Alatar's Spoiler Thread

[Nin]

The prologue is marvellous. I really liked it.

But what is Azanulbizar?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

That's the battle at Moria, Nin.

Elen, seriously, that bothers you that much. Really?

[kzer_za]

Nooooo! Al, tell me this isn't true!

Lissuin on TORn reports:

In Riddles in the Dark, for the egg riddle, in the book Gollum remembers teaching his grandmother to suck - "Eggses!", but in the film he says something like, " my granny taught me to suck - Eggses!"

If it is true, it's just another example of Boyens and Jackson's lack of understanding of the subtlies of Tolkien's genius...

I don't see how this is a problem or what's so unsubtle about it. The movie doesn't have a narrator and the Hobbit's narrator is almost a character in himself, so it's natural that some of his lines would be incorporated into the dialogue.

[Elentári]

It's nothing to do with the narrator, Kzer za, or being purist for the sake of it...

"Teaching your grandmother to suck eggs" is a well-known English-language saying, meaning that a person is giving advice to someone else about a subject that they already know about (and probably more than the first person)

Changing the phrase around removes the literary/intellectual joke...

[Voronwë the Faithful]

If that is the biggest thing to complain about, I'll be very pleased with this film. But I doubt it will be.

[Inanna]

It's nothing to do with the narrator, Kzer za, or being purist for the sake of it...

"Teaching your grandmother to suck eggs" is a well-known English-language saying, meaning that a person is giving advice to someone else about a subject that they already know about (and probably more than the first person)

Changing the phrase around removes the literary/intellectual joke...

Ah! I didn't know that, Elen. Interesting.

[Dave_LF]

Huh. I always read that passage as Gollum remembering when his grandmother taught him to suck eggses, and had to go back to the text to confirm that it is actually the other way around.

Another in-joke I missed by reading the book when I was too young to get it, and then glossing over it on subsequent readings. The contract was another one.

[Aravar]

I saw it last night, 2D only, and pretty much agree with Alatar's [or should it now be He Who Cannot Be Named For Copyright Reasons?] review.

While The Hobbit has never held the place in my heart that LOTR has, there were far fewer things that niggled me than any of the LOTR films.

I didn't find Radagast, or the bunnies as annoying as I had feared.

I only really had two major and on minor gripe.

(1) while PJ had established rickety structures in big caves as being an orc/goblin environment in LOTR it makes far less sense here. In LOTR these are hastily put up structures while Saruman is building his army. They are far less believable as a permanent habitat, IMO.

(2) The cameo from Elijah Wood seemed like a scene that had originally been thought of for FOTR and cut/not filmed, for good reason because it held things up for little purpose.

(3) (The minor) Dale looks too civilised, "Gondorian" to my eye. It looks as though someone thought "Hey, we've still got some of the Minas Tirith sets lying around, let's use them"

I'll try to see the 48fps version at the weekend.

[Alatar]

"Teaching your grandmother to suck eggs" is a well-known English-language saying, meaning that a person is giving advice to someone else about a subject that they already know about (and probably more than the first person)

Changing the phrase around removes the literary/intellectual joke...

I'm familiar with that, but I still think its pretty minor and would be wasted on 99% of the audience. I'm just glad the reference was there. I can understand how some might prefer its not in at all, rather than in, but different. I'm just not one of those people. Its like all the people who complained about quotes in LotR being spoken by a different character. It bugged them, it doesn't bother me.

[Pearly Di]

I'm with Al on this one. It didn't bother me, especially as I think the literary allusion would be lost on the audience. The Riddle Game scene is pretty much perfection. .

I wasn't enamoured by Radagast's portrayal. Love Sylvester McCoy's casting, just irritated by PJ making Radagast sillier than he needed to be. Really hate the bird poop in the hair!

Like Nin, I ADORE the song over the closing credits.

Also loved Smaug's eye!!!! Ooooh yes.

I now need to see this film in 24fps, because I hate the 48fps.

Martin. Martin, Martin, Martin.

And Thorin, baby. Thorin.

[Pearly Di]

Oh! And I really chuckled at Gandalf saying he couldn't remember the names of the Blue Wizards. . Ha!

[Primula Baggins]

Haven't we all been there!

[Elentári]

Just because it would be wasted on a percentage of the audience doesn't mean it should be omitted or re-worded. Why can't some of us be allowed to enjoy it as the Professor intended? It's no different in my mind to the "Good Morning" sequence...

Oh, and I'm not one of those offended by the transference of lines between characters...I just object to dumbing down!

[Alatar]

Well, lets put it this way. In the book, Gollum doesn't say it at all. The narrator tells us that he remembers it. So its not being reworded. Just worded.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Elen, I don't disagree with you, I just don't place that high of an importance on it.

[Lalaith]

Did anyone else see the Star Trek trailer?

(Don't know where to discuss it...)

[Elentári]

Well, lets put it this way. In the book, Gollum doesn't say it at all. The narrator tells us that he remembers it. So its not being reworded. Just worded.

Just worded wrongly

[Primula Baggins]

Did anyone else see the Star Trek trailer?

(Don't know where to discuss it...)

I would love to hear all about it, Lali. You could bump the thread for the first film:

viewtopic.php?t=2252

Or feel free to start a new thread in the Cottage if you think a new film should have a new thread.

[Lalaith]

Thanks, Prim! I started a new thread.

[axordil]

Really hate the bird poop in the hair!

You know anyone who owns a parrot? That was *realism*