An Unexpected Journey SPOILERS ALLOWED Discussion Thread

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Well he's obviously European.

That is a shame that it is hard to see films in their original languages over there. I have seen a ton of French films, and other foreign films here, always subtitled.

Dubbing is commonplace in Spain, Germany, France, italy and many other countries in Europe. But not in The Netherlands, Belgium, and the Scandiwegian countries I think.

To me dubbing is a horror, I guess to many others who grew up with dubbing it's far more normal.

[Jay 37,353]

Hmmm, maybe your second viewing can be in that "crappy" cinema so you can at least hear McKellen, Freeman, Serkis, etc's voices this time

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I don't have that problem. I read VERY quickly. Just a quick glance down and I got everything, can go back to looking at faces

I always wondered that. In my country everything non-Dutch is subtitles (apart from children's programming which are at times dubbed)

That means we can read subtitles very quickly, at a glance, without any effort.

Dunno how it is for people who did not grow up with it. I guess it might be disturbing.

Of course, because these languages are awful!

The secret is out! You are French!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Just because he seems a little fruity doesn't mean he's French, Steef.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I fail to understand your internal logic.

Logic...logic...logic.

Logic is the beginning of wisdom, mon ami. Not it's destination.

Just because he seems a little fruity doesn't mean he's French, Steef.

I'm more certain of this then anything in life!

And if he surrenders from anything it will be the final proof.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Merde!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Quintus 5,399]

TALKING RABBITS CROSSES THE LINE!

You're full of shit. Stop trying to build anticipation among those who seem to care what you think and just tell 'em your initial reaction. It's easy. Come back with a proper review later if you want to.

The board could really, REALLY do without your hype nonsense on this one, cheers. Just cough it up and be done with it!

Who's the greater fool, the fool who---oh fuck it, this is no time for a cheeky quote.

You're the one giving attention to the attention whore.

It was a preemptive strike... which he of course deflected. Such is his all encompassing twatix.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

So far, has there been a single review of anyone saying the HDR was a godsend and made this film a better experience?

Such is his all encompassing twatix.

Monsieur Le Twat you mean, mon ami.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

So far, has there been a single review of anyone saying the HDR was a godsend and made this film a better experience?

Such is his all encompassing twatix.

Monsieur Le Twat you mean, mon ami.

I'm adopting this.

Can't wait for Monsieur Le Twat's review!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I grant it to you freely. Use it well my friend!

[alicebrallice 134]

I can't do that right now. There's a lot to process.

are you freakin kidding me?! I stayed up till 6am, I was in the worst mood ever, tired as hell, but I processed it all (to say the least) by writing all my thoughts and initial reactions here (which must've been a hilarious read, btw... I don't even want to reread what I wrote) AND THIS... THIS is all you have to say?

pffffft. yeah, merry damn christmas to you too.

I watched a dubbed version,

mon précieux! voleur, voleur, voleur! sacquet!

Well he's obviously European and English is not his first language.

That is a shame that it is hard to see films in their original languages in Europe. I have seen a ton of French films, and other foreign films here, always subtitled.

I wouldn't even be able to find a dubbed version here even if I desperately wanted to.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Only kids films are ever dubbed here. thank goodness.

[Jonesy 55]

I'd like to see a film in original version here, but it seems something impossible.

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

If the dubbed version had been my only choice I would have skipped the theater viewing. And had waited for the Blu-ray release.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

I have to watch subtitles movies twice.

Once for the subtitles, once for the acting.

Whereas you simply can't watch dubbed movies for the acting.

So far, has there been a single review of anyone saying the HDR was a godsend and made this film a better experience?

I wouldn't go that far, but I liked the HDR.

[Jilal 569]

Radgy is quite far from the sled when we hear "Quick! Quick!" and we only see the rabbits on screen at that moment.

Indeed. And the rabbit's mouth is moving.

Most films have Dutch and French subtitles here.

[Jay 37,353]

So far, has there been a single review of anyone saying the HDR was a godsend and made this film a better experience?

I wouldn't go that far, but I liked the HDR.

What's HDR?

[Faleel 5,346]

HFR, I think, they just misspelled it.

[Jilal 569]

Well I must say I enjoyed it more in 24 fps.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

HFR, I think, they just misspelled it.

Steef misspelled it, I copied him without thinking. Decide which is worse.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Most films have Dutch and French subtitles here.

Do they still have both Dutch and French subtitles at the same time in Belgium?

[Jilal 569]

Yes.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I've seen that once or twice. An interesting system, but it does mean there is only one line available per language instead of the usual two.

Did a civil war almost broke out over who's language should be on top?

[Wojo 2,453]

When Bilbo faces the single goblin on the bridge with Sting before falling to meet Gollum... is that the Superman fanfare we hear?

[JamieC 13]

Hi everyone

Hope you're all having a good time seeing out the last of 2012.

I just came across this review of the movie earlier today; whilst you may not agree with the view on the film it makes for a thoughtful piece of writing I think: http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2012/dec/19/tolkien-vs-technology/

Dream well.

JC

[Jilal 569]

Did anyone notice Jackson's cameo?

[Jay 37,353]

Yes, we discussed it in this thread. He's one of the dwarves running out of Erebor in the prologue

[Jay 37,353]

I'm gonna see it at least two more times (as an "excuse" to see old friends), so there'll probably be an opportunity to see it there.

You have friends?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

He he he...

[Jay 37,353]

When Bilbo faces the single goblin on the bridge with Sting before falling to meet Gollum... is that the Superman fanfare we hear?

No.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,353]

Eh give me a break, I'm sick

[Faleel 5,346]

Eh give me a break, I'm sick

You finally admit it!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Leave him alone you guys!

[Wojo 2,453]

When Smaug breaks down the door into Erebor and the dwarves flee, they show up at Bag End and claim the door is shut, preventing their entry. Who rebuilt the gate? Dragon magic?

[Faleel 5,346]

When Smaug breaks down the door into Erebor and the dwarves flee, they show up at Bag End and claim the door is shut, preventing their entry. Who rebuilt the gate? Dragon magic?

In the book, its supposed to be, that the Dragon is guarding the front gate, which is why they have to use the "side door"

[Richard Penna 3,686]

We finally saw this today, in HFR 3D.

It was enjoyable, never boring, and always with a sense of humour, but very heavily flawed.

- Definitely overlong - 45 mins to an hour could have been cut.

- Far too many sweeping 'virtual camera' shots. I started feeling sick during some of them, and that wasn't due to the 3D.

It generally didn't seem to come together that well as a coherent film. By making the film such a long adaptation of so little story, a lot of padding was needed, but there seemed to be little time for reflection or showing the passage of time; both of which we got in the LotR films.

Also, a general problem with the action sequences was the lack of real threat. We know that Bilbo, Thorin, Gandalf, and likely the rest of the dwarves would survive the film, and so any moments that put these characters in peril weren't as effective. I appreciate that it's an inherent problem with adaptations, but it seemed that the action in this film was more for the spectacle (certainly the thunder battle).

Music:

- I noticed all of the tracking (BotF, Hobbit's Understanding, and Master Peregrin's Plan) plus the Nazgul music. Didn't really find any of them very jarring - rather appropriate actually. I just wish Doug Adams would stop trying to pretend that they were all part of Shore's thematic plan. I think it's obvious they were tracked because they worked for the scenes.

- Plan 9 definitely overused, although from a listening perspective, I'd really like to have all those variations.

- The eagles finale with the nature theme is f****g amazing! I also noticed that the brass fanfares from Fellowship when Gandalf is rescued from Orthanc return here. I do think this is one of few 'alternate approaches' which is thematically and stylistically justified. Actually, I struggle to see how the CD ending of 'Frying-Pan' would've worked for that scene.

The HFR, by the way, just made it look more real in some scenes, and definitely smoother. But a '80s home video'/'behind the scenes footage' look? No idea where those descriptions came from. If this is the future of cinema, give all the FPS you have

3D was completely unobtrusive - forgot it was in 3D most of the time.

[Ollie 1,059]

Yeah I don't get the complaints about the picture quality. It looked like a typical HD image to me.

[gkgyver 1,645]

- Definitely overlong - 45 mins to an hour could have been cut.

NO way that is possible with the current structure.

Cut a scene like the stone giants, the trolls or riddles in the dark, and you'd have fans starting a revolution. Cut any of the Necromancer/Dol Guldur scenes and you have to cut it all because it would make no more sense then.

The length isn't the problem at all. It's just that transitions don't flow very naturally and it's kind of uneven.

[Wojo 2,453]

Ok, then cut all the Azog subplot and Moria flashback and extra white council in Rivendell stuff. And the rock giants. Nobody suggested to remove the important book stuff.

[gkgyver 1,645]

You can't cut the white council, it's an integral plot development in the trilogy. You can't have them attack Dol Guldur out of the blue.

And once you drop the Azog subplot, where does that leave the climax of the film?

And even if you cut all of that, the movie still isn't significantly shorter.

It's one thing to not like certain additions, it's another to contemplate where the movie would be without them.

[KK 3,307]

The problem wasn't so much the addition of the extra appendix/white council material as it was the handling if it. It could have been handled in a much better fashion, making the scenes feel less bloated and more integral. I think much of it has to do with the self-referencing dark LotR tone of the white council stuff being put against the comedic slapstick of the presentation of the book material. These scenes now stick out like a sore thumb, making them a seem a bit gratuitous. Jackson should have fond some tonal middle gound to better integrate the LotR material,

And the Azog subplot felt cheap for much of its duration. I'm sure there could have been a better way to maintain tension in the film.

I think the second film will feel meatier than this one.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

Ok, then cut all the Azog subplot and Moria flashback and extra white council in Rivendell stuff. And the rock giants. Nobody suggested to remove the important book stuff.

Azog (more or less), Moria and the White Council are important book stuff. Cut the rock giants (they're way overdone) and two thirds of the orc/warg battles, including Thorin's final assault.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

why don't glamdring and orcrist shine blue near goblins like sting?

Glamdring should have shined also in LOTR...

Gandalf states that elvish blades shine, and in 'riddles in the dark' bilbo notices his sword is also of elvish make because it shines.

And BTW... he finds the ring like PJ shoot it in LOTR. Why in the hell they had to change it in hobbit? it was always being ovbious that gollum had lost it. no need of showing it and bilbo seeing it.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Sigh...

Because it makes for a more dramatic moment. That shot of the Ring slipping from his pocketses is great actually.

Luke, are you going to demand PJ to replace the shot of a younger Bilbo in FOTR with Freeman?

Ofcourse the whole "you haven't aged a day" comment will make no more sense at all, but it never really did anyway.

[Jonesy 55]

why don't glamdring and orcrist shine blue near goblins like sting?

Glamdring should have shined also in LOTR...

This might be a Jackson's mistake.