The Hobbit: High-Frame-Rate Discussion

After hearing how the 48fps high-frame-rate version of the first Hobbit film nearly ruined it in the eyes of most critics, 48fps (frames-per-second) has almost become a tainted word among the film reviewing community. In fact, high-frame-rate distribution of the Desolation of Smaug and Battle of the Five Armies was limited compared to the first film. However, when presented with the opportunity to watch the most recent and final entry in the Hobbit trilogy in 48fps, I decided to take it, and, to my surprise, the HFR (high-frame-rate) was actually impressive. 

While the first 15-20 minutes were jittery and noticeably faster, after my eyes adjusted to the higher frame rate, it actually improved the 3D's quality a great deal. Compared to the previous two Hobbit films, which I watched in IMAX 3D, the 3D combined with the HFR made the 3D, action sequences, and special effects far more realistic and clear. My prior experience with 3D was fine, but any scenes with a lot of fast movement became blurry to a degree. The HFR seemed to eliminate this issue almost entirely. The 3D popped and the action sequences were as detailed as I have ever seen, which made for a far more immersive experience (after the initial adjustment). However, the most noticeable difference is that the special effects and computer graphics are far more realistic and immersive. At many points the effects were so convincing that I did not know what was real and what was computer generated, and this brings me to the main point of controversy: Most critics say that the film uses too much CGI, and it compromises the experience. While I agree that more practical effects like the ones in the Lord of the Rings trilogy would have been much better, what we got in the film was exceptional and convincing CGI, at least if you are watching it in HFR. My opinion of the film differs so much from others, it as if I was watching a different film, and maybe the HFR made a difference in some respects. Regardless, I stand behind my review of The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies being an exceptional film with many thrills and emotionally impactful moments. Also, if more 3D movies look this good in HFR, maybe there is a chance it will become more popular, although it is still not a biggest enough difference to the change the industry like 3D has. Did you watch the film in HFR? What is your opinion of HFR? And what do you think of the most recent Hobbit film? Please comment below and let me know, and do not forget to check out my review for the film by clicking here. 

Here is a video explaining the difference between 24 and 48 frames-per-second. 

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The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Review

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, the final entry in the legendary Middle Earth saga, or at least for the time being. Seeing my second most favorite franchise finally come to an end is saddening, and with a film with so much riding on it, does it disappoint?

As for the plot, by now, you all know the story, and if not, you really need to go watch the first two Hobbit films after watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Due to several factors, including the vast changes to the source material, being split into three movies, and An Unexpected Journey not being the same as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit films have received a lot of undue negativity. The first film certainly had its problems, but the Desolation of Smaug was an exceptional fantasy adventure that not enough people give credit to, especially how the Extended Edition improved upon an already strong film. Honestly, aside from those who are angry about the source material changes, I do not understand why so many people dislike the films, and this is especially true for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. In fact, it reminded me of critically acclaimed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in that it is the epic climax to an epic saga. However, it differs in how it raises the stakes, and, despite being a prequel actually had unexpected twists (if you did not read the book). Both are great movies, but the biggest difference is that almost everyone loves Deathly Hallows yet Battle of the Five Armies received a generally mixed to negative reception.

Having not read the novel, please remember that this is a review for the film as a cinematic experience, not an adaptation. 

Directed by: Peter Jackson

Genre: Fantasy, Action, Epic,

Release Date: 17 December 2014

Running Time: 144 minutes

MMPA rating: PG-13

The Good: Thorin's descent into madness, Most impressive battle sequences since the LOTR, Bilbo and Thorin's friendship, Shockingly emotional moments, Rarely noticeable CGI, Romance almost kinda works, Suspenseful and intense action, Strong performances across the board, 

The Bad: Alfrid receives a bit too much screentime, 

Plot: 9.7/10- Having already been set in motion by the previous film, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies fulfils on the epic conclusion that we all deserved and expected. The film's themes of the corruption by power and greed provide continue throughout, which is portrayed by the struggles of the characters.

Battle of the Five Armies’ pacing is perfect. The film never dragged, and there were enough plot developments during and between the action sequences to prevent the film from being pure spectacle. The only minor issue with the plot is that the film could have used at least ten more minutes to wrap everything with a little more finesse. However, what we got was satisfying enough to leave me fulfill leaving the theater. 

Characterization: 10/10- Thorin's descent into madness provides compelling conflict to drive the plot forward, and his character arc is one of the best and most compelling aspects of the film. Bilbo is such a likable character, and he receives many opportunities to shine throughout the film with a character arc that is well executed and satisfying. Bilbo’s friendship with Thorin is another highlight of the film because it makes you even more invested in the plot and characters of the film. 

For me at least, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies has the hardest hitting emotional moments that I have seen in a movie live-action film in a very long time. Throughout the film I was shocked by how much I cared for these characters, and it makes the action sequences all the more suspenseful and intense.

Gandalf is not featured in the film as much as the previous two, but his absence is not much of a negative to the film, although Bard the Bowman receives more screentime than expected, which turned out great.

Everyone’s most talked about part of the movie is the romance between Kili and Tauriel that was set up in the previous film, and the payoff is surprisingly effective. It is not necessary, but it works, and I am fine with it being in the movie.

As before, aside from Kili, Balin, and Dwalin, the rest of the dwarves are almost one big character without much individuality. Considering their lack of involvement in the previous films, this is not a detriment to the film by any mean.

My only issue with the characterization, and one of my only issue with the film in general, is that Alfrid, the Master of Laketown's advisor, receives far too much screentime than his character deserves, and some of his scenes somewhat clash with the more serious nature of the battle sequences. 

Action: 10/10- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies’ action sequences features the best large scale battles since the LOTR. Almost every scene is filmed with skill, and despite the abundance of nearly nonstop action, it never becomes stale or redundant. Also, we finally get to see three of Middle Earth's resident bad*sses do battle, with a certain wizard's scenes being the most impressive of the trio.   

Acting: 9.9/10- Martin Freeman and Richard Armatage are the standouts among the expansive cast, and their performances are a large part of the reason why the characters’ drama is so compelling. Ian McKellon, Luke Evens, and the rest of the supporting cast all give top notch performances, which is expected from a Middle Earth film.

Special effects: 10/10- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies’ special effects are a vast improvement over the previous two films. Many times, you cannot even tell whether what you are seeing is computer generated or real sets and people in makeup. Of course, certain scenes are obviously CGI, but it blends well with the rest of the film. 

After reading other opinions, it seems that others felt that the effects and CGI blatant, and maybe watching the film in 48fps and 3D made the effects less noticeable, because I am very critical when it comes to anything animated and the film is near the top of my list of best CGI ever put to film. If you did not see it in 48fps, maybe that is why your experience was different, so be sure to check back tomorrow for my discuss about the high-frame-rate version.

Soundtrack: 9.7/10- Howard Shore's score is not as noticeable as his previous work in the franchise; however, it is still fittingly epic and makes the battle sequences more exciting. 

Humor: N/A- Aside from one scene with Alfrid, the film is nearly humorless, and the lack of humor works out for the best.

Entertainment Value: 10/10- As a Middle Earth fanatic, the film is pure entertainment for me. Not even for a second did the film lose my attention.

Overall: 9.9/10- Even with two incredibly inconsequential flaws, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is an emotional and thrilling ride that more than satisfies as, presumably, the final entry in the Middle Earth saga making it the strongest entry in the trilogy.

Closing comments: Even though I have liked other films more than most fellow critics, like The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Thor, I know and admit that there are a few notable flaws in said films. However, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies' flaws are so minor that I do not understand in the slightest why anyone, aside from those predisposed to dislike the film, would find it anything less than a high quality film. 

Recommended for: Anyone that watched the previous films, 

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The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies: First Reaction

As is the trend now for me, I am the last person on planet earth not to see The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, but waiting to go see the film in High-frame-rate and 3D was more than worth it! Unlike the previous Hobbit films I generally avoided all reviews and opinions of the film prior to seeing, so as to prevent my opinion from being influenced by others. Having now seen the film, I will go read and comment on everyone's reviews and Best of 2014 posts, after finishing my review, so if you have reviewed the movie, please leave a link in the comment below.

I will say that the one advantage of seeing a movie extremely late is that there are almost always very few people in theater and therefore not many annoying distractions, which was, for the most part, the case. Aside from one guy crunching on some nachos, the theater was quite! In addition to my review tomorrow, on Thursday, I will be discussing the 48fps version of the film and how much of a difference the higher frame rate makes.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

The Hobbit: DOS: Extended Edition Review

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: The Extended Edition, yet another extended edition in the Middle Earth saga.

Going into the extended edition of The Desolation of Smaug, I entirely expected that the extra scenes to not add much to the overall story, much like extended edition of An Unexpected Journey, and to my surprise, that was far from the case. In fact, much like The Lord of the Rings: Extended Editions, the extended edition is the definitive version of The Desolation of Smaug. 

Instead of my usual critique format, I have decided to list six reasons why the Extended Edition is the superior version. Also, having not read the Hobbit novel, this is my opinion of how the extra scenes make the movie better as a cinematic experience, not as an adaptation. Obviously, if you have not seen the theatrical cut of the Desolation of Smaug, then this post will include spoilers.

Thorin's Father and Character Depth

Easily, the most significant addition to the EE (Extended Edition) of DOS (Desolation of Smaug) is the entire subplot involving Thorin's father, Thráin. In the previous film, it was briefly mentioned that Thráin disappeared after the battle, and in the theatrical edition, his part is cut entirely. However, the EE inserts in the entire subplot about Thráin. The cut is so drastically different that some of the new scenes are not merely additions, but rather replacements for the old content at times, particularly when Gandalf confronts the Necromancer. With Thráin's additions, there is another subplot involving one of the Dwarven rings as well, which adds further depth to the world that Peter Jackson has crafted, and it adds foreshadowing for the next film. Also, the scenes with Thorin and his father add more depth to Thorin's character, as it humanizes the character.

More Beorn

Beorn receives a couple of brief scenes in the theatrical cut, and while he serves as a decent plot device, he is lacking, even for a supporting character. Thankfully, the EE includes several more scenes with Beorn, which expand upon his character with actual character traits. While his scenes are not all that necessary for the theatrical cut, it is good to see more of Beorn.

The Nine's Origin

In the theatrical cut, only a brief line referring that the Necromancer raised human warriors from the dead with little to no explanation. However, in the EE, there is a brief flashback to when the Witch King is buried, as well as more lines of dialogue that expand the origin of the Nazgûl, and thus adding world building elements.

Mirkwood Wandering and the White Stag

With the additional scenes of the Bilbo and the Dwarves wandering through Mirkwood, the disorientating atmosphere is amplified for the audience. In addition to that aspect, a scene with a White Stag is included, which is apparently a scene from the book that was oddly missing from the theatrical cut.

Laketown

Of the additional scenes, the Laketown ones are the least important to the overall story. However, they do provide more motivation for the Master of Lake-town’s actions, and the scenes with Dwarves fighting off the Laketown guards is quite fun, even if it kind of opens a possible plot hole. 

A More Complete Experience

Even though The Desolation of Smaug is an excellent film in its theatrical cut, the Extended Edition makes it a much more complete experience, much like LOTR Extended Editions. It adds more character depth, lore, and, with the exception of one or two scenes, it makes for an overall superior experience. Of course, if you already hate the Hobbit movies for your personal reasons, then nothing is going to change your opinion. 

Have you seen the Extended Edition of The Desolation of Smaug? Do you plan to buy it? Please comment below and let me know.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Hobbit: AUJ: Extended Edition Review

Today The Desolation of Smaug comes out in theaters! To prepare for the film, I bought and watched the Extended of Edition of An Unexpected Journey. Is it the definitive version of the film, or is it just an overly bloated edition of Middle Earth?

The Extended Edition adds about 15 minutes of additional footage seamlessly into the film, along with 11 hours of new behind the scenes footage and interviews. While this Extended Edition is a must own for any Tolkien fan, especially since it only costs five dollars more than the standard edition. As for the new scenes themselves, with the exception of a few notable scenes, they do not add nearly as much as to the film as the Extend Editions of the LOTR. The Extended Edition should be named, "An Unexpected Musical" because there are at least three more songs added to the film, two of which I have included below. While I am glad many of the new scenes were not in the original cut of the film, this extended edition will be the definitive edition for me and the one that I always watch. Obviously, spoilers for the film are ahead.

The scenes that are noticeably extended are the prologue, which adds some interesting information that was not in the previous cut of the film, and the scene between Elron and Bilbo added gravity to his decision to almost leave the group later in the film (was Elron and Bilbo's meeting in the theatrical cut?). Most of the other scenes consisted of humor and songs that were fortunately cut from the theatrical edition of the film, but those scenes are great to see in the Extended Edition. Most of the extended scenes take place during the prologue, Rivendell, and in the Goblin tunnels. Below are two scenes from the Extended Edition that I found on YouTube with my thoughts about the specific scene.

The Goblin King's "Goblin Town" song was fortunately not included in the theatrical edition of the film. While the song is not bad by any means, it just seems incredibly corny, especially the Goblin King's rockstar ending to the song. Also the Goblin King reading "Made in Rivendell" on the bottom of the Elven candelabra was kind of dumb, unless it was in the book. 

Kíli mistaking an Elf man for an Elven Maiden is quite humorous and Bofur's song are fun additions to the film, even if they do not add much to the story. However, the scene between Elron and Bilbo is great.  

Here is my favorite scene of the entire Extended Edition. The scene reminds me more of the Lord of the Rings than the rest of the film, and it should have been included in the theatrical edition. 

The Movie: 10/10- Watching the Hobbit again for the first time since watching it in theaters was the most fun experiences I have had rewatching a movie since rewatching The Avenger for the first time. While the Extended Edition did not add much in terms of quality, the film itself is easily the best fantasy film since the Lord of the Rings, and even thought it never reaches the LOTR's level, it still remains one of my favorite movies.

Video: 9.9/10- An Unexpected Journey is easily one of my best looking Blu-Rays. Some of the CGI effects are more noticeable, but the video is crisp, and Peter Jackson's brilliant direction and cinematography look amazing in full 1080p. 

Audio: 9.9/10- Howard Shore's score sounds amazing! Anything his main theme plays, you can literally feel it. The sound effects are all clear and easy to hear, plus the character's voices are much to distinguish watching it at home rather than in the theaters. 

Extras: 10/10- The Hobbit contains part seven and eight of the appendices set that was started with the Lord of the Rings Extended Edition collection, which is cool because the other Extended Editions will presumably complete the set. While I have not watched the bonus features or listened to the commentary, I have read that they are just as comprehensive and detailed as the Lord of the Rings' bonus features. There is a short video about New Zealand and how where they filmed some parts of the movie, which is the only bonus on the main disc other than the commentary. My only disappointment with the extras is that a list of which scenes are added and extended is not present like the Lord of the Rings Extended Edition, which would have made noticing what parts were added significantly easier and the experience more enjoyable. While I normally would not care, the Blu-Ray's cover and box art is quite nice and looks great.

Overall 9.8/10- When it comes to Extended Editions of any film, my philosophy is more is always better, and pacing is not relevant because it will obviously be slower. While the Hobbit's Extended Edition is not the game changer the LOTR's Extended Editions were, if you are a fan of Middle Earth and Tolkien's writing, buy the Extended Edition of the Hobbit; it is a must have for any collection. The extras and relatively cheap pricing made it worth the purchase for sure, particularly if you do not already own the standard edition.

Note: Now that finals are over, I will try and catch with replying to comments, and thanks everyone for the comments and thanks to Jamie for filling in for me.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug Early Reviews are Positive

Brace yourselves, The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug is coming! My most anticipated film of the year is coming to theaters in less than a week! From the early reviews, Desolation of Smaug is going to be better than An Unexpected Journey, and it receiving more positive reviews for its faster pace and other factors. As before, the film will be screened in 48 frames-per-second in a few select theaters, and unlike the negative response An Unexpected Journey received for its high-frame-rate, The Desolation of Smaug is said to be improved in that area. In preparation for Desolation of Smaug, I purchased and watched the Extended Edition of the Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and I will have my review of that up on Friday. 

Since finals are this week, one of my best friends and guest writer on the blog, Jamie, will have a couple of guest posts on Wednesday and Thursday. Also remember, if you have written a review of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and would like to have me link to it in tomorrow post, please remember to comment with a link and a brief summary or quote from the review so that I can include it.

Here is the upcoming posting schedule:

Monday: Reader Reviews: Catching Fire

Tuesday: Hunger Games: Catching Fire Review

Wednesday: Jamie's Guest Post 1

Thursday: Jamie's Guest Post 2

Friday: Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Extended Edition Review

Below are various Hobbit posters, one of which is not even in English, but it does look cool.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Trailer Review

Here is the review for the awesome new Desolation of Smaug trailer, and JT is back to offer his opinion as well in our usual rundown of trailers with HD screen caps. Wow, this trailer is amazing compared to all of the other trailers for either Hobbit film. The tone is darker and more epic, plus there will apparently be a few epic battles. Again the Elves are back, which is arguably just as much a good thing as it is bad. On one hand Elves are cool and Legolas is a fan-favorite, on the other the hand Elves could overshadow the other characters like Bilbo, Gandalf, and Thorin. However, I will give Peter Jackson the benefit of the doubt because he has done well so far. Now there is even more controversy over the addition of Tauriel's character now that she is obvious going to be a romantic interest for Legolas, as well as being an entirely new character not from Tolkien's lore. This change is somewhat similar to giving Arwen a larger role in the Lord of Rings, except Arwen was actually mentioned in the book. The original rumor is that Tauriel was going to be a romantic interest for Kíli or one of the other Dwarves, however that is either going to not happen or there will be some crazy awkward "love triangle" between the character, which I hope is not the case. Now, Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug sounds awesome! At first I could hardly tell it was Cumberbatch but after listening to it more, his distinct voice was clearly present. Also I really like the part when Bilbo starts to tell Gandalf what he could in the cave, and Gandalf is like "Good, you'll need it." For some reason the inflection in his voice reminded me more of his role as Magneto than Gandalf but it was still cool. As for my anticipation for the movie as a whole, I cannot wait to see it because I am certain it will be better than the first.

JT: By the looks of this trailer, Peter Jackson and crew would rather have us believe Tolkien wrote a story called Elves: The Forgotten Action Heroes (with cameos by New Zealand, A wandering crazy man and a troop of height-challenged guys with beards and huge appetites). But really, kidding aside, this is a very strong trailer for an action epic. If I had no clue what the story was, I would probably go see this movie and like it. However, since I am me and I do know what it's about, I have the usual purist reservations, although to a lesser degree than for the slapstick fumble that was the first one.

Things that are cool: All those random action scenes (basically the whole trailer)! Bilbo! Gandalf! Bard! Beorn! Smaug!

Things that are not cool: Eyebrow shots. Eyebrows that are not the same color as the hair above it; come on, people it's creepy to look at. romance, implied, assumed, imagined, or real. The Hobbit is not the sort of story that likes that kind of thing. Inventing characters, then telling us there would be no romance, then implying that there is, for no reason. Overdone Legolas beatdowns. Yes, it's going to be fun on the big screen, but believe it, shield- and elephant-trunk surfing have denied Orlando Bloom any future credibility as an action star, even in the same role.

JT: There is confusion on whether this Lake-Town, Dale, or Dol Goldur. For my part the question is who's in the boat and I doubt that Dol Goldur has that much water.

James: For some reason I really like Thorin's armor, it looks awesome with the red cape/cloak thing.
JT: I expect a suitably epic Howard Shore theme to accompany this shot.

James: Even more Legolas killing things, did someone forget that he is not the star of the film? Oh wait, he basically is.
JT: That's the problem right there. And no, he will never live down the surfing on the elephant trunk and the shield. Welcome to Legolas Lives: The action movie that should not be.

James: Other than the obvious fact that Tauriel is not mentioned by Legolas in the Lord of Rings, I wonder what dark secret she has that makes it so that Thranduil does not want her to give Legolas false hope.
JT: Can't help you there. The whole being an invented character business is really messing her up. The speculation is that she's simply not worthy to be making googly-eyes at the prince of Mirkwood.

James: Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman looks like he is a cool character, albeit one that still looks like the Pirates of the Caribbean version of Orlando Bloom.
JT: Did I tell you Bard is awesome? Even in his limited role, he's one of my favorite characters.

James: An army of darkness approaches, hopefully the battles in this and third film will be on par with that of the Lord of the Rings because the world needs an epic fantasy battle.
JT: You can have your movie-centric opinion (no offense intended) but actually, making this battle terribly big might just be annoying, since it's primarily just a throw-in to make the move three hours long.

 James: This is literally one of those blink-and-you-will-miss-it type shots with the Eye of Sauron.
JT: What in Middle-Earth is the flaming eyeball doing in the Hobbit movie? Blatant cross-references are not cool. To whom it may concern, the main Hobbit story has nothing whatsoever to do with Sauron, except that Gandalf engineered the quest in order to rob Sauron of the ability to destroy the north with a mind-controlled dragon. 

James: This scene has the type of humor that I like opposed to the slapstick kind that was a little overbearing in the first Hobbit film.
JT: Exactly my thoughts. And if Bilbo's line is "I found it" or words to that effect, this one of those key moments that's dropped in to make the fans cheer. In the story Bilbo claimed he had simply found it w/o mentioning Gollum until much later. But Gandalf knew he was lying and began to suspect that he had the master ring on him.

James: I hope no one has arachnophobia because there are going to be even more creepy spiders in the Hobbit than the Lord of the Rings. Plus, they actually look more anatomically than the Shelob from the Return of the King in that Shelob was more of a wasp hybrid wit the stinger on the tail.
JT: Bilbo is supposed to be invisible! This scene is great b/c of the image you get from imagining a bunch enormous spiders chasing a floating sword.

James: I have no idea what that thing is, but it looks cool.
JT: Well, James, should I explain or not? Most of the readers probably know anyway.

James: The Bard actually has his Bow in this shot. I hope he is as cool as character as he looks.

James: This battle looks like it is going to be epic!
JT: It will also be three minutes or less, because this is a flashback.

JT: Not a great picture of the hoard under the mountain, although it does convey the sense that it's far bigger.

JT: Smaug's head! And he's red. Not what I hoped for but I'm sure it will look great. Is this because he was drawn in red on the map?

James: This is the closet thing we have to a good look at "CumberSmaug," hopefully the future will continue to be this obscure so when he is revealed in the movie in full, it will make for a better effect.

JT: Fear not! The future is only two months long!

What did you think of the trailer? Please comment below.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Trailer Review.

 

Note: For some reason this was posted twice, must be some kind of glitch.

Before I start the trailer review, sorry everyone for not commenting, replying to e-mails, or posting yesterday, I had unexpected medical problems so I was in the hospital yesterday making sure I did not have to have my appendix removed. Fortunately it was nothing majorly serious, I will just be sick for a few days. Sometime next week I will post the final part to my Top 100 movies, hopefully something will not get in the way again.

If there is one thing that this trailer shows, it is that there are Elves, lots of Elves. Did Peter Jackson forget the film was named "The Hobbit"? Because it appears to a movie mostly about Elves. Obviously this is not going to be true, but that is what the trailer wants you to think. I am not complaining though, Elves are awesome; it is still odd regardless. Maybe Jackson is trying to appeal more to mainstream, since most people like Elves. An Unexpected Journey was fantastic, albeit slightly disappointing considering how perfect The Lord of the Rings trilogy is, but still ranking 8th on my favorite films list. Hopefully Desolation of Smaug will surpass its predecessor, and I hope Peter Jackson is sure not to show the 48fps version to critics so the film can receive the positive reviews it deserves.

Legolas coming back is not a surprise, however I had assumed that he would be in a more cameo role but it appears that his role will be much more akin to Gollum. Adding Tauriel seems like an odd move by Peter Jackson, from what I remember from reading the books, there were no major or even named characters added from the book, or at least from Tolkien's extra writing. The only reason I see is that he wants to add a female character to the mostly male centric cast. Despite this, Tauriel looks like a cool character and Evangeline Lilly  will be a very attractive elf. There are rumors that one of the dwarves might have a romance with an elf, but those are just rumors. One more thing, the trailer music was epic! It was costume track by Audiomachine especially for the trailer; unfortunately it has not been released by itself. Here are JT's thoughts.

JT: I agree with you there James. I was not surprised by other details but there were too many elven shots. For those who don't know, The Desolation of Smaug movie is based on approximately chapters 5-12. It ends right before the clinax but there is a lot packed into the end that will make a third movie. Needless to say, Elves don't figure nearly as much as Jackson would like them too. Dare I say "Sellout to the fangirls!" (apologies to the fangirls. I know you didn't need Tauriel to like this movie.)

JT: The Dwarves have arrived at Lake-town. If you spent time memorizing their harstyles, you know exactly which dwarves you can see.

JT: That is Mirkwood , It is way more heavily detailed than it needed. I think WETA was having too much fun here.

James: Ever since Legolas was said to be from Mirkwood, I have been curious about how different the Elves culture are compared to the others.  

JT: That is not my image of Thranduil at all. I always saw him as an Old king Cole/Robin Hood and his merry men type. Anybody notice that his eyebrows are brown? Fail. Basically everything about him is messed up, even the moose-riding.

James: Well, Thranduil does look like he could be Legolas' father, the resemblance is quite strong, although a wig and makeup are probably the main reason. 

James: Thorin looks like he has fought some spiders and he appears a tad angry, wonder why? It's not like the guy hung-him-out-to-dry when his people needed his help. 

JT: Wait, James what are you trying to say exactly? I can't elaborate because i know all the spoilers.

JT: Barrels out of Bond! Though how in Middle-earth are they going to pull off getting away w/ the top off the barrels? wait and see...

James: This is a much talked about part of the book and where everyone thought the first film would end before it was split into a trilogy.

JT: Best shot!

JT: Is that Azog attacking Tauriel? I predict girl power defeats the zombie orc.

James: Interesting thought about Tauriel killing Azog. It would only seem right that Azog would be offed near the end of the film so that Smaug is the main villain for the final chapter.

James: Legolas seems more angry and maybe slightly more manly. He has some weird expressions in the trailer.

James: Seriously, why so much of the Elves talking, did Bilbo and any dwarf other than Dwalin even have a single line?

James: Tauriel looks like a very cool Mirkwood archer, there certainly seems to be a lot archers in the movies lately.

JT: Two lines: We don't need her, and she's being Lego's girlfriend despite press releases to the contrary. Phooey on you PJ!
James: She may very well be Legolas'

James: Grumpy cat Legolas! I need to ad captions and create a meme! See the rebalance, he looks just like Grumpy cat. 

 

 

JT: The hoard of Smaug! Or Thorin, depending on who's side you're on...:D And this isn't nearly half.

James: According to Ford Smaug is richest character in fiction, so there was to be a several tons of gold!

 

JT: Gandalf at Dol Goldur. He looks scared, but then, you only live twice, and his time hasn't come yet.
James: One of the only frames of Gandalf in the trailer. I know Gandalf leaves the Dwarves company and only Tolkien's extra writing chronicles what happens.

James: The effects for Azog look great, although nothing can match Andy Serkis as Gollum.

James: Finally some Bilbo, the movie is named "The Hobbit" after all.

James: Luke Evens, aka, guy who looks a lot like Orlando Bloom from the Pirates trilogy.
JT: His character is Bard the Bowman, and he shows up in Laketown. He actually looks just how I imagined him.

James: Several scenes of awesome action! Desolation of Smaug appears to have even more action than its predecessor.

JT: O Bloom is the good guy again (or before)!

JT: Smaug is a fail. He looks like a picture transplanted from a poorly drawn 2D version...

James: Hopefully Smaug will look better in the film, the effects should be much better.

What are your thoughts on the trailer? Please comment below. Also Middle Earth fans, check back Friday for The Two Towers: Book Vs. Film final part and tomorrow for my Watchmen review.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.