Will The Hobbit end up "rotten"?

[afleitch]

Let's be honest. It's a good movie based on what is essentially a childrens book. It's better than the first two of the LoTR trilogy in terms of pacing and set pieces. It's funny and keeps moving without resorting to drawn out emotion shots that plagues the first Trilogy. Each of the 12 dwarves is given something to do and there's more character development in this sizeable cast than there are in most movies featuring a smaller ensemble including this years lauded Batman and The Avengers. It was a long movie, but it gave it space to breathe. The scene between Bilbo and Gollum was crafted beautifully on the strength of both Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman (who is a more versatile lead than Elijah Wood). Ian McKellan is given more to do than just laugh to himself and Sylvester McCoy is outstanding as Radagast. I hate Tolkein's world; always have. But I actually give a sh-t about what happens in the next two movies.

[afleitch]

I hate Tolkein's world; always have.

Yes. Jackson movies are for people who love the Fantasy genre in general but hate Tolkien's world and always have.

I always found Tolkien fairly banal. 'Depth' doesn't necessarily mean good. He farmed just about every Celtic, old Anglo-Saxon and Norse myth he could get his hands on and then framed the fantasy genre so that his ideal became the standard. The fantasy genre was just as prolific 'Pre-Tolkien' and the fact it's been lost a little is a great shame; T.H White, Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast, Fritz Leiber etc. Tolkien's imagery was influenced from Stevenson, Victorian fairy 'paintings' and the arts and crafts movement. Film makers have every right to take what Tolkien wrote, given that there was nothing particularly new or unique about it and splash it about on screen. You can't be a purist about Tolkien because there's nothing pure about it to begin with.

[afleitch]

afleitch, if your definition of literary purity is related to perceived originality then it's not really meaningful.

I never said anything about literary purity; as Al said it doesn't exist. Everything is farmed, Tolkien as well. As was Gormenghast. I'm just very much against people who pine that what Tolkien wrote was 'pure' and that Jackson has somehow tainted it.

[afleitch]

Everything is farmed

That's not what I think.

Never said you did