Desolation was AWESOME and better than the first Hobbit. Peter Jackson has not lost ANY of his skill. This trilogy in my opinion will go down as one of the greatest, even though the public backing really isn't there. The theater was packed but I'm not sure why it's not making as much money as it should be. If America has enough queers to watch Harry Potter and Twilight, this movie should be killing it.
Originally posted by Stealth MooseI'm not really interested in a faithful adaptation in regards to story/plot, but I do care about tone. Desolation feels like a small movie that thinks it's epic. Like a skinny guy who's been going to the gym for a few months and thinks he's strong and badass. The sheer weight of the filler and lore kills these movies for me. LotR had so much in it that they needed to shave the plot down with a chainsaw just to fit it in to a 9 hour trilogy. The Hobbit novel barely constitutes one film, and to justify three they've had to pad it with lore, filler, romance, and drama/action for the sake of drama/action. And if t was all inserted seamlessly, I'd have no problem. But to me, all this extra stuff is sticking out horrendously.
Yours is the first truly bad review I've come across. But then again I'm not interested if the movie well matches the book. The book was pretty unimpressive after reading Tolkien's other works, but that's understandable considering it was originally a stand-alone fairy tale and not part of a growing epic saga spanning thousands of years.
Desolation is very much meh. I have literally never in my life been in a movie that felt so long. Not even midway through I swore, honest to God, that I'd been there for four hours. Lots of choppy editing back and forth when you have the characters split up (again) hurts even more, because what tension or momentum you may have established dissipates almost immediately. The CGI was jarringly inconsistent, often looking very unfinished. It'd be hard for this to be overstated. The newly over the top effects in the Gandalf scenes look they're from a video game, not that I found what was happening in some of those scenes particularly compelling, anyway. In fact, there was very little in the movie that was compelling at all. Maybe part of the problem here is that I have the Rings trilogy in the back of my head, by I couldn't stop thinking "everything here, those movies did better." Any sense of peril or fear or tension, investment in the characters and the story, the action, the effects, the score, the repetitive nature of some of the events (the company being captured, for one)... little of it is nearly as good.
That said, I don't think I'd call it a bad film, or even necessarily a boring one. I do like all the characters. The principal cast is all good, and Smaug stands out well enough. The distinction between Mirkwood elves and their kin is appreciated, and seeing those elves kick ass is always fun. The barrel scene in particular might be the most fun, well choreographed and orchestrated action scene in all of the movies, adjusted for the tone of the film it appears in. I love Manu Bennett, so Azog is always a pleasure to have on-screen, and the orcs in general aren't as odd-looking in this as they were in the last movie. I find Luke Evans to have terrific screen presence, but that might just be because he's so damn handsome.
I'll happily go see the third next year, but my expectations will be very much tempered.
Originally posted by Stealth Moose
Because I know how to fight and I've watched the TPM battle probably more than any other fight in the film series. Ray Park was probably itching to actually use some of his ability while two guys were flailing away at him and leaving huge openings. The guy is extremely talented and he's dialing it down drastically to not make the other guys look even worse.He's also a very very awesome guy and proficient fighter himself. For extra lulz, play that on fast. And the Revan cosplay in the background looks a little basic.
This. ^
Ray Park is pretty awesome.
Originally posted by Eminence
Desolation is very much meh
I have literally never in my life been in a movie that felt so long. Not even midway through I swore, honest to God, that I'd been there for four hours.
Lots of choppy editing back and forth when you have the characters split up (again) hurts even more, because what tension or momentum you may have established dissipates almost immediately. The CGI was jarringly inconsistent, often looking very unfinished. It'd be hard for this to be overstated. The newly over the top effects in the Gandalf scenes look they're from a video game, not that I found what was happening in some of those scenes particularly compelling, anyway. In fact, there was very little in the movie that was compelling at all. Maybe part of the problem here is that I have the Rings trilogy in the back of my head, by I couldn't stop thinking "everything here, those movies did better." Any sense of peril or fear or tension, investment in the characters and the story, the action, the effects, the score, the repetitive nature of some of the events (the company being captured, for one)... little of it is nearly as good.
I find Luke Evans to have terrific screen presence, but that might just be because he's so damn handsome.
http://distractify.com/fun/fails/test-answers-that-are-totally-wrong-but-still-genius/
#30 cracked me up the most.
Originally posted by psmith81992
http://distractify.com/fun/fails/test-answers-that-are-totally-wrong-but-still-genius/#30 cracked me up the most.
I lol'd at #23.
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