It’s such a pleasure to return to Middle-Earth. Peter Jackson and his team have masterfully recreated and expanded the universe according to Tolkien.
I know from the production diaries, created during the filming of *The Hobbit*, that the undertaking was massive. Not just in the technical challenges of filming at 48fps IMAX 3D but also getting the story right. *The Hobbit* isn’t a terribly long book. How in the world can they create three *long* movies? Truth is that originally they planned on it being a two part movie and then realized that there was too much material to cover.
Visually the movie is amazing. The costumes, makeup, sets, and special effects are perfect.
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I was surprised by how good the acting was. We all know that Ian McKellen is among the best actors of our time, and he doesn’t miss a beat as the Gandalf that we love.
Martin Freeman was a perfect choice for Bilbo. When the series is complete I believe Freeman’s performance will become iconic. His facial expressions, mannerisms, comic timing are surprisingly good. I can see why Peter Jackson bent the filming schedule around Freeman’s availability to make sure he could play Bilbo. (They had to take a 2-month break during filming so Freeman could honor a previous commitment for *Sherlock*. )
I was also impressed with Richard Armitage’s performance as Thorin – the Dwarf king. Another perfect casting.
The rest of the cast does a fine job which I think is a testament to Peter Jackson’s directing skills. The best actors in the world can’t do a good job without good direction. And average actors can do a masterful job with great direction.
It’s hard for me to judge the pacing of the movie since I already know the story so well. I believe a large percentage of the casual movie goers will find the pacing a little sluggish at times. To be sure, there were a handful of chase scenes went on a bit too long. On the bright side, they make for excellent Peetimes! 🙂 As I waited for the movie to start, I was concerned if I would be able to find adequate Peetimes. I was happy to discover it wasn’t difficult to pick out 4 of them, and I think 3 of them are very good to use.
And finally, I think the music was pretty good. The central motif of the movie theme works well for dramatic and action scenes.
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If you’re like me and enjoy a 92oz soda as part of the movie experience, you’ll be thankful for this app telling you the best times to go for a quick break. Whether that’s to refill your soda or recycle it.
Possibly an even better feature is the info on if the movie has after credits scenes. There’s nothing worse than sitting there reading about who the key grip was, then finding out that’s all you did. I blame Marvel for the stupid trend.
Seriously, I see a dozen movies a month and use this app every single time. Worth every Penny of the infinity coin thing I bought.
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My biggest disappointment is that I have to wait another whole year to get to the next story. I can’t wait for 2014 when I can watch all three movies back-to-back-to-back.
Grade: A-
How RunPee Began – A Retrospective on Peter Jackson’s 2005 King Kong
How RunPee Began – A Retrospective on Peter Jackson’s 2005 King Kong
Don’t miss your favorite movie moments because you have to pee or need a snack. Use the RunPee app (Androidor iPhone) when you go to the movies. We have Peetimes for all wide release films every week, including Moana 2, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Kraven the Hunter, Wicked, Gladiator II and coming soon Mufasa: The Lion King, Nosferatu, A Complete Unknown and many others. We have literally thousands of Peetimes—from classic movies through today’s blockbusters. You can also keep up with movie news and reviews on our blog, or by following us on Twitter @RunPee. If there’s a new film out there, we’ve got your bladder covered.
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