More Movie (The Hobbit)

And I wasn't expecting this.  Verizon called and I don't usually to bother to listen to telephone offers but that started with one I could tolerate.  They were offerring increased internet connection speed for $10 per month.  Forever.  Well, I don't really feel a need for that.  Internet speed is pretty much instantaneous here.  But maybe not forever, and I am considering a mobile device.  But I told them I wasn't really very interested.

They tossed in HBO.  Hmmm...  I don't really watch movies very often and don't miss any HBO shows.  But I DO like Bill Maher and seldom see him.  And the offer had no contract requirement and no equipment installation.

I said OK.  I cant say that I really notice any difference in internet speed.  But I saw the movie "The Hobbit" was on, so I watched it out of curiousity.  Why not, I only got up at 5 pm (played Civilization II from 10 pm to 11 am), so the day was pretty much wasted already.  Keep in mind that (in my opinion) the book "The Hobbit' was to 'Lord of the Rings' as ''Dick Jane and Sally' was to 'Hamlet.

I don't have a history of admiring the way movies translate books, and 'The Hobbit' was a pretty poor book to begin with...

But "Oh WOW"!  I may have to change my opinion of movies made from books.  Every one I've seen made in the past decade has been outstanding.  I can still complain that they don't follow the original books very well, but they sure do make a good movie from them.

I have to credit planned sequels and big budgets.  It used to be that science fiction/fantasy movies were produced on low budgets and the producers crushed whatever story there was into a 90 minute movie.  Not any more, apparently.

So, "The Hobbit' was only half the book (and I'll say again that the book makes me cringe compared to 'LOTR' and the 'Silmarillion'), but the producers/directors/whoevers really did a superb job with this one.  In the scene where the Giant  Eagles took the whole Gandalfian group away from the goblins, I was just gob-smacked.  Admittedly, special effects really make a difference.  Eagles with a 50' wingspan are unusual.

My criticisms of the movie include the really human-looking dwarves (in spite of the fancy hair and beards which were well done) compared to the true-to-book description of Gimli of LOTR, the attack on the campfire rolls by the dwarves, and the apparent confusion between goblins and orcs.  I could get into details about Bilbo's "orc-detecting sword" glowing when there were only goblins around, but I'll spare you.

But as a movie when you don't know the book (or if book/movie differences don't bother you)?  It's a great watch!  It kept me in my chair for almost 3 hours, and that's not easy to do...  I'm looking forward to part 2.

And as a very minor matter, I miss commercials.  Sometimes you just have to pee.  I may have to just record the few movies I want to watch before watching them just so I can put them on pause when nature calls.sometimes.  LOL!