my opinions, let me show them to you

[kate_nepveu]

While feeding the Pip I perused some of the news coming out of Comic Con.

I am unsurprised that nothing about Iron Man 3 sounds good to me—also, somehow I'd missed that the Mandarin is being played by Ben Kingsley, which, really? But I didn't expect to start liking that franchise on the third installment.

I am unsurprised but disappointed that all the things added to The Hobbit sound awful in exactly the ways that I disliked about the LotR movies. I mean, I'll still go for Martin Freeman, but ugh.

But all of that is overshadowed for me by the announcement of the next Captain America movie's title as Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Seriously, opening night no matter what I have to do for babysitting.

Comments

[kore]

So the dwarves agree, and give Bilbo the standard dwarf contract for going on an adventure — full of clauses in which Bilbo agrees to the terms of the adventure, including how long it'll take. And funeral arrangements. And we glimpse Bilbo's huge Hobbit feet for the first time! While Bilbo is reading the gruesome contract, the dwarves are muttering to Gandalf that they can't guarantee Bilbo's safety — and Gandalf agrees.

ohhhh my god
why
what
no
why

Then we see an absolutely gorgeous scene of Gandalf talking to Galadriel. Why the Halfling? She asks.
"I do not know," Gandalf answers. "Saruman believes that it is only great power that can hold evil in check. But that it is not what I've found. I've found it is the small things, every act of normal folk that keeps the darkness of at bay — simple acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps it is because I am afraid, and he gives me courage."
Galadriel takes his hands and tells him not to be afraid — he is not alone. If he ever needs her help, she will come. She touches his face, then touches his hands again, then pulls away and vanishes. Gandalf is left alone by the sunset.

AUGH

[kodi]

Ugh. I wonder if maybe someone will cut together a version of The Hobbit that only includes scenes with Martin Freeman? That sounds like it would be the best way to watch it.

[mariness]

The most frightening words in those links:

".... played by Lost's Evangeline Lilly."

AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!

While I'm complaining, they could have opened up the Simarillion or any of the 90+ books in that History of Middle Earth series and found some minor girl elf or other instead of just making up a character, but to be fair I fear I am going to hate this character on sight no matter what's done with her.

(Mind you, I'm still going. That and Les Miserables. This is why Hollywood continues to suck. It's me.)

[cofax7]

Giants? Where are there giants? I don't understand!

(Okay, yes, there's like TWO SENTENCES about giants in the book, but seriously? Fighting Giants? WtF.)

[auriaephiala]

As the article says: "The Tolkien estate doesn't like Jackson's movies at all — so the chances of him getting to film the Silmarillion are very, very remote."

Thank Heavens!

Why is Jackson making these blasted additions (e.g. Galadriel, who is a wonderful character, but not in this book)? The story stands just fine on its own, and it's quite long enough for a film WITHOUT additions.

[mkozlows]

I think the Winter Soldier storyline in the comics is horrible and awful and wrong and stupid[1], but I really don't see the appeal of it on the big-screen at all, where it has basically zero resonance, where there's not 40 years of angst about Bucky being dead.

[1] Yes, I know how comic book deaths work. But goddammit, there are some comic book deaths that are iconic enough that they need to STAY dead. Uncle Ben, Gwen Stacy, Batman's parents, and Bucky Barnes are the really obvious ones.

[trent_goulding]

I think Peter Jackson is actually a pretty gifted filmmaker in many ways. I also don't think he actually understands Tolkien in certain ways that are important to me, or doesn't understand him in the same way that I do. Maybe my understanding is idiosyncratic, but... his Tolkien movies tend to have a lot of iconic squee, interspersed with a lot of tooth-grindingly annoying diversions and missteps.

So yeah. I'm sure I'll still see the Hobbitses, if only because the daughter loves the book, and I'm not sure she's old enough and critical enough yet to be a purist (although, come to think of it, maybe that will make her more of a purist?).