Saturday, December 15, 2012

The Hobbit Midnight Showing

If you're tired of reading about hobbits and Tolkien, you can skip this post and the next one and then I promise I really will be done.


I've been to four midnight movie showings in my lifetime: The Return of the King, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, The Hunger Games, and now The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. With the exception of The Hunger Games, each experience was exponentially more awesome than the last.
Elaine and I got dressed and did a quick mini photo shoot before we left for Grauman's Chinese Theatre. As we got giddier, it quickly descended into madness.


We got to Grauman's at around 5 pm, where we attracted quite a few stares as we made our way over from the parking structure to the theatre. There, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that we were not horribly late; there were only about 20 people in line ahead of us. I attribute this to the fact that, unlike the Deathly Hallows 2, it was 1) not summer, so kids weren't out of school yet, 2) not summer, so it was actually slightly unpleasantly cold and damp to be waiting outside, and 3) a much older audience, so presumably more people had jobs they needed to be at. This was very exciting, as it meant that we actually got the goodie bags that were reserved for the first 200 people in line! Not to mention the fact that since we were dressed up and near the front of the line (and the fact that I decided last minute to bring the Eye of Sauron balloon along, which I can honestly say was the only one of its kind there...there were lots of other hobbits, but no other eyeballs), we got interviewed several times about our costumes and how excited we were. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find any clips of this anywhere, so unless you happen to have seen us on KTLA5 or KABC7, well, I guess I'll never know if I actually made it onto TV. Honestly, I'd much rather be on TV for something geeky like this, than for WoF.

It was so nice to meet other geeks and bond instantly over our love for Tolkien's work, costuming, and being obsessive enough to attend midnight showings in December (granted, it's not like we were in New York or someplace super cold). We met lots of lovely people during our seven hour wait, got to ooh and aah over each others' outfits, and chat up a storm about where we were when the original trilogy came out, all for a good seven hours before they finally let us inside to thaw. I was glad that my costume had multiple layers and that I wore tights and boots and had a wool cloak; some elves were not so fortunate.
Did you know that they have red holiday cups in Middle Earth? TheOneRing.net people were there, we made friends with other geeks who could boast about having seen the original Star Wars trilogy in theatres, and there were lots of ridiculously grinny pictures taken. 


But of course, the movie was the main event (although I did say to Elaine that I could probably go home after the line party and feel like it was an evening well spent)! Before I give you my review, though, I'll issue the disclaimer that I was predisposed to like it. I loved the books, the movies were a huge part of my college experience, and I have endless admiration for the conceptual artwork of Alan Lee and John Howe, so I was already looking to be pleased. With that said, I'll go ahead and say that I didn't like it as much as the original trilogy. But! I also don't like The Hobbit as a book as much as LOTR. I prefer the darker story of the latter, and wasn't a huge fan of the snot/fart jokes and Radagast's silliness that Peter Jackson threw into this first movie.

The main thing that bothered me about the movie, though, was the high frame rate and the 3D format. I'll be honest, though, I haven't ever seen a movie in 3D (except for about seven minutes in the beginning of the sixth Harry Potter movie), though, so part of my dislike might be the novelty of it. The HFR was distracting at first, but I mostly got over it after the first hour. I think the combination of the two all together for the first time made things more difficult to adjust. I want to see it again in 2D, at 24 fps, at a civilized time of day, and reevaluate.

So that might sound like I didn't really like the movie, but I did! I just wanted to get my gripes out of the way first. Things I did like [spoiler alerts!]:
  • ZOMG HOWARD SHORE AND THE EPIC SCORE. Errr, soundtrack, but shore and score rhyme. I had such delicious shivers every time I heard the Misty Mountains theme. 
  • Martin Freeman as John Watson Bilbo Baggins. His facial expressions, the timing of his lines, his reactions...perfection. While I loved Ian Holm in the original trilogy (please, PJ, don't pull a George Lucas and go back and replace the original Riddles in the Dark scene with Martin Freeman's!), Freeman is just so right for the role of a little hobbit trying to find his footing in a grand adventure. 
  • More Gandalf the Grey. I like that he's sassy and funny and less serious than the white version.
  • Dwarves are hot now. Hello, Thorin Epicsmolderingshield and your stubbornness and lofty ideals. Much appreciation for Kili and his Legolasian bow skills. 
  • THRANDUIL. Love Lee Pace, love the elk, love the random tiara he wears (Thranduil, not the elk), can't wait to see more of him. 
  • The elves and Rivendell! Gosh, I'm such a sucker for pretty people. And Figwit has a real name now: Lindir! Fangirling aside, though, it was lovely to see more of Rivendell and Alan Lee's hand in all of the architecture and decor. The little bit with the reading of the moon runes was gorgeous. And Cate Blanchett's return as Galadriel! It makes me want to run out and buy yards and yards of white chiffon. And learn metalsmithing/jewelry-making so that I can make elven tiaras for myself. 
  • The wargs don't look like hyenas anymore. I know, that's so minor, but I appreciated it. 
  • Riddles in the dark! Andy Serkis and the new motion capture technology really make Gollum so real and deliciously creepy. 
  • Getting to see what Erebor looked like. If you thought Moria was cool, oh man, the inside of the Lonely Mountain = 10x better. 
  • More Middle Earth history. I know a lot of people complained about how drawn out the exposition was, but I loved getting to see more, even if it did slow down the plot. 
  • That tiny glimpse of Benedict Cumberbatch as the Necromancer. I know, it's so stereotypical, but after seeing him in BBC's Sherlock, mmmmm...can't decide who I like better, him or Tom Hiddleston. 
Things I didn't love, but also didn't mind: the new Azog storyline (I can see how it might be necessary in a movie adaptation), the video game quality of some of the CGI sequences (it was definitely there, but I didn't expect those battles to look perfectly realistic), and the crispness of the scenery (I'm just not a scenery person, so I don't feel the need to be transported per se). 

My TL:DR/no spoilers conclusion: An Unexpected Journey isn't as good as LOTR, but it's not The Phantom Menace and Tolkien fans will enjoy returning to Middle Earth as long as they remember that this movie is meant to have a different feel.

Lastly, I got tons of free goodies at the line party, thanks to TORn, the Chinese Theatre, and the 100.3 radio station, and I'd love to share the love with you guys! Don't worry, I've got my own set of these goodies; I'm giving away my husband's stuff since he didn't want his. I know there must be at least one of you out there geeky enough to want the following:

I'll mail you a mini-poster, kids' activity book, bookmark, promotional postcards, the Air New Zealand in-flight magazine with a special 25-page feature on the movie, a large t-shirt (hello, geeky t-shirt makeover!), and two sheets of  gift-wrapping paper featuring the 13 dwarves (one sheet to use for a geeky friend, one sheet to keep for yourself!).

Say so in a comment if you want to enter, and I'll pick a winner on Monday! 


37 comments:

  1. I've never been to a midnight showing -- so not a night owl -- but it looks like so much fun!

    Please enter me in the giveaway. My seven-year-old and I are equally geeky.

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  2. I share a love of Star Wars with you but not LOTR/The Hobbit... BBBBUUUUT. I remembered, duh, my husband loves LOTR. So enter me on his geeky behalf!

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  3. Just had to de-lurk to say that, if you like Thorin's voice, you should totally go watch him in North and South (of England - it's a social-political mini series based on the book by Elizabeth Gaskell). Of course, that's only if you a) haven't already seen it, and b) are okay with a bit of melodrama.

    Didn't see it at midnight but the movie was still awesome! I wonder if I could get away with painting my front door green . . . .

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  4. I would love to win these items!!!! I'm going to see the film tomorrow, and I'm super excited. The Hobbit was always my favorite - I discovered the books when I was just a *bit* too young to properly appreciate the trilogy, so I have the most delightful memories of The Hobbit. I can quote lines from it.

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  5. Yay! Thanks for the review.

    I definitely agree with point #4 (so stealing your name for Thorin), but Kili just makes me giggle because I've seen Dean O'Gorman on too many NZ TV shows. Also he's shorter than I am. Though of course, technically speaking, all the dwarves are are precisely the right height to get away with looking at your bust all the time ;-)

    I still need to finish me write up/review. I've just been too busy! The only thing I don't agree with you on is Galadriel's dresses. Did you notice you can see her bra in some shots?

    Don't enter me in the giveaway please.

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  6. I was raised on LOTR--I went to see Fellowship with my Mom and older sister as a second grader after reading The Hobbit in a couple of weeks. But I didn't go to the premiere (though I did dress up one of my friends as a hobbit maid in under an hour) because my whole family of 8 (from my parents to my 8-year-old brother, who loves dressing up as Bilbo) will be going over winter break.

    It might be an understatement to say that this giveaway would be well-loved in my house.

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  7. OOO, put me in the hat, please! I would so love to win something geeky!

    I love that you took the eyeball - LOL!

    As a someone who works in the movie biz, I have my own gripes about the 3D craze. Live action should not be made into 3D when it isn't shot in 3D. (But cartoons are awesome in 3D, especially the Pixar kind!) I read a review of The Hobbit yesterday that compared the high frame rate to a tourism video, and that's probably a good description. I loved the LOTR trilogy (movies and books) and The Hobbit book was good but not as good (I remember it being a slower read even though it was shorter). I expect I will have the same conclusion you did. Can't wait to see it!

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  8. Enter me please! My brothers are LotR fans and I'm sure they would be happy to see these goodies under the tree :)

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  9. omg, i'm such a tolkien geek! please enter me in the giveaway! love lotr and the hobbit, and i can't wait to see this new movie! lol, i once made my non-fantasy-geek friends watch the first extended cut lotr movie and they were like, 'please, no more!" oh well, can't convert them all...

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  10. I'd love to re-gift your extras to the Tolkien lover in my life. Thanks for sharing!

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  11. Oh man, I would love those but my husband would massacre me for them. So, I'm going to comment in the hopes I win and then hope that I'd get to keep these items if I win! (Great posts re: the Hobbit!)

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  12. I am quite jealous! I shall not get to see it til boxing day the earliest! Love the costumes! It must have been a wonderful experience!

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  13. it's 36 below zero here .. no outside lines for us, lol. my husband's not a big movie goer but I told him that this is one we'll go to the theater for! Your costume is wonderful - glad it kept you warm!

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  14. These would be for Antoinette!

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  15. Looks like you had a brilliant night! I absolutely love your outfit, and the fact that it was practical enough to keep you warm is even better. And yey to bringing the eye!! Please don't enter me in your giveaway as sadly I am not a big Hobbit/LOTR fans. I have tried! I read the Hobbit, and started LOTR but couldn't get into it. But Harry Potter - I have read them all so many times!

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  16. None of the theatres in my town are showing the movie in English, can you imagine?! So I'm thinking of seeing it in Strasbourg; I know they have at least one theatre showing it in English and I'm going to be in that part of the country near Xmas. If you're willing to mail int'l, I'd love to be included in the give-away. :)

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  17. Do I get extra points for reading and commenting on this while sitting in the cinema waiting for The Hobbit to begin?! We're here for eldest daughters 10th birthday after giving her and her sister a crash course in Tolkein, they watched Battle of Helms Deep yesterday! Just ROTK to go, she would love this prize.

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  18. My husband went to see it yesterday while I was at work (pout). Although no costumed lineups out here. Certainly not for seven hours outside... >_< I love that you got to do it, though.

    I generally enjoy 3D, and the jerky look of low-frame-rate fast movement is one of the things that majorly pisses me off about many movies, so I'm kinda curious to see it in theatre. (And yes, I stopped reading at the spoiler alert. ;) )

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  19. We went to see it on Thursday - really enjoyed it although I'd recommend avoiding taking a big drink in with you as lots of people popped out to the loo during the 3 hours! Love your outfits, I'm afraid we made no effort in the costume department :)

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  20. That sounds like an incredibly fun midnight showing! I saw it in 2D and not 3D and all of the complaints I've heard about the 3D version are not in the 2D. Also I am a total Tolkien fan girl and would love to enter your giveaway!

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  21. Wow seven hours in line - love your costume and the story of your Hobbit quest. I recently watched the LOTR trilogy again and am looking forward to seeing The Hobbit soon, hopefully in 2D. Enter me in the drawing please.

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  22. That looks like so much fun! I worked at a movie cinema throughout high school and university hear and we always loved the midnight screenings. I remember getting so into Harry Potter that I made Hogwarts cloaks for all the staff on that night and we had so much fun being silly with all the patrons in costume. Glad you had a blast and well done for camping out :D I'd love to be entered in the draw, please.

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  23. I would love to enter your drawing! My daughter went to the midnight showing here, but there were no costumes or any fun giveaways. She hasn't said much about the movie, as she doesn't want to spoil it for her dad and I later, but she did say that the LotR movies are better in her opinion. Thank you very much for sharing the adventure with us, and I greatly enjoy seeing your creations!

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  24. Freakin awesome! I loved the recap! You know we are fellow Tolkien geeks so count us in!

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  25. Hey! I'm usually a lurker but I'm loving all your Tolkien posts, as my husband and I are HUGE nerds. He could not be more excited for _The Hobbit_ so I'd love to enter the giveaway... it would be a great surprise for him if I won! Thanks!

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  26. My husband would be over the moon to get such a surprise! We're in the middle of reading The Hobbit to our three kiddos.

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  27. I'm not hardcore enough to go to the midnight showing, but I did see it Friday night. I agree with about all of your assessment, except... I kind of liked Radagast. *shrug* The goodie bag looks awesome!

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  28. Please enter me in your giveaway! Thanks for the chance to win!!

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  29. I also went to a midnight showing! Only at my local theatre, there were no fun handouts, just a movie that ended half an hour early due to technical difficulties. RIGHT when Gollum was coming up!! Ah well. I'm a ginormous Tolkein geek, and would love a shot at winning :D

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  30. That is awesome! I knew Cumberbatch was Smaug, but I didn't realize he was ALSO the Necromancer until just now, very cool. I'd love to enter the giveaway, looks neat! (And I'm a huge LOTR fan!)

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  31. Count me in, please! I saw at least two of the LOTR midnight showings when they were new releases. Couldn't pull that off for Hobbit - don't think our seven year old daughter could have managed it! As it was we saw the 11am show on Saturday (2d, 24 fps), the first in our newly reopened local cinema and had a great time. My only complaint is that each of the LOTR movies managed to have something new and wow in each one and Hobbit didn't. Still, I very much enjoyed the return to Middle Earth. :) I'd love to be able to share the giveaway goodies with my daughter... she's declared Gandalf trustworthy because he's got dirty fingernails!

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  32. Oh, please enter me! I saw the movie yesterday and I loved it! The music and the scenery was awesome, and the dwarwes were so funny (and let's be honest - Kili is seriously HOT). I envy you for being at a midnight showing, I wish I could have gone too.

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  33. I would love to get those lovelies! And while I did quite enjoy the increased dwarf hotness, I do rather feel that Thorin Oakenshield should not look like he carries his own wind machine around with him at all times.

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  34. Ooh - maybe I'm too late to enter but it looks like you have a lot of great stuff! I'm so excited to see the movie. My son loves all the Tolkien books and is finally old enough to see the movies so we're going to see it next week as part of his Christmas gift. Yay!

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  35. It looks like the experience of going to the midnight screening in costume was more fun than the actual movie! :) We saw the movie the day after it came out & were so disappointed with the quality of the film - it looked like a cut rate made-for-TV movie in some parts, and the cheesy humor was just sad... but I agree with you there were some very redeeming qualities :) I just won't see the next one in 3D ;)

    Please don't enter me in the draw, because although I'm a fan, there's loads of bigger fans commenting who would appreciate it more :)

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  36. Pure awesomeness. All the way from Middle Earth's next door neighbour.

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  37. Hi!! First off, I love your hobbit dress!! I've been wanting to make one for ages, but haven't gotten around to it. Second, I'm so jealous you got to go to the midnight showing!! hmmm....I think I'm going to have to go to one for The Desolation of Smaug.

    Agree with you about you thoughts of the money! Only that in general, I do like The Hobbit as a book rather than the trilogy. It only wins by a teeny bit, as they're all awesome, but I re-read The Hobbit almost every year and always find something new to love.

    The Hobbit (as a movie) is VERY different from the trilogy, but that's good because the books are also extremely different. I could have gone without the Azog story, as well as that whole Bilbo-saving-Thorin-scene (Thorin isn't supposed to say anything awesome to Bilbo until just before he dies, afterall...) but overall it was good. I was happy to have Radagast, as he's always been my favorite wizard!

    I also thought that the first scene where they told the story was very well done. It got you instantly into it, and explained to those strange people who have never bothered with the books (enter my dad...) what was going on.

    Overall, I'm super excited for the second movie, I want to watch the trilogies again now, I'm realizing that I need to re-read all of Tolkien's books and that a hobbit dress better be in my near future. Also, I'm officially in love with Bennedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, and Richard Armitage (!!!!!). And Kili looks like an adorable puppy. I also wish Fili was my older brother, just saying.

    I know this post is old, but I just had to comment! Thanks for reading this. :)

    ~Gillian
    youngyankeelady.blogspot.com

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Thank you for taking the time to tell me your thoughts! I appreciate reading them and I try to reply to most, if not all, comments, especially when they are questions. I ask that you keep your comments polite, and if you're a spammer, don't bother because your comment will just be deleted! Also, if you're commenting on a post that's more than two weeks old, it will be moderated.