The Hobbit

[GeneChing]

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Hobbit Fu. Or should I say Hobbit wushu? If Bilbo busts a butterfly kick, I'll throw my popcorn at the screen.

Training hobbits to fight no small task for Cochrane martial arts expert (http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/Training+hobbits+fight+small+task+Cochrane+martial +arts+expert/4330266/story.html)
By Eric Volmers, Calgary Herald February 24, 2011

He's stood guard for George Bush Sr., fought in Desert Storm and had his neck broken by Fantastic Four villain Dr. Doom.

And now, Cochrane-based stuntman, film producer and martial arts expert Steve McMichael is teaching hobbits how to fight somewhere in the wilds of New Zealand.

At least that's what we think he's doing. As with many high-profile, megabudgeted films, there is a shroud of secrecy over Peter Jackson's troubled, twofilm adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's 1937 book, The Hobbit.

In an interview with the Herald from Wellington, New Zealand, the 40-yearold former marine can only say that he's landed a job as fight choreographer and sword master on the massive production, which is set to begin filming on March 21. The news came after enduring a few nailbiting months of uncertainty as producers chose from an international roster of fight experts. McMichael got the job through Glenn Boswell, a stunt co-ordinator and friend who he had worked for in 2003, doubling for acrobatic androids in the Will Smith film I, Robot.

"When he called me, there was a little bit of disbelief," says McMichael.

"When he said 'pack your bags' there was a little bit of relief. But it's a bit overwhelming as well. This is a big show."

How big? Well, McMichael has signed an agreement that prevents him from revealing any details about the production. But industry insiders have said the two films, which will be shot back-to-back, are on the way to becoming the most expensive blockbusters ever made. They've also been plagued by delays. Jackson, the New Zealand director who made the three Lord of the Rings films, has battled Kiwi unions and, most recently, a perforated ulcer on a winding road to production that has also included lawsuits and departing directors.

But things appear to be back on track. And while McMichael has worked on numerous big-budget projects, this is presumably the biggest. Not bad for someone who entered the business in a decidedly offthe-cuff manner.

The Colorado native was a world-ranked martial artist and marine in the 1980s. He was a part of the Presidential Color Guard that helped protect President George Bush Sr. and was stationed in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. But in the early 1990s he settled in Vancouver. One day, he saw something out his window that set him on a very different career path.

"I was living in Kitsilano and looked in the driveway and Dave Duchovny was walking by," McMichael said. "So I said, 'Wow that's Dave Duchovny, X-Files is my favourite show. That's outstanding.' And my buddies said 'yeah, they have a huge film industry down here.' It just happened to fit. My buddies said they were having Ninja Turtle tryouts, so I went and got the job.'"

He doubled for the bad guy in the Ninja Turtle TV show. A stunt performer from Red Deer was also on set, doubling for female ninja turtle Venus.

That was Leslie Sponberg, now Leslie McMichael. After the two married, they eventually moved to Cochrane, where they run film company White Wing Films. They are in pre-production stages for two films that will be shot in Alberta. Four Saints, a First World War epic, is set to start shooting in April. Bum's Luck, a family film about a dog and the rodeo, is scheduled to start production in the summer.

But the father-of-five is probably best known in the film industry for developing a pioneering style of acrobatic martial arts that is now commonly used in action films. It's a hybrid of taekwondo, capoeira and wushu, which is the style used by Jackie Chan and Jet Li. In Canada, mixing these styles was a bit of a novelty in the 1990s.

"When I came in, I was a very acrobatic guy," he says. "I could flip and fly and do a backflip with kicks in it.

Everybody, after seeing this, wanted to start training."

McMichael began chocking up an impressive resume in Canadian-shot films. He doubled for Hugh Jackman in the first X-Men film. He impressed James Cameron by cartwheeling down a flight of stairs during a fight scene while working on the Cameronproduced TV show Dark Angel.

But, like all stunt work, McMichael's career hasn't been without its peril. He now believes he injured his neck without realizing it while doing a particularly dangerous stunt involving a bridge and a car for the Superman TV series Smallville. The injuries came to a head a few years later while shooting the first Fantastic Four film.

"I was playing Dr. Doom's bellman," he says. "He was a real elderly gentleman, around 60 years old, and he gets thrown. Dr. Doom comes down the elevator and the bellman says 'Hi (Dr. von Doom) how are you doing?' and then he picks him up and throws him out through the door.

So, it was across the hallway, through the doors and onto the concrete. I was the dumb-ass who went through the doors."

He broke his ankle when he landed, but it wasn't until the next day that he realized he had also broken his neck. He eventually recovered after surgery.

Nevertheless, the experience didn't sour him on the profession. He became a stunt co-ordinator and was soon back in action.

"I get to act like a kid," he says. "I actually have a job where I get to use my craft in something I learned at a young age."

Working on the Hobbit and its sequel -easily two of the most anticipated films of the next few years -will keep McMichael largely in New Zealand until May of 2012.

But he says he is also excited by the possibilities of producing films in Alberta. Five years ago, he went to a wedding in Cochrane and fell in love with the area, telling his wife that he eventually wanted to settle there. Four Saints, the couple's First World War epic, has also had its own arduous journey, facing delays and funding woes that shelved it for nearly a year. It's scheduled to shoot in April in the muddy fields of the Tsuu T'ina Nation reserve outside of Calgary, which will sub for Flanders. While casting is still underway, McMichael says has already had promising experiences with Alberta's film crews.

"They're hard workers, they show up to work," says McMichael. "They cared about the project. There was no job too big. It's the Alberta way. Coming from Colorado, it's the same thing."

[Lucas]

dude if a hobbit busts out modern wushu ill leave the theater :eek:

[doug maverick]

i doubt thats gonna happen...they just want them to be able to flow, and have that sorta fight/dance movement.

[Lucas]

they should make him study under a dwarf black belt so its more realistic.

:D:D:D

[Zenshiite]

Bilbo shouldn't be able to fight at all. After all, he's just a fat hobbit kicking it in the Shire when a bunch of dwarves and a wizard show up one day and send him on an adventure to kill a dragon. By chance he gets as short sword and by chance he ends up with the One Ring. At the end of the day, Bilbo can't fight his way out of a paper bag..

[GeneChing]

What was up with that? I think Jackson just wanted to toss some dwarfs. That was my main issue with Jackson's LOTR. He turned Gimli into comic relief somewhat. In the novels, Gimli was far more noble.

[doug maverick]

Bilbo shouldn't be able to fight at all. After all, he's just a fat hobbit kicking it in the Shire when a bunch of dwarves and a wizard show up one day and send him on an adventure to kill a dragon. By chance he gets as short sword and by chance he ends up with the One Ring. At the end of the day, Bilbo can't fight his way out of a paper bag..

well having just read the book for like 100th time. bilbo kicks alot of ass...he gave those spiders the business.

[Shaolinlueb]

the hobbit is the only book of the series i really like.

[Jimbo]

Back in the late '70s I saw a cartoon movie of The Hobbit on TV that I liked a lot at the time. About a year later, I saw The Lord of the Rings animated movie, which had better animation, but I still liked The Hobbit better.

[GeneChing]

The Hobbit was done by Rankin Bass in 1977, with songs by Glen Yarbrough. Rankin Bass also did Return of the King. It was a very childlike fanciful version.

Ralph Bakshi did Lord of the Rings in 1978. It was his most ambitious project, and it has been much maligned. He never completed the trilogy.

[Dragonzbane76]

looking forward to this. Have to wait a whole year but I think it will be worth it.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=2&sqi=2&ved=0CDYQtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DG0k 3kHtyoqc&ei=4Yv1Tp6PO-Xo0QHC5oGdDQ&usg=AFQjCNH3HqTssb3yZXZp14FC8xHKyrDBJw&sig2=-I38Vq1GeY2CzwNrWV3ZKg

[doug maverick]

i think there is a thread for the hobbit............


my opinion...wow do we really need another long ass movie about walking?

[ShaolinDan]

A curse on thee Hollywood! Thorin Oakenshield is NOT young and sexy.

[Dragonzbane76]

haha SD... yeah he was a bit older in the book.

[Zenshiite]

A curse on thee Hollywood! Thorin Oakenshield is NOT young and sexy.

There are promo shots where Thorin looks like a Klingon from TNG...

[GeneChing]

Age of the Hobbits Trailer (2012) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNHXPFDEeFY)
WTF? Is that Bai Ling?

[SimonM]

Generally WTF about that whole trailer.

And, according to the producer's website, yes, that is Bai Ling. Surprisingly IMDB doesn't include it in here list of credits - almost like she was embarrassed to be in a piece of WTF like this.

[RickMatz]

The movie is in big trouble if the orcs have been studying dwarf tossing.

[GeneChing]

An Unexpected Briefing #airnzhobbit (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBlRbrB_Gnc)

[doug maverick]

Generally WTF about that whole trailer.

And, according to the producer's website, yes, that is Bai Ling. Surprisingly IMDB doesn't include it in here list of credits - almost like she was embarrassed to be in a piece of WTF like this.

well she was promoting the film on her facebook so idk if she is ashamed or not...i know she got her passport stolen while filming there.

[Scott R. Brown]

It looks more like, "The Magnificent Four" or "The 4 Samurai" to me!:confused:

[GeneChing]

Film 'The Hobbit': Flight of fantasy (http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90782/8041189.html)
By Lu Qianwen (Global Times)
11:14, November 30, 2012

Fantasy movie-goers really have something to be excited about this holiday season as the prequel to The Lord of the Rings series will premiere globally December 14th. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first installment of yet another trilogy of films directed by Peter Jackson based upon the writings of British author J.R.R. Tolkein (1892-1973).

In China, however, audiences will not only be lucky enough to watch the movie, but fans can also read a new Chinese version of the book. Shanghai based Wenjing Book Company has announced that its translation of The Hobbit will meet the public early next month.

Together with The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit is considered a signature work by Tolkien.

Now not just those books, but others including Letters from Father Christmas will be published, as well as related works studying Tolkien's writing like The Art of the Hobbit and The Map of Middle Earth.

Introducing a master

"A total of over 20 books by Tolkien or related [to Tolkien] will be introduced in China in the next five to seven years," said Wang Lei, vice general manager of Wenjing Book Co. "We are planning to rebuild Tolkien's position as a great master of modern literature in China instead of a writer of children's books," she told the Global Times.

Indeed, although he gained wide recognition for his writing of the imaginative and neatly-designed Middle-earth world presented in the movies, the image of Tolkien as a master in the field of literature is relatively unclear in the country.

"Most of his books that were introduced by domestic publishers before were [taken as children's] literature, as we can see from their cover designs and translations," said Wang.

Unprofessional translations were common in previous versions. For example, when The Lord of the Rings movies hit the market between 2001 and 2003, Yilin Publishing House in Nanjiang of eastern Jiangsu Province introduced The Silmarillion, an extensive depiction of Middle-earth that was written (but not published) by Tolkien after the success of The Hobbit and before publication of The Lord of the Rings. But during the book's translation and editing, the genealogy of the Hobbit and map of the Middle-earth in the appendix were all deleted.

Later Yilin apologized on its website and said it would publish the complete version.

To obtain publishing rights, Wang said they had to get authorization from two foreign institutions. "One is the Tolkien Estate... and the other is Warner Brothers Entertainment, which authorized us some screen images that we use for our cover designs and illustrations," she said.

Translation challenges

The Hobbit was originally meant to be a book of fireside stories that Tolkien wrote to his children. Since being published for the first time in 1937, it has been translated into 64 languages and has sold more than 100 million copies. It is now considered one of the classics of 20th century literature.

Readers of Tolkien's works were amazed at the massive and mysterious world he created, where exotic languages are spoken by various groups, such as Elves who speak Quenya and Sindarin.

Actually there are a total of 15 different languages used in The Lord of the Rings. From the vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, Tolkien's languages all obey strict and systemic rules of language composition.

Tolkien himself showed a great talent for languages when he was young. He learned ancient English, Germanic languages, Welsh and Gothic language when he was studying at Cambridge University.

"Translation of Tolkien's works is a great challenge and places high demand on the translators' knowledge of the fantastic world Tolkien created, as well as those ancient and exotic languages," said Wang. "To avoid inconsistent translation of certain names and sayings, we have one translator responsible for one whole book," she added.

Fantasy's future

As mentioned above, when Tolkien's works were first introduced in China, many publishers took them wrongly as an adult version of fairy tales or even just entertaining children's literature. But in later years, as its influence gradually began to show in other fantasy works like Forgotten Realms by R.A. Salvatore, Dragonlance Chronicle trilogy by Tracy Hickman and Margret Weis, and the hot Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, not to mention the supreme popularity of the eponymous movies in the early 2000s, Tolkien and his works became re-identified and re-introduced.

Like science fiction, a genre of literature that has long been dominated by the West, fantasy literature was not introduced to China until the recent decade. During the 10-year-long familiarization and nurturing process, Chinese readers have not only become loyal fans, but a few have become fantasy writers themselves.

However, unlike Chinese science fiction, which has its own genetic roots in the country and has begun to exert its influence abroad with new translations of works like the Three Body trilogy by leading domestic writer Liu Cixin, writing fantasy literature is in its infancy.

"Most of them are online writers, and there are actually quite a large number of them. We have published some of their works before like the Tianlu Fengyun (turmoil in Tianlu) by Fei Ling," said Wang, adding "Fantasy writing is a significant literature genre in the West and its introduction to China has influenced a group of readers and writers."

In fact, according to Wang, fantasy writing was the earliest style to appear on the Internet when online reading and writing was just becoming popular. "The current popular styles like time travel literature developed later," she noted.

Many consider Western fantasy stories similar to Chinese wuxia (martial arts) novels. In fact, the two do have their commonalities like depicting a troubled time during which a hero must save the world, and many of them draw inspiration from different eras of history.

"There have been some Chinese fantasy works introduced abroad like Zhu Xian (Jade Dynasty) by Xiao Ding, which were translated into Korean," said Wang, "but compared to science fiction, some of which gets introduced abroad from time to time, fantasy literature still lags behind."

Based on readers' enthusiasm for this new genre and the large group of online Chinese writers, Wang believes eventually some domestic fantasy works will stand out. I barely got through the Silmarillion in English. Imagine how cumbersome that must have been in Chinese.

[rett]

哈比人 hābǐrén

or

霍比特人 huòbǐtèrén

(my google-fu is strong)

[GeneChing]

Okay then, what do you call hobbit vomit? :p

There are a lot of photos with this article, but I didn't bother cut&pastin them.


'Hobbit film wizardry left us feeling sick’: Cinema-goers complain camera speeds and 3D effects caused headaches and queasiness (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2241758/Hobbit-film-wizardy-left-feeling-sick--Cinema-goers-complain-camera-speeds-3D-effects-caused-headaches-queasiness.html)
By Becky Evans
PUBLISHED: 05:27 EST, 2 December 2012 | UPDATED: 11:33 EST, 2 December 2012

Cinema-goers have complained of feeling sick and dizzy after watching early screenings of The Hobbit.

Peter Jackson's eagerly awaited new film is the first to be shot using high-speed 3D cameras that capture twice the normal number of frames per second.

But some viewers said the filming techniques made them feel nauseous and even caused migraines.

The Sunday Times reported one 'avid Middle Earth fan', who had flown to New Zealand from Australia for the premiere, said: 'My eyes cannot take everything in, it's dizzying, now I have a migraine.'

Another fan tweeted: 'It works for the big snowy mountains, but in close-ups the pictures strobes. I left loving the movie but feeling sick.'

The Sunday Times said one fan described having motion sickness similar to being on a rollercoaster.

They said: 'You have to hold your stomach down and let your eyes pop at first to adjust. This is not for wimps.'

However, others praised the way the film - starring Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins - had been shot.

Hollywood director Bryan Singer wrote on Twitter after the world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on Wednesday: 'Having some serious frame rate envy. Amazing and involving. Loved it!'

The 3D company that worked with Jackson on the shoot said the new technology should actually stop people feeling ill.

Matt Cowan, chief scientist at RealD, told stuff.co.nz: 'What you will experience is smoother motion.

'The effect you get for things like explosions is much more real.

'It is a great experiment and kudos to Peter Jackson for doing it.'

The movie - the first in a trilogy - is shot at a camera speed of 48 frames per second - double that normally used.

Critics did not react warmly to an unfinished version of the film describing it as looking like a 'made for television BBC movie - so uncompromisingly real, slightly sped up, that it looked fake. It was jarring.'

The movie came under fire earlier this year after critics who had seen ten minutes of the unfinished film compared it to a made-for-television film.

Ian McKellen, who reprises his role as Gandalf in the film, defended it as 'more exciting' and said the 3D brings fans into Middle Earth.

Thousands of people crowded into central Wellington, New Zealand, for the chance to see some of the films stars including Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett and Andy Serkis, who plays Gollum.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is due to be released in the UK on December 14.

The second film The Desolation of Smaug will be be released in 2013 with There and Back Again released the following year.

SUPERFAST FILMS OF THE FUTURE: WHAT 48 'FRAMES PER SECOND' MEANS

Movies have been filmed in 24 frame per second (fps) shots since 1927.

It means each second of picture contains 24 still images that create the illusion of movement when put in sequence.

American film director Doug Trumbull invented and promoted a 60 frame per second process called ShowScan 30 years ago but it was not widely used.

The new technology means every second of shot will contain 48 still images - and The Hobbit is the first major studio film to be shot at the higher rate.

The resulting movie should be clearer with images that look more details, 'sharp', and less blurred.

However, some critics have argued that the sharper image makes the film look too similar to television - which is shot at 50fpm - and ruins the cinema experience.

Director Peter Jackson hopes more than 10,000 cinemas will be able to project the film at the higher frame rate.

But the vast majority of cinemas are currently only able to show the standard 24fpm.

Therefore the film is being released in six different versions - 2D, 3D and 3D IMAX, all in both 24fps and 48fps.

Jackson said the high speed of frames gives a 'hugely enhanced clarity and smoothness' and also claims it cuts down eye strain from watching 3D.

Director James Cameron has said he wants to film the two sequels to his film Avatar at a higher frame rate than 24 frames per second, in order to add a heightened sense of reality.

[GeneChing]

48 fps rocks.

I'll have more on this for y'all on Friday.

[Hebrew Hammer]

I got tickets for the Midnight showing on Thursday at these new Arclight theaters for the snobby and well to do. They have Margarita pizzas and a full beer and wine bar. You can actually purchase your specific seats online, like a sporting event.

https://www.arclightcinemas.com/locations/san-diego/la-jolla/showtimes?origin=la-jolla

Coincidentally I'm going with my friend Danimal who could pass for a Hobbit. There you have it, an Orc and Hobbits living together...it is another sign of the apocalypse.

[MightyB]

Coincidentally I'm going with my friend Danimal who could pass for a Hobbit. There you have it, an Orc and Hobbits living together...it is another sign of the apocalypse.

http://ripley.za.net/wp-content/plugins/rss-poster/cache/f7f9c_79724_121128123547-hobbit-orcs-horizontal-gallery.jpg

Got tickets for 3D IMAX on Saturday. Hope it's worth it.

[MasterKiller]

I have absolutely no interest in watching 3 more of these dreadfully boring films.

[Hebrew Hammer]

I have absolutely no interest in watching 3 more of these dreadfully boring films.

You obviously have no appreciation of Dwarven hiking adventures.

[sanjuro_ronin]

I'll wait for the Porn Parody.

[Hebrew Hammer]

This would have to be a gay porn parody, that begs the question who is going to be pivot man?

[Hebrew Hammer]

Hobbitsez!!!! It was amazing, the film that is, not withstanding the FULLY Stocked Bar with a Hot Asian Female Bartender. Once lubricated with the good Captain Morgan and coke the movie experience with the high speed 3D was outstanding. Much better than the older 3D, it didn't make you dizzy, the clarity was fantastic. The Hobbit itself surpassed my expectations...lots of great action, some humor, of course the adventure of it all...had a smile on my face most of the film see: :D For you doubters it was better than LOTR in my opinion. I'd pay to see it again.

[GeneChing]

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY the Most Expected Film (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1076)

It's a big film, and very long. If you're into Tolkien, you'll enjoy it. If not, you'll probably find it laborious, as 3D in 48 fps is exhausting on the eyeballs.

[doug maverick]

im actually not seeing this film in 48fps...while i would love to see it in 3d i feel the clarity of 48fps will take the magic out of this film. thats all about make up and monsters and costumes.. it will all have a cheesy fake look to it. because of the crystal clear image, and no filmic softness to it. ill be seeing this in 2d with a standard 24p frame rate.

[Zenshiite]

I'll be seeing it at a real IMAX today. I assume it's 48fps, I don't think it's 3D... but I could be wrong. Next week I'll be seeing it in 24fps 2D. We'll see which I like best to figure out if I end up going to the LieMAX 48fps 3D.

[Zenshiite]

Well, as a Tolkien fan... that was freaking amazing. Even the added stuff that had absolutely nothing to do with the book didn't feel forced or out of place to me. And I'm not talking about Appendices material like the White Council or Dol Guldur.

I am not certain if it was the 48fps or not at the IMAX theater, though I assume it was, and I didn't really feel like it was too realistic. I never once felt like it looked like video.

[MightyB]

loved it. Saw it on a 3D IMAX 48 frames. Noticed some CGI, but it didn't detract at all from the film. It was amazing to see how far the technology has come. You see it especially in how they were able to develop individual characters out of the goblins and orcs. There's a certain uniformity in the original 3 with goblin and ork hordes - uniformity in shape, size, movement etc. In this one they vary. You'll have to watch to see what I mean. The only criticism I have is that you definitely know that this is the first act of an unfinished saga when you leave.

[MightyB]

Oh, and the Star Trek teaser was amazing. That will be the next film I watch in IMAX 3D.



And Gene - I noticed the Wushu Choreography. It was one dwarf in particular in one scene. I can't say more without spoiling it for others.

[JamesC]

Thanks for the reviews guys. Taking the wife tomorrow. I'm a big Tolkien fan

[Scott R. Brown]

Went to see it today with my boys. My youngest 16, gave it a 10. My oldest, 21 gave it a 9. I met them half way with a 9.5.

All the added stuff didn't bother me in the least. It's been 40 years since I read the book, so it didn't affect the story for me. It was very entertaining. Gollum was great. The dwarves were entertaining. I wasn't impressed with the elves or Rivendell or the lady that played Galadriel. I didn't like her in the first trilogy either.

The actor who played Bilbo was great.

[Sardinkahnikov]

As everyone else said, the movie is pretty good, if you liked the book. It has the same tone and the bits that extrapolated the text draws from other Tolkien content, so no sin against the Middle Earth lore was commited. I'd also like to add that the soundtrack was AMAZING.

[GeneChing]

"a slight miss..." :rolleyes:

Weekend Report: 'Hobbit' Takes December Record, Misses $100 Million (http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3587&p=.htm)
by Ray Subers
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
December 16, 2012

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey set a new December opening weekend record, though its debut failed to reach the inflated levels many were anticipating for director Peter Jackson's return to Middle Earth.

At 4,045 locations, The Hobbit earned $84.6 million this weekend. That's a bit ahead of the previous December record held by 2007's I Am Legend ($77.2 million), and also noticeably up on the three-day start for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($73.3 million). With 3D/IMAX premiums and a bit of ticket price inflation, though, The Hobbit had lower initial attendance than both of those titles (it also likely sold fewer tickets initially than The Two Towers).

3D showings accounted for 49 percent of ticket sales, which is about on par with most major releases right now. Warner Bros. isn't currently providing a breakdown for the high-frame-rate (HFR), though a distribution executive there suggested it had the highest per-screen average among the three main formats (2D, 3D, HFR 3D). That may not sound overly convincing, but IMAX is reporting that HFR did $44,000 per-theater compared to $31,000 at regular IMAX 3D locations. Overall, IMAX contributed an estimated $10.1 million (12 percent) this weekend.

It's hard to rag on a new monthly record, but it does feel like this $84.8 million debut is a slight miss for The Hobbit. The Lord of the Rings is one of the most popular movie franchises ever, and adapting the prequel story should have been a box office slam-dunk. Unfortunately, Warner Bros. marketing almost exclusively focused on The Hobbit's connection to Lord of the Rings, and therefore failed to show what's special about this movie. Add in confusion about the trilogy situation (which WB didn't make much of an effort to correct) and some middling reviews (65 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), and many casual moviegoers likely decided to take a "wait-and-see" approach here.

Long-term, though, The Hobbit should be in fine shape. December releases typically have a slow start but hold well through the Holiday season, and that will likely be the case with The Hobbit as well thanks to solid word-of-mouth (it received a strong "A" CinemaScore from audiences this weekend). Ultimately, $300 million at the domestic box office is within reach, though it's entirely possible the movie falls short of The Fellowship of the Ring's $315.5 million total (the lowest-grossing of the three Lord of the Rings movies).

The Hobbit's audience skewed male (57 percent) and a bit older (58 percent over 25). The "A" CinemaScore improved to an "A+" with moviegoers under 18 years old, suggesting this will be a great choice for families throughout the next few weeks.

While The Hobbit accounted for over half of business, there were still other movies drawing attention this weekend. DreamWorks Animation's Christmas movie Rise of the Guardians took second place again, dipping 31 percent to $7.14 million. While it's tie-in with the holiday should help it maintain some momentum, it's going to have a tough time holding on to its screens with so many new releases coming out in the next nine days; as a result, there's no chance it makes it from its current $71.1 million to the coveted $100 million level.

Thanks in part to its seven Golden Globe nominations, Lincoln eased just 21 percent to $7.03 million this weekend. It's now the highest-grossing of the major Academy Award contenders with $107.7 million (ahead of Argo's $105 million).

Even with direct competition from The Hobbit, Skyfall still hung on well and only dropped 39 percent to $6.56 million. It's now earned $271.9 million, and a total north of $290 million seems like a done deal.

Life of Pi rounded out the Top Five for the fourth weekend in a row; the Ang Lee-directed adaptation dipped 35 percent to $5.4 million. To date, the movie has grossed $69.6 million.

In 10th place, Silver Linings Playbook was off just three percent to $2.1 million. The movie was once again in 371 locations, which is the level that it's been at for the past four weekends. The acclaimed David O. Russell romantic comedy has grossed just under $17 million; with the upcoming Christmas traffic jam at theaters, it's likely that The Weinstein Company waits until around Oscar nominations (Jan. 10) and Jennifer Lawrence's Saturday Night Live hosting gig (Jan. 19) to push the movie in to nationwide release.


And Gene - I noticed the Wushu Choreography. It was one dwarf in particular in one scene. I can't say more without spoiling it for others. Yeah man, wushu dwarves! I think I enjoyed Gollum's HFR 3D face most of all.

[SimonM]

I loved it. Could have watched a nine-hour version. Probably WILL watch a nine-hour version in two years when part three comes out. Totally want to look up the soundtrack on iTunes.

[pazman]

I enjoyed the movie. The higher frame rate was interesting but I didn't like it for the action scenes. It's difficult to explain why but my eyes and brain felt confused by it. I did like it for when there was no fast action...made it feel more like a stage play, so it worked well.

I hope the next installments have at least as many songs as the first did.

One thing I think most of audience misses out on, though, is that most people read the hobbit as a kid and Lord of the Rings as a teen. When reading it in this order, its a surprise that the ring becomes so important. The Necromancer in the Hobbit is also just mentioned in passing, but in the movie I'm pretty sure everybody knows who it is.

[Sardinkahnikov]

"Saruman has a mind of metal"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gVzOve8T39w#!

I certainly did not see this coming

[SimonM]

Lee's been involved in metal for a while. It just makes him more awesome.

[GeneChing]

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - Official Main Trailer [HD] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbOEknbi4gQ)

[GeneChing]

...but I'm committed to part 3. :o



‘The Hobbit’ reviews describe finale as one of the best Middle Earth movies (http://www.hypable.com/2014/12/02/the-hobbit-battle-of-the-five-armies-reviews/)

Andrew Sims
9:00 am, December 2, 2014
The Hobbit

http://static2.hypable.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/hobbit-battle-five-armies-reviews.jpg?9f5c9e

Home Movies The Hobbit ‘The Hobbit’ reviews describe finale as one of the best Middle Earth movies

The first reviews for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies are in, and many critics are praising the finale.

The third and final Hobbit held its world premiere in London on Monday night, and reviews appeared shortly thereafter.

Variety says that this film should win over those who didn’t enjoy the first two movies in The Hobbit trilogy:

Where the first two films often felt like a marking of time by a director intent on fattening his own Smaug-like coffers, “The Battle of the Five Armies” contains a series of emotional payoffs and bridges to the “Lord of the Rings” films that work as well as they do for having been carefully seeded by Jackson in the previous episodes. And if none of the “Hobbit” films resonate with “Rings’” mythic grandeur, it’s hard not to marvel at Jackson’s facility with these characters and this world, which he seems to know as well as John Ford knew his Monument Valley, and to which he here bids an elegiac adieu. Indeed, it is not only Bilbo but Jackson too who returns to the safety of his Hobbit hole, weary and winded, with a quizzical grimace on his face that seems to say: “Where do I go from here?”

The Hollywood Reporter describes the film as “the most purely entertaining” out of all six Middle Earth movies:

One of the frustrations of the first two artificially carved out Hobbit installments, which individually took nearly three hours to cover a roughly 100-page chunk of the book, was that, while everyone knew where the story was headed, it was clear it was going to take a very, very long time to get there. If An Unexpected Journey was basically a leisurely paced walking-and-talking film and The Desolation of Smaug was a waist-deep immersion in a world of peril, Battle serves up a Middle-earth version of the bombing of Dresden as an appetizer and just goes from there as grievances are aired, allegiances are weighed, potential foes are sized up and preparations are made for the ultimate battle to be fought at the Lonely Mountain.

What we’re in for, then, and happily so, is far less of the interchangeable dwarves waddling around and far more of dashing guys like Legolas and Bard the Bowman making like William Tell and Robin Hood, the brooding Dwarf Lord Thorin heading to the dark side once the dragon Smaug is dispatched, the gruesome, born-to-kill Orcs marauding in all their grotesque glory and Christopher Lee kicking ass like no 92-year-old ever has before. It’s doubtful many viewers will regret that the series has abandoned its more genteel and domesticated beginnings.

Not all reviews were so positive. The Telegraph had mixed feelings:

The trouble is that Jackson can’t make [the film’s big fight] mean very much: when every life on Middle Earth is seemingly at stake, few individually grab our attention. There’s more aftermath than plot left, and very little of it has to do with Bilbo (Martin Freeman), who feels increasingly like a forlorn bystander in his own franchise.

The further and more competently the movie trundles on, the more it begs not to exist, really: hindsight favours a two-part adaptation at most. This isn’t to say there aren’t bright spots. However it was fudged, 92-year-old Christopher Lee doing Shaolin kung fu with his magic staff is great value. And the last third is rescued by one meaty, entertaining set piece – crumbling citadel, frozen lake, one-on-one duels between orcs and the principal cast. Freeman, and Evangeline Lilly as the not-in-Tolkien elf maiden Tauriel, inject some unforced pathos which puts many of their dewy-eyed co-stars to shame.

And finally, The Guardian discusses how the film puts Bilbo on the back burner:

As for Bilbo Baggins – well, he doesn’t have a whole lot to do. Martin Freeman is as likeably careworn as ever in the part, but as Jackson shuffles and prods events towards the gargantuan confrontation signalled from the outset, it is evident that Thorin is the film’s pivotal character, and the one with the most repeatedly inspected “journey”. Bilbo has a couple of errands to run, a ring to fiddle about with, but not much else – and certainly not much in the way of fighting. Jackson, for understandable reasons, has concentrated his cinematic fire on the clang of swordplay and the roar of battle; this consigns Bilbo to a peripheral role throughout. Of course, and I don’t think this is too much of a spoiler, his return to the Shire is calibrated for maximum heartstring-tugging, as well as one or two bits of business to close the loop to the Lord of the Rings movies.

Two other interesting tidbits we learned in today’s Hobbit reviews: 1) The film is the shortest of the six in Peter Jackson’s saga (2 hours, 24 minutes), and 2) the film starts off virtually where The Desolation of Smaug ended last year.

Hmmm, 'Christopher Lee doing Shaolin kung fu with his magic staff' - that's enough of an excuse to write another review (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1076)....;)

[sanjuro_ronin]

Prequels are funny things because everyone knows what happens next.
The story telling has to always take that into account.