I just have to rave about that Sackville-Baginses couple (sisters). They. Were. So. Cute! They made their vest-things out of t-shirts; even made the buttons out of clay and sewed them on - I didn't even realize until they told me. They looked PERFECT! They are SO talented!
And their sister, my good friend Corinna (dressed as the elf in blue) did their hair, which was also PERFECT. And can I mention that Corinna was the brains and guts behind my dress, which she helped me cut. Also, a huge thanks to my MOM, Christina, who sewed it for me!! She made Bug's Bilbo vest too.
SUCH a fun time!
Alright, so, enough about that. How was the movie? *spoilers!*
Well....
I left confused. When it ended, very abruptly (especially for someone with Jackson's multiple endings from The Return of the King drifting in the back of their head - even the Two Towers ending had so much more closure!) there were groans around the theatre. None of the plot threads were tied up. It seemed strange that it had no conclusion whatsoever. They simply drew out the fighting of the dragon into a "climax" that didn't serve any of the plotlines except Thorin's ego.
Let me try to sort out the plotlines. So I think we've got...
Thorin and the Dwarves trying to get the Arkenstone to reclaim their homeland
with hints Thorin's ego and pride
Legolas/Tauriel/Kili Love Triangle with Kili getting injured and Tauriel following to save him
(can I say that I am still just so "eww!" about this!? It came out of left field! So did NOT see it coming! #notafan.)
Gandalf discovering the Necromancer/Sauron/tombs of the Ringwraiths/Rabadash helping him/etc.
Bard (do NOT get what's going on with him, yet)
I think that's it.
So now. let me break this down.
Thorin. I like the hits at his pride, which will surely be his downfall someday. Does he die in the next movie? Does Kili, for that matter? My friends are telling me weird things - I don't remember. Surely both don't die -- Do I even want to know??
The Love Triangle is so strange. Kili and Tauriel have no relationship - they just see each other and it's love at first sight, apparently. Tauriel immediately says something to Legolas about him and then comes to sit by Kili and talk about the stars. That little conversation is the extent of their relationship. But I still get why Tauriel, when she discovers that Kili has been shot with a morgul arrow and will die of poison, wants to follow and save him. You don't have to be more than acquaintances for that to work. No big deal. But when she's saving him with this herb, Kingsfoil, Kili's in a sort of a dream and says, "It was just a dream. Do you think [Tauriel] could love me?"
"IIIIIT WAS JUUUUST A DREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAM!"
Ok. Sorry. But for real! Parmesan on provolone, anyone? At least, that's how I feel right now. Maybe my mind will change later. I really need to see this next movie. :)
In an article I read that this story provides some basis for Legolas' hate of dwarves in the next movie. So if Kili steals his Tauriel, boo-ya. motivation.
But does he really need it? He's got this freak of a dad who can probably provide just as much. And my the way, I have so much more sympathy for Legolas being the prig he is. I mean, hello, Leggy's daddy! You are weird. Very, very weird. But more on you later.
Gandalf's storyline is good. I know it's important to The Lord of the Rings. I'd be disappointed if they left it out. He's discovering Sauron, basically. I'm not sure about the whole white-light-fighting-black-smoke-for-15-minutes scene. But I gotta see it again. It was jarring to have him leave, though, and not even come back later. But it works. I just gotta trust Peter Jackson.
Bard. Ok. This guy gets them into Laketown. Why? To give them weapons and food in exchange for coin. There's a long scene where he gets them into his house. He's trying to figure this all out; who are his guests really? Etc. He tells the Dwarves to stay put. Of course they leave. Get caught. Get brought to king. Thorin makes a speech about reclaiming his homeland. Bard says, basically, don't you dare! Don't you all remember what happened to laketown last time? The dragon destroyed everything and killed so many. But Thorin's going ahead, and the king backs him. I guess that all makes sense. It was weird watching it. I think my recollections from the book are clouding my ability to enjoy watching these the first time because I'm always trying to remember whether that was in the book and where they're going with things....
Not working. So anyway, Bard's motivation is the protection of his three kids. His wife died. He's against Thorin yet he helped him. Makes sense, but strange. Need to think it out.
Elf King. I am so weirded out about this elf king. What is that thing on his face that he shows Thorin?? It peels back to reveal this hole and he's basically saying, "You're not the only one who fought and was hurt!" Whatwhatwhat? Is this how elves stay pretty? They have illusion magic? Like Loki?? I'm so confused....
But I love him basically telling Tauriel to stay away from Legolas. Because she's just a "lowly Silvan elf." It provides an interesting twist-and-tug and was NOT what I expected from the trailer.
This is actually kind of a love LINE rather than Triangle. Elf King wants Legolas (to stay away from Tauriel), Legolas wants Tauriel, and Tauriel wants Kili. Kili's a total dork. But it's not like Tauriel's choices are very good, anyway. I mean, freaky father-in-law and priggish husband, or dork of a Kili who's a foot shorter than her. Yep.
I love Evangeline Lilly's character, though. She's "only 300, so there's a bit of immaturity there," said Peter Jackson in an article. Arwen was 2300, so that puts it in perspective. You can definitely see that in her. She's young and inexperienced and unhardened. More human, in some ways.
Smaug. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Smaug. And I feel like I'm watching Sherlock Holmes in dragon form, circling his London home and spouting unknowable facts about his visitors. (Cumberbatch is famous as Holmes, if you live under a rock. :P j/k.) As we were pointing out in the car on the way home last night, Smaug Knows Everything. And I barely expected him to speak!
He knows about the Arkenstone. He knows about Thorin and the dwarves. He even calls him Bilbo! What does he do? "You name is obviously Bilbo because on the upsidedown cuff on your right hand there are the initials B.B. and by your smell you come from the south-west-eastern part of the Shire and there are only three families there whose last names start with a B. and of them only one whose first name also starts with a B...."
"I see the scuff marks on your hands are evidence that you have not been traveling with Elves, because they have far better hygine, or with hobbits, for you wouldn't have made it so far, or with wizards, for they are few in number, or with orcs, for you wouldn't be alive, so I think you have been traveling with Dwarves...."
What did you think of The Hobbit?