Post by Omen on Dec 19, 2012 20:05:39 GMT -5
First of all, there is ABSOLUTELY too much that can be said about this... EXPERIENCE!! I will struggle to keep this review on task no matter how bad I want to scream.
The Hobbit...
As I stated, this was not a movie, but an experience. Those out there who attempt to review this as a flat movie, in my personal opinion, are missing what makes this so powerful within the circle of fan-followers.
Going to see The Hobbit, as well as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, for a fan, is the same as going to church for a religious fanatic. They don't go to hear simple words read to them from scripture...
they go to EXPERIENCE the 'sub-culture' created based on their religion.
Remember, this is scored based on the scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best:
Concept: 10 - This was a movie made by humans and yet without humans! This was an epic tale about a people forced from their home and their struggle to return home. It expanded into a culture and community on its way to becoming extinct and yet determined to hold on to their identity.
This was a VERY powerful approach for a genre such as this. Fantasy is known to adhere to simple concepts and niches when it comes to commercial presentation, because it is easy to lose the audience.
Peter Jackson stepped on to this set and said... 'I DON'T CARE,' and treated this as a serious study into the impact of a people (race) that are striving to maintain what... and whom they are.
Very intriguing.
I was originally worried about the Tone of the story before it started and walked in expecting this to be a kid's tale.
I was wrong.
He delivered a gift that had the ability to satisfy adults and youth all the same. This was a masterpiece conceptionally because the subtleness of magic, along with the boldness of elves, dwarves, and beast were present and entertaining, but they were balanced against more adult themes such as identity, envy, stubbornness, resentment, anger, and forgiveness.
WELL DONE.
Worldbuilding: 10 - This experience DEFINES the aspect of worldbuiding and should be used as a teaching tool when working with writers and creators of all types. The foundation of effective worldbuilding is faced with force by each frame of this piece of art!
Worldbuilding should appeal to a viewers 5 senses, allow them to experience a story from a Top-Down view as well as a Bottom-Up view, and define the difference between Rules-and-Laws through interaction rather than by word... or narration.
The Hobbit succeeded in this!!
They accomplished this by song, food, celebration, customs, introductions, the intricacies within the surrounding environments, their travels between one location and another, the interaction between the various peoples and races, etc.
Storytelling: 10 - This was an EXTREME challenge, once again, because of the genre. Fantasy stories tend to suffer greatly in this arena because of the lack of relatability.
This is often solved by having the story told with the main protagonist being a young cute boy going on a worldly adventure (don't forget to add in the love interest), or the dashing handsome muscle-bound male, with the square jaw, blue eyes, five o'clock whiskers, and the big sword... oh, yea... don't forget to add in the love interest.
It took me halfway into the movie before I realized that NONE of this had to do with humans!! There were NO humans, other than glimpses of them in the town parts of the dwarven history told in the beginning (note - Gandalf isn't a human).
To make things even CRAZIER... dwarves are NOT a primary storytelling race! Writers rarely use dwarves as main characters because they are viewed as non-elegant and obvious deviants in comparison to our 'real-world' norm. In reality, people will accept an overly skinny blond man or women (elves) far quicker than they will midgets, who are now referred to as, 'little people'. They will try not to admit it, but watch them when given the choice.
The Hobbit solves this by making this very prejudice trivial in comparison to a concept so moving!! He made those watching, become one with the plight of a group so determined, by becoming the innocent one (the hobbit) as he evolved and understood their pain.
Storytelling is made up of character-building and Drama (Passion, Conflict, and Discovery). I don't think that you can find ANYONE charging that ANY of these are lacking!
Presentation: 10 - To make this simple... this experience was GORGEOUS!! I am normally against 3D movies, but this has made me a believer with 48 frames slapping me into sensibility and love! The music and songs (Dwarven) were moving and powerful.
Overall...
The Hobbit was a MASTERPIECE for those that are fans of this genre and somewhat entertaining to those outside of it, but wanted to see what all of the 'who-blah' was about.
For writers and creators, this is something that should be MANDATORY watching for effective growth in their art.
;D
The Hobbit...
As I stated, this was not a movie, but an experience. Those out there who attempt to review this as a flat movie, in my personal opinion, are missing what makes this so powerful within the circle of fan-followers.
Going to see The Hobbit, as well as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, for a fan, is the same as going to church for a religious fanatic. They don't go to hear simple words read to them from scripture...
they go to EXPERIENCE the 'sub-culture' created based on their religion.
Remember, this is scored based on the scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best:
Concept: 10 - This was a movie made by humans and yet without humans! This was an epic tale about a people forced from their home and their struggle to return home. It expanded into a culture and community on its way to becoming extinct and yet determined to hold on to their identity.
This was a VERY powerful approach for a genre such as this. Fantasy is known to adhere to simple concepts and niches when it comes to commercial presentation, because it is easy to lose the audience.
Peter Jackson stepped on to this set and said... 'I DON'T CARE,' and treated this as a serious study into the impact of a people (race) that are striving to maintain what... and whom they are.
Very intriguing.
I was originally worried about the Tone of the story before it started and walked in expecting this to be a kid's tale.
I was wrong.
He delivered a gift that had the ability to satisfy adults and youth all the same. This was a masterpiece conceptionally because the subtleness of magic, along with the boldness of elves, dwarves, and beast were present and entertaining, but they were balanced against more adult themes such as identity, envy, stubbornness, resentment, anger, and forgiveness.
WELL DONE.
Worldbuilding: 10 - This experience DEFINES the aspect of worldbuiding and should be used as a teaching tool when working with writers and creators of all types. The foundation of effective worldbuilding is faced with force by each frame of this piece of art!
Worldbuilding should appeal to a viewers 5 senses, allow them to experience a story from a Top-Down view as well as a Bottom-Up view, and define the difference between Rules-and-Laws through interaction rather than by word... or narration.
The Hobbit succeeded in this!!
They accomplished this by song, food, celebration, customs, introductions, the intricacies within the surrounding environments, their travels between one location and another, the interaction between the various peoples and races, etc.
Storytelling: 10 - This was an EXTREME challenge, once again, because of the genre. Fantasy stories tend to suffer greatly in this arena because of the lack of relatability.
This is often solved by having the story told with the main protagonist being a young cute boy going on a worldly adventure (don't forget to add in the love interest), or the dashing handsome muscle-bound male, with the square jaw, blue eyes, five o'clock whiskers, and the big sword... oh, yea... don't forget to add in the love interest.
It took me halfway into the movie before I realized that NONE of this had to do with humans!! There were NO humans, other than glimpses of them in the town parts of the dwarven history told in the beginning (note - Gandalf isn't a human).
To make things even CRAZIER... dwarves are NOT a primary storytelling race! Writers rarely use dwarves as main characters because they are viewed as non-elegant and obvious deviants in comparison to our 'real-world' norm. In reality, people will accept an overly skinny blond man or women (elves) far quicker than they will midgets, who are now referred to as, 'little people'. They will try not to admit it, but watch them when given the choice.
The Hobbit solves this by making this very prejudice trivial in comparison to a concept so moving!! He made those watching, become one with the plight of a group so determined, by becoming the innocent one (the hobbit) as he evolved and understood their pain.
Storytelling is made up of character-building and Drama (Passion, Conflict, and Discovery). I don't think that you can find ANYONE charging that ANY of these are lacking!
Presentation: 10 - To make this simple... this experience was GORGEOUS!! I am normally against 3D movies, but this has made me a believer with 48 frames slapping me into sensibility and love! The music and songs (Dwarven) were moving and powerful.
Overall...
The Hobbit was a MASTERPIECE for those that are fans of this genre and somewhat entertaining to those outside of it, but wanted to see what all of the 'who-blah' was about.
For writers and creators, this is something that should be MANDATORY watching for effective growth in their art.
;D
