The Hobbit Trilogy

[moosegrinder]

Fucking hell fire, this looks stunning. Another benchmark blu-ray.

[Chadruharazzeb]

I must resist this until the EE comes out otherwise I'll get Middle Earth fatigue again.

[neoELITE]

Beautiful blu-ray. The film was absolutely, genuinely too long though. I didn't watch it at the cinema so it's been a long wait. In comparison to LOTR, the cast seems weak. I don't care about any of the characters apart from Gandlaf and Baggins. I didn't much like the first LOTR film though and felt they got better, I'm hoping this will too.

[RIKT]

Thought this was shit when I saw it at the cinema in 3D HFR.

Just watched it at home in 2D from the Blu-ray and really really enjoyed it.

[JohnC]

What's with the comedy oversized box it comes in? I thought they accidentally sent me the VHS version*

*not really

[linkster]

You could do what I plan on doing - buy the original cuts as they come out, avoiding the extended editions until a box-set of all three extended editions is released.

This is easily the best example of 3D in films to date; Life of Pi notwithstanding, as I'm yet to see it...

Trying to remember what I wrote pre Xmas but I'd go further, with 48fps it's the best cinematic experience I can think of since becoming an adult - not in any sense the best film, barely an average one, but for sheer spectacle the combined tech was the kind of thing that happens maybe a handful of times in your lifetime

[Jammy]

I found 48fps a bit weird on closeups and amazing on longshots. Saw the film again on Sky the other day at standard framerate and it was very different visually. The good news for you Linkster is that it's going to happen at least twice in the next two years, as there are obviously two more Hobbits to be released

[Meh]

48fps makes 3D appear to work as it was meant to. Beautiful - but largely shit - film.

I'll never clamour to see it again - unlike the original trilogy, which always makes me clap like an overly-happy seal.

[Glasgowchivas]

I enjoyed The Hobbit more than Fellowship mainly because it didn't have this every two minutes:

Frodo said:

SSAAAAAAAMMMMMMMM!!!

[PaB]

Trying to remember what I wrote pre Xmas but I'd go further, with 48fps it's the best cinematic experience I can think of since becoming an adult - not in any sense the best film, barely an average one, but for sheer spectacle the combined tech was the kind of thing that happens maybe a handful of times in your lifetime

Yeah I remember we agreed on this front when talking about the cinema release. Both me and my youngest were blown away by it.

I picked it up on 3D bluray on Tueaday, be interesting to see how 24fps compares.

[Mr Cochese]

48fps makes 3D appear to work as it was meant to. Beautiful - but largely shit - film.

I'll never clamour to see it again - unlike the original trilogy, which always makes me clap like an overly-happy seal.

Best waste of nearly 12 hours ever.

[Sprite Machine]

I turn my TVs Motion Plus feature on

Down with this sort of thing.

[Mr Cochese]

I watched all of Predator and Commando with intelligent frame creation turned on before I realised what was happening.

[Camel]

Did you only realise when the feature had created brand new endings for both films?

[Hanzo the Razor]

Down with this sort of thing.

Careful now.

[Mr Cochese]

Did you only realise when the feature had created brand new endings for both films?

The bit where Arnold goes into a shed and uses every single thing in there to horribly maim people was missing

[The Disco]

So I didn't get to the cinema to watch this and don't want to buy the Blu Ray until they're all out on extended editions in a box set. I thought now it's available to watch On-Demand I'll get on it this weekend. But fuck me if it's not £5 to watch on Virgin Media in HD. I'm quite tight, I'll admit, but sheesh £5 is just 'too damn high' in my opinion.

Without resorting to the high seas (I am trying to be more legit these days and would rather have a high bandwidth usage for the right reasons), is this available to stream anywhere in HD for a more reasonable fee?

[jonamok]

Saw this for the first time over the weekend, and it was much better than I expected. Enjoyed it pretty much from start to finish, minus a few silly bits (rabbit sleds, dwarf dishwashing), and a few dull bits (most of Rivendell). Not in the same league as LotR, but entertaining big budget fantasy adventure all the same.

[Captain Kelsten]

Watched it for the third time last night (3d 24fps at cinema, dodgy hotel standard def version and bluray last night) and although the film looks gorgeous and is vibrant and colourful, some of the effects were bloody awful. Not Gollum, who is a masterpiece as always, but there were more than a few shots that just looked terrible in a way I didn't notice in my previous two viewings.

Still enjoyed it nonetheless.

[Jammy]

Agreed - I posted something similar on my initial impressions a few pages back. Glad someone else thought the same.

[Spacehost]

Saw this for the first time over the weekend, and it was much better than I expected. Enjoyed it pretty much from start to finish, minus a few silly bits (rabbit sleds, dwarf dishwashing), and a few dull bits (most of Rivendell). Not in the same league as LotR, but entertaining big budget fantasy adventure all the same.

See, I really liked the silly stuff, it reminded me more of the sort of tone of the book. Not this epic of epic epicness stuff.

[Hanzo the Razor]

So I didn't get to the cinema to watch this and don't want to buy the Blu Ray until they're all out on extended editions in a box set. I thought now it's available to watch On-Demand I'll get on it this weekend. But fuck me if it's not £5 to watch on Virgin Media in HD. I'm quite tight, I'll admit, but sheesh £5 is just 'too damn high' in my opinion.

Without resorting to the high seas (I am trying to be more legit these days and would rather have a high bandwidth usage for the right reasons), is this available to stream anywhere in HD for a more reasonable fee?

Sky are doing it half price at the moment. £1.70 SD and £1.99 HD.

Not much use to you if you're on VM though. Sorry!

[SqueakyG]

So I didn't get to the cinema to watch this and don't want to buy the Blu Ray until they're all out on extended editions in a box set. I thought now it's available to watch On-Demand I'll get on it this weekend. But fuck me if it's not £5 to watch on Virgin Media in HD. I'm quite tight, I'll admit, but sheesh £5 is just 'too damn high' in my opinion.

Without resorting to the high seas (I am trying to be more legit these days and would rather have a high bandwidth usage for the right reasons), is this available to stream anywhere in HD for a more reasonable fee?

I walked down to my local Blockbuster (which is still open, but looks a bit like it belongs in another era), and rented the blu-ray. The old ways are the best.

[The Disco]

Cheers chaps, my boss told me the same thing today. But as you say, seeing as how I've not got Sky I'm bummed on that front. Might go for the Blockbusters idea as £3.50 to rent the disc is OK with me, but there isn't a shop within walking distance from me.

Or I might actually stump up the £5 and moan about it to anyone who will listen tomorrow.

[Edit]

Well, I caved and paid VM my £5. Fantastic film though, exactly as expected.

You could really tell it was aimed at a younger audience by the complete lack of any gore, yet it was still given a 12 rating which sort of makes any efforts the production team did to obtain a lower rating (if they were actively trying for it) moot. Thankfully the songs were kept to a minimum and I actually really liked the rendition of Song of the Lonely Mountain near the beginning of the film.

I read the book about 8 or so years ago and I have absolutely no recollection of

the stone giants at all... :s

[Sprite Machine]

I read the book about 8 or so years ago and I have absolutely no recollection of

the stone giants at all... :s

In the book, Bilbo sees the

stone giants off in the distance, throwing rocks at each other.

. That's literally all there is to it, just one line of discription.

[Hanzo the Razor]

Cheers chaps, my boss told me the same thing today. But as you say, seeing as how I've not got Sky I'm bummed on that front. Might go for the Blockbusters idea as £3.50 to rent the disc is OK with me, but there isn't a shop within walking distance from me.

Or I might actually stump up the £5 and moan about it to anyone who will listen tomorrow.

[Edit]

Well, I caved and paid VM my £5. Fantastic film though, exactly as expected.

You could really tell it was aimed at a younger audience by the complete lack of any gore, yet it was still given a 12 rating which sort of makes any efforts the production team did to obtain a lower rating (if they were actively trying for it) moot. Thankfully the songs were kept to a minimum and I actually really liked the rendition of Song of the Lonely Mountain near the beginning of the film.

I read the book about 8 or so years ago and I have absolutely no recollection of

the stone giants at all... :s

No bother man. Glad you enjoyed it!

[Takizawa]

I read the book about 8 or so years ago and I have absolutely no recollection of

the stone giants at all... :s

As far as I remember

the Stone Giants are only mentioned as they're passing through the mountains, and don't cause the company any danger as depicted in the film.

[The Disco]

Aye, Sprite Machine said similar just up the thread a bit, ta.

Given that bit was fleshed out a fair bit more than even the book went into (with a bit of artistic license thrown in for good measure), I wonder what else will be added to pad out the three films especially considering the Extended Editions to come.

If the story of The Hobbit is going to be pretty much wrapped up in the next film, I wonder what will be in the third film that's supposed to bridge the gap between The Hobbit and The lord of The Rings. Could be a load of stuff ripped from The Silmarillion and told in flashback by the remaining Elves or something? I found The Silmarillion way to hard going though and gave up about 7 chapters in. Waaay too many names being thrown at you and I just got lost trying to remember them all and what they were doing and who they related to, so I hope it doesn't go too mad.

[Sabreman]

I don't think they're allowed to do any Silmarillion stuff, as the rights are held elsewhere.

[KartoffelKopf]

I'm by no means a Tolkien guru and it's been decades since I read The Hobbit or LOTR but from what I can remember from interviews with Jackson he said it would mostly be taken from the appendices of the LOTR. Basically it fills in the story of what Gandalf is up to when he keep buggering off to go and take care of something or other. In the main Hobbit text, it is never revealed exactly what he is up to.