Hobbit Trailer looks crap

[Aganzir]

And even if there are lines straight from the book, you can bet they've been given to somebody else than the original speaker.

[mark12_30]

Or we could just talk about the contrasts cheerfully, recognizing that we're talking more about the book now than we were before the trailer came out; excepting of course those who recently posted in the books forum, such as in Chapter-by-chapter. I did not post much there, not as much as I wanted to, and I find myself wanting to reread the books-- the appendices, and the Unfinished Tales section, and There And Back Again, The Children's Book That Morphed.

I'm enjoying that lingering desire, and if a few of PJ's panoramic scenes contribute to that desire I shall not grouse; except perhaps about a few things such as Radagast's, erm, hair.

But I shall enjoy Tauriel. After all, she hasn't edited one word of the book.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by mark12_30

But I shall enjoy Tauriel. After all, she hasn't edited one word of the book.

There's the key! If PJ had simply written his own Tolkien-like "homage" screenplay and made up his own characters, there'd be no issues.

[jallanite]

Originally Posted by Michael Murry

Personally, I will wait for the Rotten Tomatoes film reviews and discussion on this forum before I will even consider watching another three-hour-third of a two-hour movie. As the old saying goes: "You can always tell the pioneers. They're the ones with the arrows sticking out of their backs." Not me. Not this time.

*Sigh!* Your old saying is no more true than most old sayings.

Rotten Tomatoes gives very high ratings to the three Lord of the Rings films:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_...p_of_the_ring/ 92% to 93% (audience 92%)
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_...he_two_towers/ 96% to 100% (audience 92%)
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_...n_of_the_king/ 94% to 96% (audience 84%)

So your seeing The Lord of the Rings films indicates you were not a non-pioneer, but just another dull norm, save that apparently you did not like those three films. But now you will then take Rotten Tomatoes as your guide in deciding whether to see The Hobbit, which admittedly got a much lower rating.

My own favourite film is currently Whisper of the Heart:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/whisper-of-the-heart/ 90% (audience 88%)

But tastes do differ. And I am not prepared to substitute Rotten Tomatoes or any website for my personal taste, nor to insist that my own taste is invariably better. I usually more-or-less agree with Rotten Tomatoes, but only more-or-less. It is interesting to sometimes look up film titles there and compare my ratings with that of the critics and the general audience, and sometimes to be amazed at the difference of the three.

I agree in this case, in respect to your own taste, you may be wise not to see The Hobbit films. However, remember that J. R. R. Tolkien had very idiosyncratic tastes.

Originally Posted by Inziladun

There's the key! If PJ had simply written his own Tolkien-like "homage" screenplay and made up his own characters, there'd be no issues.

Hardly so! I feel that had PJ had done so, there would be those screaming that PJ is an idiot who does not understand Tolkien and those screeing at everything that PJ put on the screen.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by jallanite

Hardly so! I feel that had PJ had done so, there would be those screaming that PJ is an idiot who does not understand Tolkien and those screeing at everything that PJ put on the screen.

And is there reason to not do that now?

I was mainly being facetious there, but I do indeed wish that PJ and co. had chosen some other books for their treatment.

[jallanite]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

And is there reason to not do that now?

My point is that it is being done now.

There are the cute and seemingly brainless screeers at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151697149436171 and in this thread a wet blanket who tries to look like some sort of rebel by substituting consensus at Rotten Tomatoes for his own taste.

To quote from another fantasy writer: “Dullness will conquer dullness: and it will not matter.”

There is always reason, it seems to me, to avoid being either a brainless screeer or an inveterate wet blanket.

[Morthoron]

A wet blanket or brainless scree
Are not the sort of folk for me.
But they are certainly better
than an inveterate blanket wetter.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Aganzir

And even if there are lines straight from the book, you can bet they've been given to somebody else than the original speaker.

Intercepted script fragment from The Desolation of Smaug:

Gandalf: "Why, I feel all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what I mean: like butter that has been scraped over too much bread. That can't be right. I need a change, or something.”

Bilbo: “So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

Gandalf: "We don't want any adventures here, thank you!"

Elrond: "I don't hold with ironmongery, whether it wears well or no."

Gollum: "Fly you fools!"