today but just not excited. More out of obligation than anything. Hobbit should have been the original two movies not this overly bloated three parter

 

[Kibagami]

I'm seeing this tomorrow; I'm looking forward to an hour of killing a dragon and 2 hours for a huge war. I hope.

 

[TheObsoleteMan]

I'm seeing this tomorrow; I'm looking forward to an hour of killing a dragon and 2 hours for a huge war. I hope.

You might be surprised. Not counting the credits, it hits right around 2 hours.

I thought it was fantastic. Not quite as good as Desolation of Smaug, but for what it essentially a two hour fight scene, it kept from becoming tedious which is quite an achievement.

 

[Kibagami]

You might be surprised. Not counting the credits, it hits right around 2 hours.

I thought it was fantastic. Not quite as good as Desolation of Smaug, but for what it essentially a two hour fight scene, it kept from becoming tedious which is quite an achievement.

Wow, good. I didn't want to be at the theaters for 4 hours.

 

[Khev]

Wow, good. I didn't want to be at the theaters for 4 hours.

Yeah you won't be. Including credits (which are lengthy) the full run time is 2 hours and 24 minutes. This isn't another ROTK.

After the cliffhanger of DOS I was worried that this film might open with a 30 minute flashback or something before getting back to the Smaug attack. Nope!

 

[Sachiel]

Interview with Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens

I don't really like the Hollywood blockbuster bandwagon that exists right now. The industry and the advent of all the technology, has kind of lost its way. It's become very franchise driven and superhero driven.

Like the Hobbit trilogy?

Now that the entire franchise is done, are there any characters from "The Hobbit" that you're sad you can't move into "Lord of the Rings"?

PB: You're the person to ask that!

PJ: You mean retrospectively?

PB: Tauriel.

PJ: Tauriel.

PB: I actually think the young girls are going to start watching this 1, 2, 3 and they're going to start wondering where she is.

PJ: We're really three or four years away from eight and nine year-olds discovering these movies and watching them in this order and will be wondering why she doesn't show up in "Lord of the Rings." Maybe we'll get Evangeline down to New Zealand, shoot a bunch of stuff, chop it up and put it into a box set.

 

[Fritz]

Interview with Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens...

PB: In the end you're responding to critics, which I don't think is a way to make movies. You can't write for critics, you have to write for fans. And as a screenwriter, you have to introduce these characters.

 

[Khev]

Like the Hobbit trilogy?

Yeah that would be a big "no." Man, I swear people are being deliberately obtuse when it comes to PJ making three movies out of The Hobbit. He has explained time and time again the reasons why he did that and it has literally NOTHING to do with trying to squeeze more dollars out of movie goers or some idiotic notion that he's trying to pad the "franchise." He simply wanted to see 8+ hours of Hobbit related material on screen and that meant either cutting out hours of stuff he wanted to shoot, make two 4-hour long movies or expand it to three films. The end. If this was any other true "trilogy" people would take it as a valid three act story but just because we all know it is based on the events of one novel people the world over need to go out of their way to **** a brick about it. Good grief.

When I hear him talk about "franchise driven" movies I think of the MCU where nothing REALLY substantial can ever happen because the status quo will need to be maintained for like the next 50 years. It's just the nature of the beast with all these superhero companies wanting to maintain a persistent cinematic universe the way they do in the comics. With LOTR and The Hobbit you get multiple movies but each narrative has a definitive end where major characters, even heroes, can change and/or die.

And you know they were joking about inserting Tauriel into the LOTR. How on earth could they do that? Really the only place they could digitally insert her would be as one of Legolas' company when he arrives at Rivendell for the Council meeting. And then they'd have her do what, just sit quietly while everyone debated about the Ring and let them go off on an epic adventure without her? Without her saying a word to Gimli about meeting his father or anything? Of course not.

 

[furystorm]

Why not? Legolas never mentioned meeting Gloin, and that was shoe horned in and beaten over our head in The Hobbit. Just for a laugh...

Ala Vader building Threepio.

 

[Khev]

Why not? Legolas never mentioned meeting Gloin, and that was shoe horned in and beaten over our head in The Hobbit. Just for a laugh...

Touche. But Legolas shoe horned? No. He was the warrior prince of the jerk king who captured the dwarves. Why couldn't he be there? And if he is there why would he NOT make a snide comment to one of the dwarves? And if he does make a snide comment, why can't it be an amusing counterpoint to his final relationship with Gimli.

Vader building 3PO? I swear there is either mass obtuseness at play or outright trolling. It's like people literally want everything to be The Phantom Menace regardless of whether it's true or not.

 

[Irvy]

Oh boy reading that interview, haven't had that much fun since the king kong dino stampede.

 

[Sachiel]

And you know they were joking about inserting Tauriel into the LOTR. How on earth could they do that? Really the only place they could digitally insert her would be as one of Legolas' company when he arrives at Rivendell for the Council meeting. And then they'd have her do what, just sit quietly while everyone debated about the Ring and let them go off on an epic adventure without her? Without her saying a word to Gimli about meeting his father or anything? Of course not.

Lucas digitally inserted Boba Fett in the ANH Special Edition and all he did was stand around and look into the camera.

One day when the separation anxiety gets too much for PJ, he might end up making Special Extended Editions.