DoS extended edition recommendations

There are a few scenes that we know PJ filmed, scenes that have their basis in the Book, like crossing the river and Bombur falling (literally) under its spell. I'd kind of like to see those, at least once.

If nothing else, it may give a little more material for Petty's edit that is at least somewhat anchored in the original story.

I'll probably even own the EE's someday, but only when I can get them used and cheap enough that I know not a penny went back to WB or PJ.   

Dave raises an interesting point about the edits.  I will be very interested to see what Petty and others are able to come up with when all 9+ hours of Hobbit material are out on DVD.  I'm not sure if it will be possible to cut that down to a single feature-length film that is faithful and coherent (the changes might have been too great), but I'm sure the process will be entertaining.

The EEs themselves have never really been about faithfulness, though that line is trotted out occasionally in defense/justification of them.  I'm mainly interested to see if the new version will be able to turn DOS into a better stand-alone film (not that it really is stand-alone, but we can pretend ).  I don't expect much, but it might be an improvement.

well the film can't get any worse Eldo. I think I have met about 5 people in total who think DOS was a good film. (all 5 have never read the book). I agree it will probably be almost impossible for anyone to make an edit the mess Jackson has made of the Hobbit that resembles the original tale. I'm just wondering what the added material is going to be.

Personally I enjoyed the Vlogs more than either of the films so far. The behind the scenes stuff while not as cool, IMO, as the stuff from LOTR was still rather interesting. I find it sad they never continued with them throughout the rest of the film series. I mean they could have showed more film footage from the already released films or scenes that didn't make the cut. Honestly I would rather see that then another film. I think Jackson should show us the stuff that ended up on the cutting room floor, even if it is unfinished. You can't tell me that they couldn't afford to slap a few visual effects onto some scenes that they felt didn't make the cut and let the diehards see that stuff. It would make 2 or 3 interesting vlogs even. Maybe had Jackson kept up the Vlogs he could have suckered a few more people into seeing the actual film in the theater.

I agree that the vlogs are more entertaining, but I can think of numerous ways in which the films could be worse.  Even limiting the comparison to other blockbusters made by mostly competent people (as opposed to something like, say, Birdemic) the first two Hobbit films came out in the years that gave us Prometheus and Star Trek Into Darkness, respectively.

Okay, after I wrote that post I went back and re-read some of the reviews posted on here in response to DOS and to be honest, I'd actually forgotten about some of this crap.  Yeah, it's definitely a bad movie.  Fair point to Sin.

Edit: even though I wrote very critical reviews of AUJ and DOS, I've found that with both I was still looking for silver linings, but after several months I gave up and consigned the films to the figurative scrap heap.

Eldorion wrote:I agree that the vlogs are more entertaining, but I can think of numerous ways in which the films could be worse.  Even limiting the comparison to other blockbusters made by mostly competent people (as opposed to something like, say, Birdemic) the first two Hobbit films came out in the years that gave us Prometheus and Star Trek Into Darkness, respectively.

Okay, seriously, I didn't think Prometheus was that bad. I would definitely watch it before I watched AUJ or DOS.

bungobaggins wrote:

Eldorion wrote:I agree that the vlogs are more entertaining, but I can think of numerous ways in which the films could be worse.  Even limiting the comparison to other blockbusters made by mostly competent people (as opposed to something like, say, Birdemic) the first two Hobbit films came out in the years that gave us Prometheus and Star Trek Into Darkness, respectively.

Okay, seriously, I didn't think Prometheus was that bad. I would definitely watch it before I watched AUJ or DOS.

Prometheus wasn't that bad I only had issue with it as tying into the Alien franchise, but I didn't find Star Trek - Into Darkness THAT bad   , course I'm not a die hard trek fan like many people are. I found it entertaining and over all a much better film than either of the Hobbit films that have been released so far.

No comment on Into Darkness.  

I got exactly the same sense of betrayal from both DoS and ST:ID.  Beloved characters mutilated needlessly. I just tried not to think about what I was watching and imagine it as a cheap carnival ride.

I'm not a Star Trek fan either but I thought STID and DOS shared many similar problems, both as films and as adaptations.  Nonsensical plots, drama valued over making sense, unlikable douchebag characters, and so on.

Prometheus had some really cool elements but it didn't come together because the creators were more interested in seeming "deep" than telling a coherent story.  Also, alien space Jesus.

Prometheus had some very interesting visuals, specialy the Pretty Azog Guy turning into atoms/seeding or whatever he was doing, I liked that a lot.

the vlogs were fab, to see close up all the work they did on costumes props and above all the sets like Beorns house, the wonderful wooden carving which we saw nothing of in the film. I want more vlogs I hope they do at least one more.

I liked what Prometheus was about and trying to do- but unfortunately if you are going to use your surface story to act as a cypher for deeper themes it still has to make sense on its own terms as a surface story, and Prometheus doesn't- stupid characters with no personality who dont make sense as human beings doing stupid things that also make no sense or are simply really stupid.

I liked the idea of Prometheus, I liked the big blue guys but some of it was typical stupid human fook ups, there was quite a few "as if " moments for me in that film. I was astonished Noomi Rapace could jump about so eliquently after having major surgery. But, its still better than some weird ass Alien films   

it suffers not having the calibre of actress of Sigorney Weaver

It also suffers from having a confused self indulgent script, huge gaps in logic, cardboard characters, questionable pacing, cheesy dialogue and hype it couldn't match as a prequel to better movies. Still it looked very nice!

Not that I'm making a sarcastic comparison to another film frequently discussed here.   

malickfan wrote:
Not that I'm making a sarcastic comparison to another film frequently discussed here.   

No, of course not. Sarcasm has no place in Forumshire.  

Edit: 4114 is rather a nice looking postcount. I may have to leave it there for a bit.

Clip from the DOS EE from Mirkwood and the enchanted stream- shame PJ has choosen to play it mainly for laughs however   

https://uk.yahoo.com/movies/the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug-extended-93856081591.html?cmp=ukfb

An amazing how quiet those hobbits are when they move, thank goodness thats not made a plot point or anything- oh wait!  
And why does Bombur fall asleep without falling in the stream?   

Love how that opening shot is 100 percent CGI and it looks 100 percent shit. WTF happened Weta?

As for the entire sequence, I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to be feeling. Don't like Martin Freeman's acting in this sequence. It's just bad.

Someone needs to remind Martin Freeman that there's more to acting than "funny" facial expressions.

Pettytyrant101 wrote:And why does Bombur fall asleep without falling in the stream?   

Bilbo was starting to fall asleep when he was on the vines so I suppose the movie's version of the Enchanted River makes people sleepy just through proximity.

Anyway, I wasn't totally sold on the theatrical version's depiction of Mirkwood's enchanted nature, but I'm hoping that the full version of this and hopefully other scenes will make it better. (Hoping, not expecting.)

Eldorion wrote:Someone needs to remind Martin Freeman that there's more to acting than "funny" facial expressions.

Someone should tell him there's more to his character than funny facial expressions. If he talked more than he emoted I'd like him alot better. Bilbo talks to himself all the time! That's what would be hilarious! More talking instead of mumbling with a contorted face!

Yes Tin, He is bordering on catatonic. Who's brilliant idea was that , for Martin to just pull faces ? Fook, Im not an actor or celeb but I talk to my cats all the fooking time. I talk when they are there, I talk when they are not   People talk to themselves all the time, it does help round up an idea. Gawds sake Freeman, say something ! He seems to go from wittering to the odd, very odd, concise structured, methodical sentence full of wise words then its back to "umm, er, umm, ay ?"   

Problem with PJ is that he doesn't know what the fook he wants. So he lets Freeman do a million takes, and then PJ picks the "best" in the editing room.

I can believe that Bungo, thing is all those million takes are of Freeman pulling faces & going "Arh, umm, er ?" & twitching from one foot to the other whilst spinning his head like a demented owl on crack

It's something they talked about during the DOS live event last spring. They had video footage of Freeman delivering the same line over and over, something about "hobbits should never venture east," when they are in the boat with Bard. Delivering the line a bunch of different ways, none of them good. Seemed like an utter mess to me.