Artman

I enjoyed that sequence...anyone else get an Alien 3 vibe? I knew that shot of Smaug jumping out of it was coming. It's things like Thorin jumping down the shaft and then coming back up that seem pointless, and just takes up screentime.

I thought Laketown was the most interesting part of it, the politics of it, the actors... maybe it's because it's the only human setting. Hopefully there's more of that in the inevitable extended edition.

DeputyDave

I liked it... quite a bit, but not loved it. It may be the same as the first one. I didn't really like it until a second viewing on DVD, then decided I loved it when seeing the extended edition (especially the special features). I saw it at a 12:01 showing Thursday night. Remembering the around the block line for Catching Fire (my daughter made me go) I got there an hour and a half early. There was no line, no people. I was able to walk straight into the empty theater. There were only about 50 people in the theater by the time it started.

Sorraffy

meh, if he didn't pad Samug a bit his entire role in the movie would have been maybe 30 minutes?

johnnysd

Yeah I get that but it also diminishes Smaug himself and there were so many ridiculous falls and things it just seems like a cartoon and LOTR was so successful because it felt real and the peril tangible. There is a reason Smaug doesn't just roast Bilbo, but not the rest.

The animation on the dragon was nuts. Pretty cool to see a dragon as you always pictured them in your imagination. GOTs dragons are very good but Smaug was ridiculous.

Lara Means

Plant.

Why So Blu?

Yeah, sure.

hanshotfirst1138

[IMG]www.gifttree.com/images/super/5574b_Potted-Plant.jpg[/img]

Solid Snake

Supposedly my Cinemark has the HFR one. They've only posted the 2D and the HFR. No regular 3D. Hrmmm. A fuck up?

Why So Blu?

Also like how the Ring began corrupting Bilbo. Those subtle nuances of him looking at it and then getting all aggressive when killing the spiders was excellent.

Giles

I thought the whole Beorn character got shoved under the rug too - some scenes were too short, some went too long... hopefully the extended cut will have a better flow of the narrative.

Dr. DVD

I notice there aren't that many reviews in here of this one.

Saw it a second time today in IMAX and it got a bit better, kind of like the first one. I have come the to conclusion that while HFR can really help the 3D and keep it from looking blurry at points, it doesn't help in the long run.

The theater was close to full for IMAX, and this was a little out of the way spot. Supposed to be the largest IMAX screen in the southeastern U.S. Not part of chain or anything like that, so it was created back in the day when IMAX screens were real.

Dr. DVD

I wouldn't have expected a large crowd for this like Hunger Games. No teenage girl factor. That's quite the driving force to success these days.

Why So Blu?

It's selling out in a lot of places and I believe this one will make more than part 1.

hanshotfirst1138

I'm hearing even with the HFR and IMAX, it's underperforming. I think it's safe to say There and Back Again is the last we'll see of Middle Earth on film.

Dr. DVD

Last year it had the disadvantage of opening after a national tragedy. This year there's really no excuse, except for maybe holiday shopping by those who couldn't make it out last weekend due to weather.

Dr. DVD

That's all I think we'll need in all honesty. I like the movies overall, but PJ is really overkilling it. It's irrelevant how this movie does; sequel is coming regardless. However, I think this new batch of movies is giving people more than they really want/need.

While Smaug's last line was cool, I think it would have been a neat homage and wink to the movie geeks if instead of "I am death" he said "They should have let me sleep."

Dr. DVD

Worldwide you may be right. Stateside I think it's got an uphill battle.

Why So Blu?

It's doing good so far and projected to do better.

http://movies.yahoo.com/news/box-off...180733759.html

Though Hobbit: Desolation Of Smaug’s midnight numbers are not ones for the record books, the fact is it is still on track for a big opening this weekend (estimates are around $80 million today) in a crowded marketplace that is very different environment from last year, when theaters had Lincoln and the ending run of Twilight pulling in small numbers. This weekend Hobbit has two very strong contenders in the marketplace for box office dollars with the family film Frozen and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. “We had a fan base that was drooling to see the film,” said Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution for Warner Bros. “We’re off to a great start, the early matinees are great. I think the number of 3D screens (the increase) will help the upcharge of the film.” Of the pic’s $8.8 million midnight run, $1.2 million came from IMAX theaters.

On its opening day overseas Wednesday in select international territories, Smaug brought in $8.5 million for a gross that ended up 3% higher than last year’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Dr. DVD

First one opened north of $80 million. I will say my matinee today was packed, so you never know.

redrum

Was awesome

Definitely better than the first

Some asshole talked for the whole movie behind me and pretty much ruined it for me though

hanshotfirst1138

I know, I kind of hope he'll do a smaller movie when he's all said and done with this to get rid of the endless bloat that his work has been affecting his work lately. Though apparently The Lovely Bones was the last time he tried that, and it was none too warmly received. But all good things must come to an end, and at the end of this second trilogy, I think we'll have seen pretty much all of Middle Earth that there is to see.

Yeah, obviously short of the studio going under, the third will come out, I'm sure some of it has been shot already anyway. Lets hope it goes out in style.

That's so post-modern, my head just exploded .

Supermallet

Isn't all of it shot already? They're still doing editing and effects work on the third, but all the live action material was shot in one go.

Ky-Fi

I enjoyed it a lot---probably slightly better than the first. I think they're still a notch down from the LOTR movies, but not much. Fun to go back to this world. The new elf girl was well cast.

hanshotfirst1138

Really? I was under the impression that it was kind of like Donner's Superman flicks, they shot most of the stuff on the same sets and things to save money, and then went back and finished stuff for the release of each individual film?

Solid Snake

Shooting started march 2011 and it ended on July 2012. They started some additional filming again in may, 10 week thing for parts 2 and 3.