Watched two nights ago with Esther, as both the kids were asleep early. Nearly missed the show as we were led on a merry go round across SetiaWalk, Puchong new shopping and entertainment complex to find the TGV cinema. SetiaWalk is indeed the Labyrinth of Puchong. No minotaur but plenty of beer guzzling folks around coz the place is packed with bars and bistros.
We finally found the cinema after asking for gazillion directions from the helpful security guards there, and prevented myself from starving to death coz I skipped dinner to make it in time after closing shop.
Since we barely made it in time, and this movie is about two hours plus long, keeping in mind I need to attend a meeting with dad the next morning at 8am, I decided to folk out RM40 for the "Beanieplex", coz it was the only slot available before the next show at 11pm, and the "Beanieplex" is something new to both Esther and myself. I have heard of those "Gold Class" and what not cinema but not this. It made me rethink about the entire cinematic experience. Call me a backwater hick, but for someone who has been sticking to GSC Summit USJ nearly a quarter of my life, it was a quantum leap from those musty, smelling seats to a "couple seats" with bean bags whereby we could lean on comfortably with nice, sleek ambient, just like a first class ride. And we could really relax coz, the place was practically new I guess, a weekday, and there was only ourselves and two other couples. The only setback is the temperature which I think is preset according to the coldest winter in Siberia. I nearly turned into Mr. Frosty but luckily Esther brought her jacket which just barely could keep me warm enough before I succumb to hypothermia. But enough about the place and the Russian winter. After downing two cups of small sausages and couple of sticks of dogs for dinner, plus a tub of popcorn shared with Esther, the highly anticipated prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy began.
It is said that Peter Jackson shot this in High Frame Rate, i.e. 48 frames per sec instead of standard 24. I dunno what that means but I'd read critics of this technology raised the point that it looks too real, like watching a HDTV, which I have seen in most of the AV shops LCD TV sample movies, and yes, to me it does robbed the "cinematic" aspect of a movie. Why, the other day at one of the malls while waiting for the kids and Esther, I was watching the latest Pirates of the Carribean and it looks like a stage play. Now, perhaps since this is the 2D version, the HFR is not obvious or perhaps even not totally incorporated, but still it is kinda "crisper" than majority of movies I have had seen. But it's all good for someone like me who has a 1000+ degrees of shortsightedness.
This is the first part of a trilogy spread over three years, meaning if I were to be alive in 2014, I get to know the conclusion. Just like The Lord of the Rings. This is based on the classic high fantasy children book, The Hobbit, written in 1937, by the late J.R.R. Tolkien. Yes, it is meant to be a children book before the author took it to another level in the epic sequel, and set ground for the Middle Earth universe (sans The Silmallirion).
Like The Lord of the Rings celluloid adaptation, the movie incarnation is visually stylised and dramatic, typical of Peter Jackson works. Since there are so many interpretations/artworks of Tolkien often cryptic descriptions of the creatures and population of the Middle Earth stories, one of the reasons I want to watch this is to see once more how they would be depicted in the movie. For once the CGI orcs, trolls, goblins look very much improved and nice (though there are a number of detractors), the Wargs look different and more fearsome, the infamous three "intelligent" trolls which nearly cook the boys, finally get to see those "giants" which are basically mountain sized stone monsters, Radagast the Brown (the subtitle calls him "Radagast si coklat") and it is great to re-visit the characters appeared in the Lord of the Rings once more.. The Great Goblin looks more like a troll than orc however, but maybe that's why it is the leader. But the infamous orc Azog, is depicted as a albino uber-orc, and deviated greatly from the book, did not die at the hand of Dain, a character which is absent from the movie but instead fought Thorin Oakenshield, and seemed to be one of the primary antagonists. Esther commented that she doesn't remember the dwarves to be so tall. And macho. Like Thorin Oakenshield for example. He looks like a dwarf popstar. And of course I am teased with the actual look of Smaug the Golden. I would have to wait for another year (or another) for that.
All in all, this first of the trilogy looks promising and well, Esther and I simply have to wait for another year. In the meantime, I think I will look up for that well thumbed The Hobbit book for a refresh course on the actual storyline.
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