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As I write, it is 12:30 AM on Friday, December 14th, and Peter Jackson's The Hobbit has been out for a full thirty minutes. Now, despite being one of the biggest Tolkien fanatics you'll ever meet (I've read and written whole essays on even his non-Middle Earth writings) I've been unable to attend the big opening night; a final paper due in seven hours seemed ever so slightly more vital to my long-term academic standing. I'm planning instead to go see it later in the evening with a bunch of friends.

Has anyone been to the midnight premier? What are your thoughts on the first segment?

Also, for anyone that missed them, Jackson released a whole bunch of production videos on his Youtube channel. They're a great watch, very interesting and fun.

Saw the production videos, were pretty great.

Gonna see the movie in when I'm in California over Christmas.

It. Was. Amazing.

I agree. It was FANTASTIC!!!!!!

After watching it, I don't know what critics were thinking. Absolutely amazing. The pacing was fine and 48fps was awesome.

Fluffy_the_ic wrote:After watching it, I don't know what critics were thinking. Absolutely amazing. The pacing was fine and 48fps was awesome.

I have to agree, the critics had me worried but I thought it was awesome.

Although, it did feel like a waste of 15 bucks for the 3D. I suppose there were 1 or 2 cool shots.

GangsterJawa wrote:

Fluffy_the_ic wrote:After watching it, I don't know what critics were thinking. Absolutely amazing. The pacing was fine and 48fps was awesome.

I have to agree, the critics had me worried but I thought it was awesome.

Although, it did feel like a waste of 15 bucks for the 3D. I suppose there were 1 or 2 cool shots.

I was thinking about this, because I felt (and feel) the same way. I think, when watching 3D, you sort of tune out that things look so dynamic just because that's how we see things normally anyways. So the only time that 3D is really noticeable is when there is something that jumps out of the screen at you. But those are usually left to childrens' movies because it tends to cheapen the experience.

However: I personally think that 3D is a waste of money (because it gives me headaches).

There's some sort of theater somewhere called 3D XD or something like that, and I hear the Hobbit looks good in it.

It's in 4d here, you watch the movie while the air smells when there are fires, the floor shakes when horses ride etc...6 hours of your life to experience the whole hobbit journey yikes!

I haven't seen it personally. But my old friend Duke (internet moniker) has.

He was largely disappointed by how many liberties they took with the story, and more importantly how much focus was on using CGI than they did in the Rings trilogy. He felt they did some things in CGI in such a way, it was just because it looked cool.

He's an amatuer film director, and he's watched countless documentaries. One of them being the Lord of the Rings making of, which he's seen about 100 times. Where he learned how much care was put into the costume design, where every piece of armor told a story in the lore. He didn't feel they did the same here.

I trust he opinion greatly. Basically if your favorite book isn't the Hobbit which you've read 100+ times then you'll probably like it a lot more than he did.

I saw it with my father yesterday. I didn't read the book, but I think the film was amazing. The soundtrack is epic. I can't wait to the next part of the film.
About watch the film in 3D, I think it is a good option. My father didn't want to see it in 3D, but I think some scenes was made to see it in 3D.

I'll watch it as soon as I can find a nearby place that isn't showing it in 48fps. If you want to know why, it's because 48fps in film is the equivalent of typing like this:

I'llwatchitassoonasIcanfindanearbyplacethatisn'tshowingitin48fps.Ifyouwanttoknowwhy,it'sbecause48fpsinfilmistheequivalentoftypinglikethis:

I'llwatchitassoonasIcanfindanearbyplacethatisn'tshowingitin48fps.Ifyouwanttoknowwhy,it'sbecause48fpsinfilmistheequivalentoftypinglikethis:

I'llwatchitassoonasIcanfindanearbyplacethatisn'tshowingitin48fps.Ifyouwanttoknowwhy,it'sbecause48fpsinfilmistheequivalentoftypinglikethis:

Meaning it moves noticeably faster to the point of either looking like a movie from the 1920s or a soap opera with the production values of a movie from the 1920s, which, coincidentally, is all of them.

Saw it, wasn't a fan. It was visually uninspired and campy on places, I was NEVER worried about the dwarves ever, despite them moving from one dangerous setpiece to another, and the pacing was meh. Enjoyable, but as a stand alone film, it was only slightly above average.