Those arrows are all CGI. As I've maintained since Hobbit 1, the CGI in these films sometimes seems way too computer generated. The thing so good about LotR's effects is that the effects seem more realistic. Most of Legolas' arrows in LotR were also CGI. But better done. I didn't notice that so much...maybe because so much was happening it slipped my observation. But nobody can fire arrows that quickly. That's one good thing about Hunger Games; Katniss usually shoots arrows the way a real person does.
 
I suppose. I just wish that they would pay attention to little things like the laws of physics every now and then.

LOL! Have you ever watched the "Everything Wrong with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" on youtube? The guy even mentions that, apparently in all of PJ's films, "the laws of physics don't exist." Which is true...unless it's a bad guy, all those towers fall without killing people.
 
What exactly was the point of trying to drown Smaug in molten gold? I mean, what? That doesn't make any sense. I thought the dwarves were smarter than that. That part was just stupid. I was extremely confused about that the first time I saw it and then the second time I'm like, "Well maybe it will make more sense now." NOPE. It made less sense. xD

Yeah, I don't quite know what that was about, other than (sorry if I repeat myself - get confused what I've put where XD) PJ wanted to pad out the dragon vs dwarf encounter, since the dwarves mention him a lot yet I believe they don't really see much of Smaug in the book?

Bilbo- why u no put your Ring on when you're in terrible danger? Isn't it easier to kill spiders and creep around dragons with that Ring on? This didn't actually bug me too much, but it is kind of silly if you think about it.

Oh yeah, there were a few times I was like, why don't you use the ring?? The way he tripped or whatever and then conveniently moved his finger for the ring to land on was a bit silly. How many times must they link that with Frodo's trip?


Also, I love that moment when he finds the picture of Gimli. Oh my word, I wanted to yell at him, "THAT'S YOUR FUTURE BEST FRIEND DUDE!"

Oh yeah! That was a good and amusing moment! :D


Oh the deaths shall be sad... I wonder if Kili's 'current' illness will stay into his battling in the end. Then it'll be, he's dying anyway and then has his final brave moment or something. But that kind of detracts from the other deaths, like of his brother? Hmm... Kili does seem to be much favoured in these films over Fili. He is nicer looking :p, but they should be more equal? Some dwarves just still don't get so much of a look in and that's that, I suppose.
 
Right, sorry, I forgot Eowyn in my mention of strong female roles in LOTR. She is epic, and I adore her! :)

OK, I wondered about that molten statue, too ... Dragons breathe fire and love gold, so how is this going to kill him? But it looked so cool ... And I did wonder how Thorin could surf on the molten gold without his shield heating up. Must be some kind of dwarf thing they build into their armor.

And yes, I loved that moment when Legolas found the little picture of wee Gimli! That was sweet.

And I thought Thranduil was perfect; they made him creepy and isolationist-protector of his people in just the right measure.

I am going to see the film again soon I hope.
 
>> And I did wonder how Thorin could surf on the molten gold without his shield
>> heating up. Must be some kind of dwarf thing they build into their armor.



What it is, is that moviemakers have an article of faith, that if you say the magic words "It's only a movie," then the laws of physics have no meaning. In particular, heat never spreads through an environment by conduction, radiation or convection. Thus, Frodo and Samwise on Mount Doom could have a million tons of blazing lava scarcely ten feet away from them as it erupted, but the air around them WOULD NOT be superheated and cook them alive. And of course, in movies generally, an explosion can't hurt you if you're jumping up in the air at the instant it goes off.
 
What it is, is that moviemakers have an article of faith, that if you say the magic words "It's only a movie," then the laws of physics have no meaning. In particular, heat never spreads through an environment by conduction, radiation or convection. Thus, Frodo and Samwise on Mount Doom could have a million tons of blazing lava scarcely ten feet away from them as it erupted, but the air around them WOULD NOT be superheated and cook them alive. And of course, in movies generally, an explosion can't hurt you if you're jumping up in the air at the instant it goes off.


Unless, of course, you are a baddie! lol
 
I'd been avoiding this thread until I got to see Desolation with family on Christmas day. I don't tolerate violent images very well (they gross me out and make me irritable) so I needed my son and daughter to tell me when to look. What I did see of the film, however, I thought was quite an improvement over Unexpected Journey in which very little happens storyline-wise other than the troll scene and fighting. Or at least that's what under-impressed me the most from H1.

Thanks to all who have posted your reviews and observations. I am now enjoying reading your insights --
 
I don't tolerate violent images very well (they gross me out and make me irritable) so I needed my son and daughter to tell me when to look. What I did see of the film, however, I thought was quite an improvement over Unexpected Journey, in which very little happens storyline-wise other than the troll scene and fighting. Or at least that's what under-impressed me the most from H1.

When Mr. Tolkien wrote the actual book, he was trying for a _gradual_ buildup in the pace. He was writing for a readership which _wasn't_ yet programmed to expect car crashes, bloody shootouts or lurid sex scenes within the first two minutes of every movie.
 
LOL.

Saw the film again after Christmas, and enjoyed it again. I see that Thorin was in a wheel barrow on the molten river -- maybe it was made to haul molten gold! But the same principle you mention, CF, happened in this film, where the dragon fire which was hot enough to ignite those stone cold bellows didn't burn up the dwarves because they were each standing behind a pillar about as wide as they were ... That somehow kept the burning air from getting them from the sides ... Oh well, it is the magic of the movies!

I liked Beorn; I paid more attention in this second viewing, I guess. i thought it was cool they made him talk kind of like Dracula or a gypsy or something. The only thing is, they neednt have made him so rabid in his bear-like state. If he were really a wild animal in that state, his horses and things would be afraid of him. Right?
 
I tremendously enjoyed the movie Desolation of Smaug. It was all done well and Tauriel didn't ruin the movie. The effects were amazing and Martin Freeman just fits to be Bilbo.
Still though if I went to watch a movie version of the book the Hobbit I wouldn't have found it because this movie was absolutely NOT the book.
But I leave my critics aside and was really touched by that movie because it was very good
 
Vanessa, good to have your comments.

Jax, yes, it was utterly needless to have Beorn be crazy and mindless when in bear shape.
 
Vanessa, good to have your comments.

Jax, yes, it was utterly needless to have Beorn be crazy and mindless when in bear shape.
Yah, it didn't make any sense. If we are to believe he can't control when he becomes a bear, then it might have made some sense, except he wouldn't have been able to keep all those animals; they would run away from him and be terrified of him, and he would eat them. Also, he could not have functioned as a sentry, which he did in the film, keeping the bad guys at bay, because he wouldn't really have had anymore sense of doing sentry work than a real rabid bear would. That was just odd. I would have preferred had they approached him and learned about him as they did in the book. It was kind of charming in the book how dwarfs kept appearing at his door.

Nessa, I think that PJ puts in a lot of stuff from the appendix of LOTR and from his own imagination. But I think it works, in the most part. Like you, I thought Tauriel was a nice addition. I don't want her to die! But I don't want any dwarfs to die, either. :(
 
Good points from Inkspot. If Beorn is a complete loose cannon, then in his appearance at the coming Battle of Five Armies, he would simply kill ANYONE who was in his path, evil or good.
 
Good points from Inkspot. If Beorn is a complete loose cannon, then in his appearance at the coming Battle of Five Armies, he would simply kill ANYONE who was in his path, evil or good.
Exactly! I wonder what PJ is thinking? Otherwise I liked Beorn as a giant man who sounded like Dracula and had that weird face. But the wild bear thing doesn't work.

I read the funniest thing on Facebook from Rosymole, who used to be a mod here. Her elderly friend was trying to talk about Benedict Cumberbatch, the voice of Smaug, and was calling him "Frumious Bandersnatch," alá Jabberwocky. Then Rosy's friends posted back to her what they have heard people calling him: Cuthbert Humperdinck and Benedict Cucumberpatch!
 
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