# So the new Hobbit movie is out (pre-screening) for reviewers and celebrities. Anyone seen it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 4, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933 "2012-12-04T04:18:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933/21 "2012-12-04T16:23:44Z")
I’m such a Tolkien geek that Jackson could probably film the calendar appendix of LOTR and I’d go see it, so I’m just fine with an expansion to three movies. Can we make it six and film the Silmarillion (by which I mean the portion that’s actually titled _The Silmarillion_ of the book released as _The Silmarillion_)? ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933/22 "2012-12-04T16:38:45Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I’m such a Tolkien geek that Jackson could probably film the calendar appendix of LOTR and I’d go see it, so I’m just fine with an expansion to three movies. Can we make it six and film the Silmarillion (by which I mean the portion that’s actually titled _The Silmarillion_ of the book released as _The Silmarillion_)? I think it would be fine if they had actually set out to make a movie version about the story of the Silmarils, but based on the descriptions so far it sounds more like they took all the travel details they had to cut out of LOTR and stuffed them into this movie instead. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933/23 "2012-12-04T19:27:57Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I’m such a Tolkien geek that Jackson could probably film the calendar appendix of LOTR and I’d go see it, so I’m just fine with an expansion to three movies. Can we make it six and film the Silmarillion (by which I mean the portion that’s actually titled _The Silmarillion_ of the book released as _The Silmarillion_)? I bet you’re wishing [this](http://dimpost.wordpress.com/2008/05/28/peter-jackson-to-film-95-hour-adaptation-of-silmarillion/)wasn’t satire. The comments are priceless. I’m withholding any judgment until I see the film, but as I said back in the Radagast threat, I doubt whether Jackson and Boyens are good enough writers to raise any extra storyline above a mediocre standard at best. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933/24 "2012-12-04T19:39:03Z")
48 FPS rules, 24 FPS drools! Suckers! 😛 Ok, so I was looking forward to this movie a LOT. I even coerced some cow-workers (who hate 3D and think 48 FPS is the end of cinema) to come along to the premier with me. But ever since watching the commercials/trailers for it… I don’t know, several times my eyes just glazed over and I got sleepy. From a trailer! It seemed so boring and generic for some reason and all of a sudden. And this is from someone who loves fantasy movies and loved the original LOTR films. I’m so meh about the movies that the only reason I’m going now is because I made plans to go and for the 48 FPS 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933/25 "2012-12-04T20:41:44Z")
> [@well\_he\_s\_back](#): > > I am an LOTR book geek & surprisingly loved the Jackson LOTR movies. But I fear I will hate this. Chill. Have some lembas. Try some of the cordial of Imladris. 😉 It’s only a movie. It won’t change one line that the perfessor wrote. I think it’ll be cool to see what PJ’s vision of The Hobbit and the appendices look like. It was a blast watching his LOTR films. I didn’t agree with everything he did, and found some of his choices silly, and indicative that he just didn’t understand JRRT as well as _ **I** _ did, but it was still fun. The Hobbit flicks will be the same for me. Good or bad, I’ll always have the books. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933/26 "2012-12-04T21:02:24Z")
Thanks Qadop; I needed that. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933/27 "2012-12-04T21:32:20Z")
Despite some nitpicks, I really enjoyed the LOTR film trilogy, and have a lot of confidence in Jackson for a _Hobbit_ trilogy. I’ll see it soon after it opens, I’m sure. > [@jayjay](#): > > I’m such a Tolkien geek that Jackson could probably film the calendar appendix of LOTR and I’d go see it, so I’m just fine with an expansion to three movies. Can we make it six and film the Silmarillion (by which I mean the portion that’s actually titled _The Silmarillion_ of the book released as _The Silmarillion_)? Seconded! Just take a look here, to get the ball rolling: [Casting for The Silmarillion - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=668570) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933/28 "2012-12-04T21:40:07Z")
I’m not noticing any mention of it being part 1 of a trilogy anywhere in the television, radio or print ads. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933/29 "2012-12-04T21:43:08Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] Despite some nitpicks, I really enjoyed the LOTR film trilogy, and have a lot of confidence in Jackson for a Hobbit trilogy. I’ll see it soon after it opens, I’m sure. [/QUOTE] Well, if you liked it, who can argue?? 😉 (I enjoyed the films, though was disappointed in some of the things that I thought were important but were missing, or some of the things that they did that were changes that I didn’t see the point of. Like Qadgop said though, still have the books, so doesn’t really matter) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933/30 "2012-12-05T00:02:45Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I’m such a Tolkien geek that Jackson could probably film the calendar appendix of LOTR and I’d go see it, so I’m just fine with an expansion to three movies. Can we make it six and film the Silmarillion (by which I mean the portion that’s actually titled _The Silmarillion_ of the book released as _The Silmarillion_)? Just six? I’d see a Jackson Tolkien film every year for the rest of my life. There must be enough material for that.🆒 And yes once you know the true story, rather than just the little bit Bilbo saw, there’s plenty of story for three films. Hell, more. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933/31 "2012-12-05T00:45:58Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > I agree with this. If Australian cinemas insist on shoving an entire month’s worth of big movie releases onto one day (we have to wait for _Wreck-It Ralph_ too), of course it’s going to be busy. December 26th has consistently been the busiest cinema day in Australia for decades. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933/32 "2012-12-05T01:03:12Z")
> [@tellyworth](#): > > December 26th has consistently been the busiest cinema day in Australia for decades. Seems likely. After all, family’s in town, and you’ve been smiling at each other for what, two, three days now, and the house is getting pretty crowded? Somebody’s gonna take the family out of the house or a certain mom is gonna **explode**. That’s my theory, anyway. Also why bars do such great business the day after Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933/33 "2012-12-05T01:04:33Z")
I feel like I’ve said this before, but the series will not just be “the Hobbit.” In the book, Gandalf mentions that he mysteriously has to go. He ends up fighting “the Necromancer” (Benedict Cumberbatch; also Smaug). Gives them opportunities to put in the other wizards. Elijah Wood is also slated, so either that’s a flashback or a coda-type thing. ETA: see some of that in the Variety review. Hmm… ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933/34 "2012-12-05T02:48:30Z")
Also reappearing from the LOTR series: Christopher Lee as Saruman and Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, for a meeting of the White Council; Ian Holm as the elderly Bilbo; and Orlando Bloom as Legolas. And Hugo Weaving returning as Elrond, of course. I hope we’ll see a young Aragorn, er, Estel at Rivendell, too. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > I’m not noticing any mention of it being part 1 of a trilogy anywhere in the television, radio or print ads. No, it just has the subtitle, _An Unexpected Journey_. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933/35 "2012-12-05T03:20:15Z")
As long as the unimportant ones get cameos, but aren’t shoehorned into the plot. I kinda hope the portray Legolas as a complete jerk to the dwarves. Also, Crixus as the orc/goblin Azog. And Billy Connolloy! ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933/36 "2012-12-05T03:28:58Z")
> [@tellyworth](#): > > December 26th has consistently been the busiest cinema day in Australia for decades. Even if that’s true, it doesn’t have to be the release date. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933/37 "2012-12-05T04:58:34Z")
I bought tickets for the 14th but I’m not even sure what we’re seeing. I got the IMAX 3D tickets but it didn’t specify which frame rate it would be at. Does anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933/38 "2012-12-05T05:05:30Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > I bought tickets for the 14th but I’m not even sure what we’re seeing. I got the IMAX 3D tickets but it didn’t specify which frame rate it would be at. Does anyone know? [List of IMAX theaters that will show The Hobbit in High Frame Rate 3D](http://www.imax.com/community/blog/peter-jacksons-the-hobbit-an-unexpected-journey-will-be-shown-in-high-frame-rate-3d-in-select-imax-theatres/) ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933/39 "2012-12-05T12:57:39Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I think it’ll be cool to see what PJ’s vision of The Hobbit and the appendices look like. It was a blast watching his LOTR films. I didn’t agree with everything he did, and found some of his choices silly, and indicative that he just didn’t understand JRRT as well as _ **I** _ did, but it was still fun. At the same time, I thought a few of his choices were unexpected and brilliant – such as the marking of the orcs with the white hand. I have trepediations that THE HOBBIT trilogy will be too long and thus boring (altho’ a New Zealand travelog will still be enjoyable to watch), but I’m certainly going to see them. And buy the DVDs when they come out. I agree, the movie is never the same as the book, nor could it be, but it can be an enjoyable experience on its own. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933/40 "2012-12-05T14:39:18Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > From [Aintitcool.com](http://Aintitcool.com): This accords pretty much perfectly with what I have predicted about the films in the past, except that it seems to characterize the LOTR films positively, whereas I (though I originally liked them) think that the LOTR films are really, really bad. The Hobbit films are going to be worse. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-new-hobbit-movie-is-out-pre-screening-for-reviewers-and-celebrities-anyone-seen-it/642933.md?page=3)