Who here enjoyed the movie?

[Rhod the Red]

I did. Even the parts inserted by PJ, like the White Council meeting, were joy to my eyes and ears.

[Tidesson]

I very much enjoyed "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." Like "The Lord of the Rings," it is one of the few films which contain scenes that make me tear up.

I wouldn't agree with many die-hard book fans about the so-called liberties Peter Jackson took for the film version. I am well-versed in esoteric/occult themes in real life, and Jackson nails them in this film as well. That is to say, Tolkien employed many symbolic elements in the narrative and Jackson enlivens and expands them to a postmodern audience; themes which are timeless. The wisdom of the sages throughout antiquity. Gandalf, for myself, captures everything the sages exemplified in the film.

One of the great sayings of Gandalf in the film which epitomizes everything he is about is when he is speaking to Galadriel in Imladris: “Saruman believes that it is only great power that can hold evil in check. That is not what I have found. I have found that it is the small things, every day deeds from ordinary folk, that keeps the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love."

Gandalf is the great sage who lets everyone be who they are and steps in to show his power when it gets really serious. From Lao Tzu to the Buddha to Mithrandir. What really matters is compassion, and what stimulates a still mind is living with Nature, the simple life.

Anyway, there's more I could say, but, hello! interesting forum group here.

[alatar]

Hello Tidesson, Welcome to the Downs!

I liked the quote from Gandalf that you posted.

Can't say that I enjoyed the movie as much as you did. Tried watching it again while on a thousand-hour plane ride, but found uninteresting the second time around, so rewatched 'The Avengers' and the two Ironman movies instead. To me, it's just not entertaining enough. And as I've never been really excited about the Book, I'm not even interested in watching the movie to 'see what PJ got wrong.'

Completely forgettable.

[Sarumian]

I'd say I enjoyed the movie for reasons similar to others: I hadn't had high expectations but wanted to spent a bit longer time in Middle Earth For that purpose it is just ok, though I totally agree that some alterations were unnecessary and some scenes could have been dropped without any harm to the storyline.Noone it seems needed the fight with goblins and that sleigh pursuit before Rivendale, endless running in goblins' town and slicing the Great Goblin as a pack of ham could've been omitted. It also look very silly that Bilbo didn't make any use of his Ring challenging Azog for combat. Did he forgotten what saved his life just little time before?

I wonder as well how they are going to explain the way Gandalf obtained the map from Thrain II. Probably Gandalf will say he had met Thrain on the way to Moria and as everything was going suspiciously wrong, Thrain decided to handle it to Gandalf in order to pass it to Thorin.

I enjoyed Riddles and the White Council scene; I think the latter is quite appropriate in the LOTR prequel, as there appendixes are impossible in a movie (I still regret that Saruman's death did not make its way to the screen - a marvellous drama and so meaningful).

PS. Don't mind Radagast - Crazy Professor simply because in the books he is almost not given. Can we develop a different Radagast who wouldn't have been boring on screen?

[Boo Radley]

We just watched the DVD, and not having seen TH in the theatre, I was wondering if anyone had problems with the sound?
My wife and I both thought the music overpowered the dialog through the whole movie. Now, we don't have surround sound, but our stereo system is fairly good and we've never had problems with any other movies [i](with the exception of LOTR, but those DVDs allowed us to change the sound format, where TH didn't), so i was wondering if anyone else watching the DVD had problems hearing the dialog over the music.

[Snowdog]

This movie, and I suspect the next two coming, are just more nails in the coffin of J.R.R. Tolkien's legacy. I went to an advance screening (for us here in Oz) that required getting dressed up in costume. It was a fun night seeing all the different costumes and the nice photo-shoot and the free drinks and food and all. Yet it was more of a matter of getting through the movie than it was enjoying it. Listening to the chatter going in, Peter Jackson has pretty much succeeded in co-opting Tolkien's works and now in the minds of the idiot masses has been awarded them as his own. My only consolation this time is I haven't spent a cent that will go to the film company or Peter Jackson. I intend to keep it that way.

[Mithalwen]

I hope that Tolkien will survive the films. PJ has at least nullified the cheat of watching the film rather than reading the book as a time saver. And a quiz on the radio reminded me of something encouraging. Paws up if the name Nahum Tate means anything to you. I am assuming that of William Shakespeare means more ... yet Tate was the chap who took it upon himself to 'improve' Shakespeare and make it accessible to the people of the day. I believe that another Warwickshire Lad will prevail.

[malickfan]

Originally Posted by Snowdog

This movie, and I suspect the next two coming, are just more nails in the coffin of J.R.R. Tolkien's legacy... Listening to the chatter going in, Peter Jackson has pretty much succeeded in co-opting Tolkien's works and now in the minds of the idiot masses has been awarded them as his own. My only consolation this time is I haven't spent a cent that will go to the film company or Peter Jackson. I intend to keep it that way.

Though I agree with you to an extent (Of the five friends I have who whave read Tolkien, 3 only read the Hobbit becuase it was short and seemed to have lots of action and Gollum, one read C.O.H and complained there wasn't enough action, modern dialogue or hobbits, whilst the other has read many of the books-but still considers the films better because they are more conventional...*sigh*) it could have been worse-look at the James Bond film-only half are very loosely based on the books, the films have made far more money, with a much wider audience than the books, and if anything they are Bond in most peoples eyes. For all its flaws and issues at least PJ's films were reasonably faifthful to the books-he went to the effort of hiring tolkien artists and scholars to work on the films, look at the garbage Zimmerman and John Boorman were planning and tell me Jackson's films weren't a massive improvement.

Whatever happens with the films, the books still remain HUGELY popular, and will continue to do so long afterwards. Christopher and Adam Tolkien have done all they can to preserve the books, and wil continue to do so.

I'm thankful for the films introducing me to the book, and entertaining millions of people the world over, but I'm equally thankful that there won't be any more.