h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yes, "The Desolation of Smaug" (or Smowg, as he's been re-christened) is upon us.

Will anyone be going to see it?

Having seen all the trailers, and taken stock of my Christmas budget, I don't think I will.

Nah. Not for me this. It looks like a computer game (obligatory on-rails water level FTW!), I don't want to see chemistry vacuum Orlando Bloom in yet another "doomed romance" subplot, and I didn't enjoy the first film. So a tenner for a numb arse and a sense of disappointment isn't my scene.

Strangely enough, nobody I know is going to see it either. And this is a group of people that all went to see the LotR films at the cinema multiple times, and have been known to spend a hungover 12 hours watching them on extended DVD after a house party.

So will you be going? Or has Peter Jackson wrung the golden goose's neck by bloating up a 200 page book into a 12 hour trilogy?

I will be going *IF* I can find anywhere that shows it in 2D.
So, it's not very likely...

I will, as usual, be waiting for the DVD to be available from LoveFilm.

Deb

I'll be seeing it at 11 pm on Saturday.

11pm on Saturday? You'll miss Sunday breakfast.

Yep, we'll be going

Not at all. It'll not take more than 3 hours, so we should be home by 3am.

I'm really looking forward to it. I thought the first film captured the "Not Lord of the Rings" atmosphere of The Hobbit very well. It was a very good children's book and I think it makes a good children's film.

I didn't see the necessity for some of the additions Peter Jackson did to the film, such as the scene in which goblins chased Radagast's rabbit-pulled sleigh. But they didn't detract from the film too much.

Nope. I didn't bother with Part 1 either. Once I heard it was going to be separated into three films I was dissuaded. (Also, 3D!? )

If it was only in two three hour films, maybe I'd feel differently. But three just reeks of crass commercialism. Seeing all the merchandising and tie-ins doesn't help. Seriously, Denny's?! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/grubgrade/dennys-hobbit-menu_b_4227394.html

I'll be seeing it over Christmas with , The Gruesome Twosome and my mum. I didn't like the first Hobbit film when I saw it first but I gave it another go and for the most part (what they did to Radagast - don't get me started...) liked it.

So I'll watch part 2. I don't mind that Legolas is in it, and I don't mind that they've shoved a Feisty Female Elf in an otherwise Pretty Barren of Female Characters film because, well, it's not entirely beyond the bounds of belief that Legolas was around (given where he comes from) while the dwarves were there.

If you look it as a huge intro to LOTR (after all 3 are out) to be watched in combination with (and prior to) watching the other three films I think it will work out ok.

I'm a bit cross that the barrels don't have the lids on though, since that was a pretty good part of the book and I really want to see what they do with Beorn. But I really don't like 3D so I will have to grit my teeth at that as I can't find it in English in 2D.

Come to Letchworth everyone.

A 1920's cinema with a lovely marble floored foyer. £5 per showing Mon - Thu AND it will be available in 2D (and 3D and HFR3D too if that sort of thing floats your boat).

I WILL be going back for a second helping. Sure it's a 200 page book, but there is a lot of story in it. Why rush it? There's no need. I don't subscribe to the idea that films should only be 90 minutes long. A film needs to be long enough to tell the story at the right pace.

I had understood at one time, that the intention was to cover the book in two films and then fill in the gap between Hobbit and LOTR, Gollum's captivity and Gandalf's wanderings with a third. So just perhaps there will be a 7th film.......

And I will be waiting for the extended boxed set to be released and will take a whole weekend watching the lot, right through from Hobbit 1 to LOTR 3. I've been waiting since the 70's for these films. I'm not chickening out now.

PP.

I really wish they would cover Aragorn and Gandalf's search for Gollum. There's a rather nice fan-made film of that. But it's only about 20 minutes long

I actually can't remember whether I saw the first Hobbit film in 2D or 3D. Which probably means I saw it in 2D. I avoid 3D wherever possible as the film makers haven't figured out how to do it yet. The technology is there, but they don't yet know how to frame a shot for 3D.

Just mailed the hatchlings about seeing it Boxing Day, in 3D of course.

Got the 3D bluray the other day, will watch it during the weekend.

It's true it's a 200 page book but as said they're filling in the whole story between the Hobbit and LOTR plus some bit before the Hobbit book all of which is covered by Tolkien himself in the LOTR appendices and in the histories of Middle Earth. Yes Jackson does make bits up and there will always be bits of crassness (the fight between Gandalf and Saruman in The Fellowship of the Ring stands out for me ) - but he more than makes up for it overall for me. I've enjoyed all of his versions and the books are still there if you want to read them as a purist- they haven't burnt all the copies yet

Yes I will be going to see it (in 2D hopefully). I thought the first one was excellent and it presented dwarves in a whole new light for me

Generally with Peeter Jigson I feel it's in safe hands. The only bit of the LOTR films I *really* objected to was Faramir bringing Frodo and Sam to Osgiliath (well, and most of Sam's speeches, but that may be because I made the mistake of reading Sean 'I should have had an Oscar' Astin's autobiography. OTOH 'Do you remember the taste of strawberries and cream' has acquired catchphrase status here. So some redemption even for Sam's speeches.)

I was quite happy otherwise with what PJ *added in*, the problems mainly came with what had to be left out. I'm not entirely without hope that when PJ's finished The Hobbit he'll re-cut Return of the King and shoot an entire new fourth film called The Scouring of the Shire.

Mol

I'll see it in 2D with my OH and some friends Friday night at 8 PM, then for dinner at a restaurant across the street from the cineplex afterwards.

We saw Part One in the theater four times over the holidays last year, three times in 2D and the last in 3D because they weren't running the 2D anymore. The 3D didn't really bother me.

I guess we'll probably watch Part One tonight in preparation for tomorrow.

oh spill the beans on Sean Astin, I didn't know he thought he should get an oscar for that!

Not much to spill, he's a big-headed twonk who felt his own performance was the outstanding one of the trilogy, the films wouldn't have been nearly so good without him, it all rested on his shoulders etc.

There aren't many books I wish I hadn't read but that's one of them. I thought film-Sam was a much weaker character than book-Sam anyway, constantly snivelling, and after I'd read Mr Astin's book all the Sam bits were *totally* spoiled.

Mol

oh wow, I'm staying away from that. Some Film-Sam is ok but for the most part the Slapping Hand gets very twitchy.

I dunno the last one was a little bit short on washing up for my liking. A film that features a 20 minute washing up sequeunce is definitely not adding loads of padding to justify stupid decision to make a tight and concise story into a 9 hour flipping film.

FB