The Hobbit Film Trilogy Thread

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,388]

And yet with it's ending ROTK became the second highest grossing film ever.

I guess PJ really screwed up, right?

[Romão 2,473]

In my view he did. All this consesus concerning the quality of this trilogy really saddens me.

[Marian Schedenig 11,695]

ROTK had a perfect Star Wars moment at the 'kneel before the hobbits' bit to end but unfortunately, it went on for another agonizing 20minutes or so, most of it in slo-mo. If only PJ had the guts to give that bit the chop.

Stopping there would have completely ruined the movie. The Grey Havens are one of the most important parts of the entire story.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,388]

I do agree with some of the critisism of The Grey Havens playing in slow motion.

[Morlock 12]

The biggest problem with the endings of the movie were the fade-out/fade-ins. You think it's over. Than it restarts. The technique was the main problem, not what was featured.

[indy4 160]

The resolution was defenetly a bit long, but Tolkien's version was even longer. There was that whole scouring of the Shire thing with Sauruman. EVerything was essential in the end, it just could have been shown a bit quicker.

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

And yet with it's ending ROTK became the second highest grossing film ever.

I guess PJ really screwed up, right?

We live in a world where TPM managed to be the highest grossing Star Wars film despite Jar Jar and a kiddie Anakin

The resolution was defenetly a bit long, but Tolkien's version was even longer. There was that whole scouring of the Shire thing with Sauruman. EVerything was essential in the end, it just could have been shown a bit quicker.

With a book you can put it down and come back to it later. But you cant yell at the projectionist to pause the movie cause u have to go pee.

I do agree with some of the critisism of The Grey Havens playing in slow motion.

And the endless hugging and re-hugging

[Red 75]

The resolution was defenetly a bit long, but Tolkien's version was even longer. There was that whole scouring of the Shire thing with Sauruman. EVerything was essential in the end, it just could have been shown a bit quicker.

Agreed. All that was there needed to be, but it didn't have to take that long.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,388]

How does one wrap up 3 movies quickly?

[Ollie 1,375]

By having a bunch of furry teddy bear creatures dance around a campfire singing "Yub Nub" and then 14 years later adding CGI shots that don't match the rest of the film.

[Luke Skywalker 2,385]

How does one wrap up 3 movies quickly?

Not using slow motion. I'm sure the ending could be 10 minutes shorter without it...

By having a bunch of furry teddy bear creatures dance around a campfire singing "Yub Nub" and then 14 years later adding CGI shots that don't match the rest of the film.

But that is an ending for 6 movies.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,388]

But that is an ending for 6 movies.

Don't be ridiculous!

[Luke Skywalker 2,385]

But that is an ending for 6 movies.

Don't be ridiculous!

I was just joking, heck

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,388]

No you were not, which is what makes it so sad....

[Luke Skywalker 2,385]

??????????????

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,388]

Deep in your heart.....you love Star Wars as it now is, don't you?

[John Crichton 4]

Despite RotK's length I still miss the Scouring of the Shire. It really shows how far the hobbits have traveled, espeically the warriors Merry and Pippin. And it gives them a chance to directly save their home after saving the world.

[Luke Skywalker 2,385]

Deep in your heart.....you love Star Wars as it now is, don't you?

Who said the contrary?

And what does it had to do with me saying a stupid joke about that you cannot compare the ending of SW with LOTR because one is an ending for 6 movies and the other is an ending for 3?

[Mr. Breathmask 624]

The biggest problem with the endings of the movie were the fade-out/fade-ins. You think it's over. Than it restarts. The technique was the main problem, not what was featured.

Very true.

Despite RotK's length I still miss the Scouring of the Shire. It really shows how far the hobbits have traveled, espeically the warriors Merry and Pippin. And it gives them a chance to directly save their home after saving the world.

I understand what you were saying, and I really like its function in the story in the book.

But the movie trilogy's plot in its simplest form is basically "Frodo Baggins must destroy The One Ring." So once The Ring is destroyed, the movie is over. It's just tying up loose ends and we're off.

[Luke Skywalker 2,385]

But the movie trilogy's plot in its simplest form is basically "Frodo Baggins must destroy The One Ring." So once The Ring is destroyed, the movie is over. It's just tying up loose ends and we're off.

Loose ends?

I wont call Sam's wedding a loose end...

[Morlock 12]

You're right. It's entirely unnecessary.

[Delorean90 47]

Not if you want the very very end to make any sense.

[Morlock 12]

Sam doesn't have to get married for the story to end. It's a nice touch, if you care about Sam. But it not essential to the story, and concidering how long the last few minutes of the film felt, it would have been less annoying without that plot-line.

[Delorean90 47]

I'm speaking of the very end, the whole "Well, I'm back" scene, taken directly from the book. Chopping off the Grey Havens and Sam's return and leaving it at the coronation would've been cheap and a shame.

[Morlock 12]

When I watched the film, every second it went on was more and more painful. i just wanted to get out of there. The editing of the ending so wrong, that anything to take it down would be welcome. The only way the scene would be effective is if the ending was more intelligently edited. As it is, the swifter the ending, the better.

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

When I watched the film, every second it went on was more and more painful. i just wanted to get out of there. The editing of the ending so wrong, that anything to take it down would be welcome. The only way the scene would be effective is if the ending was more intelligently edited. As it is, the swifter the ending, the better.

Indeed, i've been rewatching the usual blockbusters from the 70/80s (Star Wars, Superman, Close Encounters, Jaws, E.T, Raiders...) and they all ended in a jiffy.

[Red 75]

Those were all endings to singular films, and not finales to huge franchises.

ROTK's ending suffered from bad editing and only bad editing. It had all the elements and scenes it needed.

[John Crichton 4]

Indeed. If you have complaints about the content, don't blame Jackson, blame Tolkien. And personally I don't mind the editing so much. Sure the fade outs create the impression of false endings, but it's an impression easily dismissed IMO. This is a huge, 10 hour epic and deserves more than 5 minutes of wrap-up.

[Morlock 12]

It deserves good editing. It was quite dissapointing to see Jackson get sloppy towards the end.

[Luke Skywalker 2,385]

Its jackson fault. As it is, the ending is missing tolkien material.

And if we are going to lose tolkien material anyway i rather lose sam's love affair and silly returning to the shire scenes and give me some interesting action with the scouring of the shire....

The film could have well ended with the Ship going to the horizon. Frodo has given Sam the book prior to enter the ship. That is all we need to know.

I'm not saying that it needed a 5 minute ending. But a good edited, un-slow motioned, 15 minute ending will improve the trilogy.

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

Those were all endings to singular films, and not finales to huge franchises.

ROTK's ending suffered from bad editing and only bad editing. It had all the elements and scenes it needed.

It doesnt matter much. The Godfather Part III ended quickly too, as did Revenge of the Sith (relatively) which also had loose ends to tie up.

I'm speaking of the very end, the whole "Well, I'm back" scene, taken directly from the book. Chopping off the Grey Havens and Sam's return and leaving it at the coronation would've been cheap and a shame.

I think it would have made a better cinematic ending.

[Luke Skywalker 2,385]

Im thinking about this, and this is what could have been done.

Theatrical version: Saruman scene in Orthanc added, and then a shorter version of the ending like the ones i have suggested.

Extended edition: NO saruman scene in orthanc. Ending as in extended edition (evading slow-mo...) but including The Scouring of the shire (saruman here)

The theatrical version, as it is, leaves the Saruman plot completely loose. Instead we have a 30 minute ending with Sam's wedding and family...

[Marian Schedenig 11,695]

I think it would have made a better cinematic ending.

I don't see how dropping the central aspect of the story could make it cinematically better.

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

I think it would have made a better cinematic ending.

I don't see how dropping the central aspect of the story could make it cinematically better.

In the case of the movies, I don't see how the Grey Havens scene is a central aspect at all. The movies are all distilled down to the plot of Frodo destroying the ring.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,388]

Obviously you saw a different movie then I did.

The Destruction Of The Ring is meaningless if you don't show the effects it has, good or bad, on the lives of those who destroyed it.

[Morlock 12]

Those were all endings to singular films, and not finales to huge franchises.

ROTK's ending suffered from bad editing and only bad editing. It had all the elements and scenes it needed.

It doesnt matter much. The Godfather Part III ended quickly too, as did Revenge of the Sith (relatively) which also had loose ends to tie up.

Godfather III's ending is actually one of hte few things I really like about the movie. Nothing more needed to be said.

I think it would have made a better cinematic ending.

I don't see how dropping the central aspect of the story could make it cinematically better.

Editing well could make it cinematically better. The power of the entire ending was lost on many people because of the way it was done. If you can't tell the story well-cinematically, don't tell the story at all. I can't for the life of me tell why Jackson dropped the ball on this one to such an extent.

[Mr. Breathmask 624]

Im thinking about this, and this is what could have been done.

Theatrical version: Saruman scene in Orthanc added, and then a shorter version of the ending like the ones i have suggested.

Extended edition: NO saruman scene in orthanc. Ending as in extended edition (evading slow-mo...) but including The Scouring of the shire (saruman here)

The theatrical version, as it is, leaves the Saruman plot completely loose. Instead we have a 30 minute ending with Sam's wedding and family...

When these films were shot, the makers had no idea there would ever be an extended edition.

The whole Scouring of the Shire would likely end up being a 20-minute battle sequence, but on a much smaller scale than the ones we'd already seen in the same movie. Why would we want to be bothered by it?

It works perfectly fine in the book and fulfills an interesting part of the story, but film is a different medium. One where such an ending would not be desirable.

[fommes 165]

I think it would have made a better cinematic ending.

I don't. I think that would have been a Hollywood ending.

[Luke Skywalker 2,385]

Im thinking about this, and this is what could have been done.

Theatrical version: Saruman scene in Orthanc added, and then a shorter version of the ending like the ones i have suggested.

Extended edition: NO saruman scene in orthanc. Ending as in extended edition (evading slow-mo...) but including The Scouring of the shire (saruman here)

The theatrical version, as it is, leaves the Saruman plot completely loose. Instead we have a 30 minute ending with Sam's wedding and family...

When these films were shot, the makers had no idea there would ever be an extended edition.

Well, there are scenes that are differently shot between the TE and the EE... they could have filmed two different saruman plots...

The whole Scouring of the Shire would likely end up being a 20-minute battle sequence, but on a much smaller scale than the ones we'd already seen in the same movie. Why would we want to be bothered by it?

It works perfectly fine in the book and fulfills an interesting part of the story, but film is a different medium. One where such an ending would not be desirable.

You and people that think like you only say this because you like the film as it is.

Im 100% sure you would not complain (or say its an unnecessary scene) if the scouring of the shire had been in the movie from the very begining.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,388]

Im 100% sure you would not complain (or say its an unnecessary scene) if the scouring of the shire had been in the movie from the very begining.

Maybe not, if it was done well. However I can perfectly understand why they decided not to go with it.

[Luke Skywalker 2,385]

Im 100% sure you would not complain (or say its an unnecessary scene) if the scouring of the shire had been in the movie from the very begining.

Maybe not, if it was done well. However I can perfectly understand why they decided not to go with it.

The ending as it is is not made well and you dont complain much. Just a little about slow motion...

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,388]

The ending as it is is not made well

In your opinion.

I'll agree with Morlock that the fade out's may have given people the wrong impression.

But I kinda like that.

[Luke Skywalker 2,385]

It is not just my opinion.

Im amazed with most LOTR fans. They chopped the books sometimes, books stablished for 40-50 years. And they dont have a single complaint!

Complacency at its best...

[Morlock 12]

Maybe they realize that the films are so much better than they might have been under just about any other circumstances, and are grateful about it. I don't know, I don't personally know any big LoTR fans who love both books and movies.

[Romão 2,473]

The trilogy could've been a lot worse, but it also could've been a lot better.

[Morlock 12]

Sure, it could've been better. But concidering all it had against it....people should be thankful for what they got.

[Romão 2,473]

That's not a very good start point in judging a movie, in my view. Sure, it was no Batman and Robin, but the whole thing was very dissapointing. And the bad thing about all this consensus is that now those movies are seen as definitive versions, sadly.

[Morlock 12]

No, it's not a good starting point. I am not a huge fan of them. But, frankly, there are few circumstances under which it could've been done better.

[Delorean90 47]

I wouldn't say it was dissappointing. I would say that for the most part, if you're not going to go with a "Cinema be damned, we're filming the books word-for-word!" approach, then the films were about as good as you're going to get. One key example of this would be the shifting of the opening of TTT to the end of FOTR, and the creation of Lurtz. Having seen it now, I wouldn't want it to go exactly the way the books went in that regard.

[John Crichton 4]

I don't know, I don't personally know any big LoTR fans who love both books and movies.

I might qualify. I love the books, and though I have quibbles with the movies I enjoy them very much and accept that they're the best adaptation we're probably ever likely to get.