Some Thoughts on "The Hobbit"

Just Some Thoughts on “THE HOBBIT: An Unexpected Journey”.  Not really any spoilers if you know the stories.  If you don’t...don’t proceed.  

Good/Great/Awesome/Epic:
1) THRILLED when I first heard the music.  I wondered if they’d stick with the original score.  I got a little misty-eyed, to tell ya the truth.  Also LOVED the Dwarfs music.  So lovely and mystical almost.  And don’t get me started on Thorin’s song.  Wow... “Far over the misty mountains cold.”
a) After the 2nd time, I really noticed how much they played the dwarf theme music.  obviously it makes sense as this book/movie is based around them.  But man, I loved hearing it.
2) Totally excited when I saw The Shire and Bag End and FRODO!  And heard the theme music for the Shire.
3) Loved the mentions of Gandalf’s fireworks.  Loved seeing him and seeing him knock his head on the chandelier in Bad End.  Again.  
4) Loved being reminded that Bilbo is half Took.  (Made me miss Pippen though)
5) Being a bit of a history nerd, I loved all the backstory of the Dwarf kings and palaces and such ‘under the mountain’, and the mining.  And how the kingdom fell to Smaug etc.
6) Who knew there was such thing as a sexy dwarf...enter Thorin.  Yowza!!!  On a side note, did Thorin’s voice remind anyone else of Sean Bean’s (Boromir)?  He sounded just like him to me in many scenes.  Love that guy too.  
a) Still crazy about Thorin Oakenshield.  Wow.  Yeah, I know it’s silly, he’s a dwarf.  
7) Got a little emotional again when we first saw Rivendell, Lord Elrond, and Galadriel.  I knew he wouldn’t be there, but part of me REALLY wanted to see Legolas.  
a) Also, really loved hearing the Elves music this 2nd time thru.  So lovely.  
8) Necromancer.  Benedict Cumberbatch.  Yes.  Looking forward to seeing more of that. https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQxy5GKGYFFexAkSGOei8B1ltHdqlDNGaFv8oITJMcCua3syM6cgA
9) Did anyone else notice how closely Azog the White Orc resembled Voldemort from the first HP movie?  Ya know the one on the back of Professor Quirrill’s head? See link:  http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f2/Voldemort_in_Movie_1.jpg
10) Did anyone else wonder if Smaug was a Hungarian Horntail?  (HP reference)
11) Not really movie related but I loved hearing other nerds chuckle when little subtleties from the LOTR movies were shown and other moviegoers caught them too.
12) Did anyone notice Shelob’s little intro music played when the Wargs came out?  
13) I realize it’s been awhile since I read the book, but watching the movie (twice) really makes me want to go back and reread it.  
14) Sometimes Gollum/Smeagol made me very sad.  The sad look in his eyes.  
15) I saw Mimi getting teary-eyed when Thorin finally thanks and accepts Bilbo.  Of course, of course, I did too.  (Both times)

Eh:
1) Did not like the prostheses used for the Hobbit ears and feet.  I know it is a silly detail, but I think the original ones in the LOTR films were much better.  These looked fake.  YES, I know they WERE fake, but I was highly underwhelmed at these.  The ears really looked synthetic, again I realize they WERE synthetic, but in the LOTR they looked ‘real’-er.  
a) Even after seeing it today for the 2nd time, I still greatly disliked the prostheses.  Mimi and Goose noticed them too.
2) I realize Ian Holm (old Bilbo) has aged 10 years since the filming of the LOTR, but I thought they way over make-upped him.  It looked clumpy.  I think the same thing for Martin Freeman (young Bilbo).  Too much makeup base.  
3) I was not thrilled with the Orcs either.  Can I say, once again, they looked fake, without sounding, silly...as they are ORCS and therefore fake...Also did not like the trolls or the goblins.  I know they are bad guys so they are ugly, but man...those guys were GROSS.  
http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2012/11/29/1226526/243981-the-hobbit.jpg
4) Wasn’t crazy about the attempts to add humor and grossness where it wasn’t necessary. (Mountain troll sneezing a loogie into the stew). Don’t get me wrong, I love funny things, but I thought they tried a little too hard to make some parts funny.  Just tell the story.  We’ll love it all the same.  
5) I know I do this a lot in movies...I look at scenes and think “yeah right”.  Why that’s funny is that I’m clearly watching a fantasy movie and questioning if something could really happen or not.  For example: When the dwarves and Bilbo and Gandalf were on the bridge inside the Goblin domain.  The bridge collapsed and crashed down yet all the key players stayed on the bridge and didn't’ get killed.  If it were bad guys, they all would have died...but since it was the good crew, they were all fine.  Now, what’s strange about that?  WELL, they are dwarves, hobbits, and wizards and I’m thinking ‘yeah right’.  Sooo, can I realllly say ‘yeah right’ to something happening in a fantasy movie?  I do it with Harry Potter too :)  
6) Not a bad thing, but I did notice that the light in Galadriel’s eyes was not specialized in this movie like it was in the LOTR.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, watch the special discs in the extended versions OR just watch the Fellowship of the Ring and look at her eyes...they made a special light arrangement for the reflections in her eyes.  I LOVE it and made sure to look for it in this film...not there.