There and Back Again Anticipation thread [SPOILERS]

Post by **Elentári** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 11:08 pm

And according to Richard Armitage last night, TABA will be shorter than the other films...

Red Carpet News TV

Post by **Passdagas the Brown** » Tue Apr 01, 2014 1:15 am

That's probably a good sign!

Post by **Elentári** » Wed Apr 02, 2014 7:40 am

Quite!

Meanwhile, TORn has a rather nice interview with Luke Evans who plays Bard:

http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2014/04 ... ering-net/

GD: ...So, obviously there are things that you can’t give away, but is there anything you can tell us that you’re particularly looking forward to people seeing in The Hobbit: There and Back Again, when it comes out at the end of the year?

LE: Well - that black arrow…? [dramatic pause] It plays a big role in my story. [laughs] For anyone who hasn’t read the book! Not spoiling it for anyone, but that black arrow – VERY important.

Post by **Passdagas the Brown** » Wed Apr 02, 2014 2:57 pm

Whatever the flaws of DOS, Evans was inspired casting. I was skeptical at first, but he ends up being one of the most likeable and believable characters across all five films.

Post by **SirDennis** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 3:34 am

Passdagas the Brown wrote:Whatever the flaws of DOS, Evans was inspired casting. I was skeptical at first, but he ends up being one of the most likeable and believable characters across all five films.

Yes, I quite like him as Bard. He brings a certain gravity -- which is essential to pulling off Bard, obviously -- not just to the role, but to the entire enterprise; the film is simply better for his being in it, imho.

Post by **Frelga** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 5:10 am

I dunno, I never warmed up to him. The whole Laketown sequence was a mess and a half.

Post by **Elentári** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 7:02 am

I thought Evans was excellent and Bard's expansion worked well...I wouldn't say the Lake-Town sequence descended into a mess until the Orcs and Elves arrived!

ETA: Talking of Lake-Town...here's a VFX Special feature from Weta Digital

Post by **Passdagas the Brown** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 2:57 pm

Whether the Laketown sequences worked or not, Evans made them better than they would have otherwise been, IMO. The wrong actor in that role, and it would have been a real drag.

Post by **Smaug's voice** » Fri Apr 04, 2014 1:53 pm

Elentári wrote:And according to Richard Armitage last night, TABA will be shorter than the other films...

Red Carpet News TV

I think there's no reason to excited hyped up about this. How would he know, where PJ would decide to cut?
Besides, he pretty much confirmed last year that Smaug would be quadruped.

And I agree with everyone about Bard. Along with Smaug and Bilbo, he was the third best thing about the film. And also possibly one of my favorite "men" from ME films. And Bard remains the only character from the books which I always get bored with.

Post by **Elentári** » Sun Apr 06, 2014 7:53 pm

Ooooh...Oleander Took over on TORn has spotted a possible spoiler about Billy Connolly's Dain from the DVD extras...

This interview with a make-up artist shows her working with a prosthetic labelled "Billy C" and there is a picture of said actor on the wall behind her. Interestingly it looks like they are going to make Dain appear younger than Billy himself, giving him red hair!

Post by **Passdagas the Brown** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 5:10 am

Good find!

Seems very strange to choose Connolly, and make him younger...

PJ is far too liberal in his use of prosthetics. IMO, had the actors playing the dwarves been kept primarily natural (with minor prosthetics ala Gandalf, Bilbo and Thorin) critics would have had a much easier time of taking these films seriously. As it stands, they look pretty farcical.

Post by **Elentári** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 7:40 am

Of course, there's always the chance this might be for a younger Dain in a flashback sequence...

Post by **Frelga** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 5:26 pm

I just had a rather horrific (well, horrific in the context of movie adaptation, which is not exactly important in the bug scheme of things) suspicion. PJ has built up the importance of the Arkenstone as the focus of dwarfish allegiance. Bilbo has the stone. Is he going to use it to make himself a temporary dwarf Commander to bring the dwarves to Thorin's aid?

Post by **Smaug's voice** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 5:55 pm

Since the presence of the talking Thrush is very unlikely, I do not think it would be Thorin in any case who would call the dwarves to his aid.
But then I also just can't see Bilbo given that big a role in the movie.

The best option I sense would be Dain coming to the rescue after hearing from spies/scouts about the massing of an army from Dol Guldur.

Post by **Jude** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 8:09 pm

I think "the bug scheme of things" needs to be immortalized in our anthology of HoF sayings.

"Be sure to tune in Sunday at 8PM, where entomologist-cum-Tolkien Scholar Nathaniel Esmeraldasson will present his presentable presentation on "The Link Between Shelob and the Mirkwood Spiders in the Bug Scheme of Things".

Post by **Frelga** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 9:02 pm

Jude wrote:I think "the bug scheme of things" needs to be immortalized in our anthology of HoF sayings.

"Be sure to tune in Sunday at 8PM, where entomologist-cum-Tolkien Scholar Nathaniel Esmeraldasson will present his presentable presentation on "The Link Between Shelob and the Mirkwood Spiders in the Bug Scheme of Things".

LOL! Well, the bug scheme of things contains some pretty horrific specimens.

I actually saw the typo as I was about to post, but decided to leave it for amusement value.

Post by **Smaug's voice** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 12:18 am

And I thought it was an intentional pun .... -_-

Wed Apr 09, 2014 3:57 am

Billy Connolly confirms that he will be doing pickups for TABA:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/fi ... space-suit

Wed Apr 09, 2014 11:25 pm

Pickups...Also known as "when PJ adds a bunch of horrible stuff because he has the budget for it."

Post by **Smaug's voice** » Thu Apr 10, 2014 5:56 pm

Which is why I fear TABA a lot. PJ will be having more than a year to work on it's post production.