Is the Desolation of Smaug a good movie?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around opinions and reactions to the movie "The Desolation of Smaug," including the quality of its trailers, character portrayals, and comparisons to other adaptations of literary works. Participants express their thoughts on the film's content, character representations, and the overall cinematic experience.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question the quality of the trailers and express a desire for reassurance about their content.
  • There are comments on the misspelling of "Smaug" and "Desolation," leading to humorous exchanges about expectations for the thread's topic.
  • Participants share mixed feelings about character portrayals, particularly regarding the character "Tauriel," with some expressing dislike and others defending her representation.
  • Critiques are made regarding the adaptation of various literary works into films, with specific mentions of "Dan Brown" novels and "Harry Potter," highlighting perceived failures in fidelity to the source material.
  • One participant expresses enjoyment of "The Desolation of Smaug," comparing it favorably to the first Hobbit film and noting its appeal to Tolkien fans.
  • There are discussions about the portrayal of male and female characters in "The Lord of the Rings" series, with some participants favoring the original trilogy's dynamics.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of opinions about the movie and its trailers, with no clear consensus on their quality or the effectiveness of character portrayals. Disagreements arise regarding the fidelity of adaptations of literary works, with some participants defending certain films while others criticize them.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes subjective opinions and personal experiences with the films and adaptations, which may not reflect broader critical consensus. Participants' views on character representations and adaptations are influenced by their individual expectations and interpretations of the source material.

Who May Find This Useful

Fans of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings," those interested in film adaptations of literature, and viewers curious about community opinions on cinematic portrayals of beloved characters.

arildno
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Are the trailers any good?
:smile:
 
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arildno said:
Are the trailers any good?
:smile:

You could probably find them yourself if you spelled it Smaug.
 
What if they s*ck?
I dare not check for myself unless some kind soul can reassure me they are good..
 
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arildno said:
What if they s*ck?
I dare not check for myself unless some kind soul can reassure me they are good..

:smile:
I've just seen them after reading this, and I don't think they look bad in comparison to Hobbit 1 (which I enjoyed, even though it was quite a lot of action in the movie).

Here they are, my precious:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnaojlfdUbs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPVWy1tFXuc
 
phinds said:
You could probably find them yourself if you spelled it Smaug.
And also if he had spelled it desolation rather than dissolution. I opened this thread expecting to see a question regarding the best way to get rid of air pollution.
 
D H said:
And also if he had spelled it desolation rather than dissolution. I opened this thread expecting to see a question regarding the best way to get rid of air pollution.
I thought the title should have been the dissipation of smog, but then upon opening the thread saw that it was about the Desolation of Smaug.
 
D H said:
And also if he had spelled it desolation rather than dissolution. I opened this thread expecting to see a question regarding the best way to get rid of air pollution.

:-p
 
D H said:
And also if he had spelled it desolation rather than dissolution. I opened this thread expecting to see a question regarding the best way to get rid of air pollution.

So sorry to have misled you. (Or should that be mis-led? OR perhaps both? :confused:)
 
arildno said:
Are the trailers any good?
:smile:

Well, they don't help the issue any. Certainly getting rid of trailers, and I assume you mean tractor trailers, would help with the dissolution of smog. But I think that factories and such are a much bigger contributor.

:devil:
 
  • #10
dkotschessaa said:
Well, they don't help the issue any. Certainly getting rid of trailers, and I assume you mean tractor trailers, would help with the dissolution of smog. But I think that factories and such are a much bigger contributor.

:devil:
That's what I thought. Trailers pollute not only the air, but also entertainment..
 
  • #11
arildno said:
That's what I thought. Trailers pollute not only the air, but also entertainment..

"In a world..."
 
  • #12
"Tauriel" looks like one bad *** chick.
 
  • #13
Good job arildno, they bought the idea of accidental misspelling and corrected you. I will thank you before they will ban you.
 
  • #14
Borek said:
Good job arildno, they bought the idea of accidental misspelling and corrected you. I will thank you before they will ban you.
:biggrin:
 
  • #15
1MileCrash said:
"Tauriel" looks like one bad *** chick.
Wrong expression.
For elves, it is "she is a damn wavy leaf!"
 
  • #16
arildno said:
For elves, it is "she is a damn wavy leaf!"

[RANT]I don't like her...she's a phony. And she reminds me of a bull. Why can't film makers stick to the stories? They ruined all Dan Brown novels and Harry Potter too...but probably the worst was 300 - largest load of misinformative bull, oh no, just remembered the Clash of the Titans- don't think anything could beat that pile of Minotaur faeces...
[/RANT]
Rant over. Now, that feels better...
 
  • #17
"she's a phony"
Again, wrong expression.
With elves, it is "she's a synthetic rose"
:smile:
 
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  • #18
Enigman said:
[RANT]I don't like her...she's a phony. And she reminds me of a bull. Why can't film makers stick to the stories? They ruined all Dan Brown novels and Harry Potter too...but probably the worst was 300 - largest load of misinformative bull, oh no, just remembered the Clash of the Titans- don't think anything could beat that pile of Minotaur faeces...
[/RANT]
Rant over. Now, that feels better...

Lol, what? Other than Clash of the Titans I thought all those movies were excellent adaptations.
 
  • #19
Ah, yes another chance to rant :biggrin:
Dan Brown-
Angels and Demons- Got rid of the head of CERN and one of the greatest twists of the story and in doing so lost many of the incidents that lent charm to the book.
Da Vinci Code- Sophie is completely pushed aside and Langdon gets too much attention- just feels wrong.

Harry Potter- This one's a bit whimsical...I was 11, I read the book(Philosopher's stone) and Loved it. Then came the movie and I decided to have a race- who wins- the movie or me reading the book...half of the scenes were missing...I got left behind...:cry:...though I did catch up during the adverts...
(Harry Potter is probably the mos unjust entry in my hate list.)

300- That had me laughing...the war strategies were complete fiascos...spartans don't go naked to fight...They went as hoplites not male strippers...their armours were probably the greatest advantage over persian archers.
the other thing that stung was the taunt Athenians were boy-lovers...spartans had gays too...(And I like Athenians better...)
And the name 300...300 spartans yes, only them? nada. they fought along with 700 thespians and 400 thebeans.
And movie completely ignores what happened after...how Xerxes faced an utter and complete defeat by the allied greek navy and army.
DISCLAIMER: I have a really whimsical taste and expect the movies to recreate the magic of the books...which most can't...probably due to time constraints...but I hate what I hate...logic don't enter into it.
(Writing this post just reminded me the horrors of Bourne series)
The only adoptions I don't have a grudge against are those which have been changed to such an extent that the books are just an inspiration...like James Bond...Quantum of Solace was about matrimonial difficulties but the movie was just some thing else.
 
  • #20
You realize 300 is based off a graphic novel and not a history book, right?
 
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  • #21
Drakkith said:
You realize 300 is based off a graphic novel and not a history book, right?

:bugeye: mmm... :nope...:redface:

...
no reason not to get the history right though...
(I thought it was a shoddy adaptation of Persians- a play by Aeshchylus...I really am out of touch with modern literature...)
 
  • #22
Enigman said:
:bugeye: mmm... :nope...:redface:

...
no reason not to get the history right though...

The graphic novel is exactly that. A graphic novel (Comic Book). It plays up the "badassery" of the spartans HEAVILY. That's what makes it good. Adding the things required to make it accurate would serve only to detract from the work.

You can see a few pages of it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1569714029/?tag=pfamazon01-20
 
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  • #23
I've just seen Hobbit 2, and I enjoyed it very, very much.
I think it was better than the first one.
I actually enjoyed it as much as the first Lord of the Rings movie
(which I think was the best one of the trilogy).

Ok, the elves are weapons of mass destruction, and the movie
is a little bit long, but I took pauses. It is an extended story
compared to the novel, but it doesn't matter to me - it was very well done.
And Smaug was a real treat.

It's a must see, IMO, if you're a Tolkien fan.

And here's a classic clip from the Fellowship, I couldn't resist posting it:
catapult1.gif


EDIT: This is a classic too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaqC5FnvAEc
 
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  • #24
Fellowship was the best LOTR because there were no women, it was just nine bros going on an adventure.
 
  • #25
1MileCrash said:
Fellowship was the best LOTR because there were no women, it was just nine bros going on an adventure.
? Arwen & Galadriel don't count?

I kinda liked Miranda Otto in the ROTK, even though she's far too flimsy to be a believable shield maiden. :biggrin:
 
  • #26
1MileCrash said:
Fellowship was the best LOTR because there were no women, it was just nine bros going on an adventure.
Just eight, plus the Blooming faerie.
 

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