[Movie] The Hobbit 2: The Desolation of Smaug
- Dec. 20th, 2013 at 2:04 PM
I’ll admit it right up front: the only reason I went to see The Hobbit 2: The Desolation of Smaug opening weekend in the theaters was so I could hurry up and say snippy things about it. I wanted to get my snark on before it got tainted by everyone else’s. And obviously, we already know I did not take it at all seriously.
Which is okay, because I think maybe it didn’t want to be taken seriously? I’m not sure. And that’s part of the problem.
First, let me note that I have very purposefully not reread The Hobbit since I heard the movies were being made. I want to address these on their own merit. (At one point, I used to believe movies should be faithful to books. I don’t any longer.)
And then spoilers:
Originally published at Rachael Acks: Sound and Nerdery. You can comment here or there.

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Comments
Anyway, in regards to the silliness, that is totally correct. The Hobbit was written for children. It was meant to be a little silly. That's why there are so many songs in it. Like a fantasy musical. I know why they add the serious bits, because as a film this is a prequel and they feel the need to beat you over the head with things you already know.
I'm not that big a fan of the movies so far. They're pretty, and I want to see all the special features about the costuming and weaponry other than that...meh. To be fair I felt about the same way about the book. The movie does a better job of making Bilbo sympathetic. In the book he's just a whiner (though by the end he is less whiny). Some of the dwarves are also more sympathetic and that is helpful because in the book they are ungrateful jerks. The Mirkwood elves are the bitchiest things ever. And the humans...Well, I feel bad for Bard and the entire town.
We'll see how things go with the next movie. I'm trying to figure out how that will get stretched out to the massive length it needs to be.
Turiel the elf that does not exist in the books is for me, the one bright spot of the movie. I like her I wish she had been in the book. I'd like her to meet up with Eowyn and convince her to run away into the woods with her because boys are dumb. This is clearly the fan fic writer in me dreaming big dreams. But it would make a better story I think.
I liked your alternate titles by the way. Spot on.
I've mostly just liked Thranduil being a total bitch and Tauriel being awesome. And she really is the only female character, which I think makes me like her even more just because she's such a relief.
And yes. I like that idea. You should totally write that story. :3 I would read the shit out of it.
I enjoyed it, but I don't have anything really smart to say about it as usual. Sometimes everything was sliiiightly over the top for me, but over all it was about the same as the first one was for me: fun but not life-changingly epic. Though that dragon stuff was all pretty spectacular.