The Hall of Fire DoS Review Thread

Post by **Smaug's voice** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 3:51 am

I thought it would be good to separate our HOF member-reviews from critical reviews.
And considering Alatar might get to see it sooner, I started this early. In case he wanted to give his review.
(if it's wrong in anyway, I ask Voronwë to remove this

)

Mon Dec 09, 2013 3:59 am

We still have two days until Al gets to see it (I think I might have mistakenly written that it was today

), but we absolutely should have a separate thread for our reviews!

Post by **Passdagas the Brown** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 4:43 am

Should I just post mine now?

Mon Dec 09, 2013 4:44 am

I probably could post it for you.

Post by **Passdagas the Brown** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 4:46 am

Oh, no worries. It may just be five words or so. What, the, was and that being four of them.

Post by **axordil** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 4:34 pm

"What that was: the masterpiece."

Post by **Dave_LF** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 4:45 pm

or "What the... that was fantastic!"

Mon Dec 09, 2013 4:49 pm

Or:

"What was that? The bomb!"

Post by **Passdagas the Brown** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 7:48 pm

Exceptionally poor guesses, all around.

But fear not. On Saturday morning, the fifth word will be revealed. Stay tuned.

Hint: A fox and a duck ran off in a truck, and had themselves some fun.

Post by **Alatar** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 7:49 pm

I got my ticket! Seeing it tomorrow night in Dublin.

Mon Dec 09, 2013 7:50 pm

Al, that is wonderful!

Passdagas the Brown wrote:Exceptionally poor guesses, all around.

But fear not. On Saturday morning, the fifth word will be revealed. Stay tuned.

Hint: A fox and a duck ran off in a truck, and had themselves some fun.

Because you have already made up your mind?

Post by **Passdagas the Brown** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 7:52 pm

No, I'm just kidding.

Actually, the reason I won't reveal the fifth word just yet is that I am not 100% sure of my reaction. It will begin with "f" to be sure, but there are many words that begin with "f."

I liked ROTK more than many Tolkien fans, for example, so we'll see...

Mon Dec 09, 2013 7:55 pm

Honestly, I doubt you will like it over all, but I do hope that you find some things to enjoy (as you did in AUJ, despite your overall negative opinion).

Post by **Smaug's voice** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 8:15 pm

Great Alatar!!!!

Post by **Alatar** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 10:44 pm

Ok the short review is: it's the Hobbit but not as you know it. Smaug is awesome and the Conversations with Smaug section was pure Tolkien. There's a lot of invention, most of which works. Loved Beorn, the Spiders, Bard and Smaug. Barrel ride was another goblin town. If you liked that you'll like this. The dwarves attack on Smaug felt video game to me. Yeah I said it. Gandalf and Necromancer was fine but nothing special. And yeah I liked the whole Tauriel Kili thing. Tauriel in fact was epic. Overall it felt like a cross between an Indiana Jones movie and The Empire Strikes Back. Great movie but is it The Hobbit? Not sure. Will need to see it again.

Post by **Dave_LF** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 11:04 pm

Sounds like you saw the same movie as the other reviewers. Glad there was nothing so awful you had to mention it right away.

Tue Dec 10, 2013 11:14 pm

Thanks, Al. Sounds about what I expected.

Post by **yovargas** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 11:15 pm

The dwarves attack on Smaug felt video game to me. Yeah I said it.

That's legitimately shocking to hear you say.

Post by **Elentári** » Wed Dec 11, 2013 12:17 am

yovargas wrote:
The dwarves attack on Smaug felt video game to me. Yeah I said it.
That's legitimately shocking to hear you say.

tbh, I was expecting you to be slightly more upbeat straight off, Al, but perhaps it does need a second viewing...

Post by **Alatar** » Wed Dec 11, 2013 1:17 am

Ok, that was on Phone before I drove home. Back now so I can be more thorough. I'm not gonna bother with spoiler tags, so expect them sprinkled throughout.

Regarding the "video game". I objected strenuously to the Goblintown being described as such because it simply never looked or felt like any video game I've ever played, and I've played a lot. The Smaug attack did. The closest analogy I can give is the droid factory in Attack of the Clones. It felt like a video game set with buckets and chains and moving platforms etc. Also, those of you who had a problem with Frodo and Sam near the lava are gonna have a cow when you see Thorin paddling down a river of molten gold in a wheelbarrow. To crown it all they finish up with yet another physics defying moment. They break apart a cast to reveal a giant golden statue of a Dwarf. Its completely holds its shape for about 10 seconds and the inexplicably melts. In spurts. All over Smaug. Honestly, its ridiculous.

BUT. Thats the worst moment in the entire movie. Unfortunately its pretty much the climax. Everything up to that was good-great. Conversations with Smaug was simply awesome. Better than Riddles for me. V-man, pretty much every line of dialogue from the book is in there in some form or other, often verbatim, but switched around a bit. It all works really really well. The only line missing is the bit where Bilbo mentions Dragons being softer underneath. Its not needed, because we've already heard that Girion had knocked out one of Smaugs scales in the attack on Dale. Bilbo spots it and says something like "Its true, he did lose a scale" or something. Also, sorry V, but the Black Arrow will definitely be fired by Ballista. Its set up completely in this movie.

Other high points. Balin and Thorins reactions when they enter the mountain. Balin in pretty much every scene actually. But its Bilbo's movie. He's simply pitch perfect in every scene. There's a lovely switch in the doorstep scene which I won't spoil unless asked. It works really well. The Ring is given exactly the right weight of simple and sinister. Bilbo is no junkie, but he is affected. Also, the "Stoner Dwarves" are simply soporific and confused. No giggling stoner gags.

Tauriel and Kili. Have to say I loved all of this. Very "human" characters if you'll forgive the irony. This is no love story, shoehorned or not. They're kindred spirits, who make a connection. Its more Aragorn/Éowyn than anything else. Her healing is really nicely done and didn't feel like a LOTR flashback to me except in consistency. Fili sees her in the "other realm" effect that Frodo saw Arwen in during his healing. Now, yeah, I get that Tauriel hasn't been to the blessed realm and Kili isn't turning into a wraith, but it just feels right. Bard's family are great, and Luke Evans is lovely in the role.

Stephen Fry jarred a little for me as his first few lines sounded exactly like Lord Melchett from Blackadder, but he grew on me. Alfrid was fine, not a Wormtongue clone as I feared. Orlando was good, but I think we'll see the payoff of his dourness later. There's a lovely spot in the Barrel Ride where Thorin actually saves Legolas' life without him realising also. Thranduil is pretty much awesome in every scene, and gives Tauriel very good reasons to look outside the kingdom. Screenwriting 101 my ass!

The Dol Guldur stuff is all setup. Payoff on the way in the next movie.