The Hobbit

[janestarz]

Yesterday evening saw us for the second time this week in the cinema to see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Nathreee and Remco had not yet seen it and their visit was the perfect excuse to go again.

We enjoyed the movie again, and I could hear Nathreee laughing out loud and enjoying it thoroughly even from three seats over.


My favourite things from the movie, in no particular order:

Bilbo's braces. Handwoven? Perhaps...but we can try and reproduce them!

The dwarves having dinner at Bilbo's house, how very reminiscent of a bunch of larpers coming over.

The costume details. How Gandalf's robe has wear&tear below the elbows. How Bilbo's red coat gets worn during the journey and bare patches appear on the collar where the rib (corduroy) has faded. The tailoring of Elrond's clothes. The perfect wigs. How the dwarf costumes had true dwarfish design details and how their wide, bulky costumes made them look short and stout.

How very (human) lore-like King Thranduil is. I can imagine Thranduil being one of those elves from Pratchett. Bafflingly beautiful but very cruel indeed. Stealing children and whatnot. I can see him do that.

How the story is very reminiscent of a D&D campaign. Of course they're underway to the Lonely Mountain, but just like a campaign, foes find them, enemies hunt them, they are caught in battles and meet a weird wizard who gives them intel. Some people critisise the story, but I find it charming and recognisable.

The music, attention to detail, little things that are just perfect for the set. From the post box at the fence to the plates in Bilbo's pantry.

Hugo Weaving. I've just seen him in Captain America, the First Avenger and I was afraid he'd be very Agent Smith, but nothing is further from the truth. Hats off to you, mr. Weaving. Elrond has never been more agreeable.

The acting of Bilbo. Loved, loved, loved his scene at the fireplace. Loved his emotion when he was escaping Gollum and the goblin caves. Bravo!

Things I disliked (but really, who cares!)

How in some cases you can't quite tell what is CG and what isn't, which distracts you from the story because you're wondering about the technique used.

How Saruman looked like he was sitting in a wheelchair, ready to keel over and die at any moment.

How Kíli was secretly an elf and not a dwarf after all. I admire Aiden Turner and he's very pleasing to look at (even as a sulky depressed vampire in Being Human), but please give him a proper beard and some dwarfish crossbow contraption; don't make him a second Legolas.

How the dwarf females are beardless. They don't feature in the story but it is one of the details the fantasy geeks will look for.

And how the main characters look more human than the not-so main characters. One of the dwarves has something weird at the front of his head -- a horn or an anvil, I don't know -- but I couldn't see what it was because he was never in the foreground.
ETA: It's Bifur, and even on the promo pic I can't quite make out what it is.


Two three-hour sittings without a bathroom break are quite enough for one month (and Christmas dinner still to come!), but we'll be sure to buy the Extended Edition DVDs when they come.

Comments

[orothoniel.livejournal.com]

its supposed to be an axe (I think I read that somewhere...) which got stuck in his head or something

[athiel-draaick.livejournal.com]

To me it looks like an axe, even before reading this comment.

[charida.livejournal.com]

According to http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Bifur - it is an axe blade that disables him from speaking any language other than Khuzdul (the dwarven's secret language)