Oh yes, I've been waiting most eagerly for today's trailer. No one has any comments on it yet?

I think it's looking good. There's always the occasional thing to dislike, though. For example, I'm not finding myself a big fan of Tauriel so far, and she was definitely a feature in this trailer. I wonder if where her story line is going is that Or, something to that effect. It seems to be fairly logical.

There is a lot of CGI in the trailer. There is plenty of discussion on TORn about the CGI's quality. Many of the shots don't look very real, in my opinion... Thoughts?

And one of the defining features at the very end of the trailer is one that actually made me stare openmouthed. Smaug makes a very brief appearance. All you see is his head, and it is a fairly dark shot, but it's Smaug, all right! And so far, I really like his look. He looks very dark and menacing (and I can't wait to see more).

Where is this trailer you speak of? Thanks!

Would this be the trailer? I did also see a poster for The Hobbit Part 2 which has one of those Middle Earth style double doors on it.

Sorry, I should have linked to it. Yes, that is it.

So, when I went to see the Hobbit: AUJ in theaters, I had so many thoughts about it that I swore I'd write it all down before I forgot. I never did. And I've been kicking myself since.

So I watched the trailer last night, then layed awake for 2 hours.
But these are my thoughts:

0:06 They're crossing over an icy river? So, I assume they somehow managed to get down the huge bear cliff?
0:12 Very nice statue, and I like the zig-zag steps leading into it. (On the bottom right hand corner)
0:15 Thorin has his sword down in reverseance (?) on the descrution of Dale. It's very snowy, it wasn't that way in the prolouge.
0:18 the Elves leading the Company to Thranduil? Very nice background, although it looks like an oil painting.
0:20 Thranduil has leaves and berries in his crown, Had no dea it was him narrating.
0:23 Thorin is covered in spider webs (?)
0:27 Lots of blue birds (?) Why? Trees are nice, but the shot reminds me of Bilbo when he's in the burning pine tree, about to see Thorin decapitated.
0:29 (LOVED this shot) The Elves are closing in on their prey, jumping and aiming from limb to limb. They looks like a lot of Tauriel/Robin Hood clones.
0:32 Mirkwood...spooky...
0:35 Very nice slide in there, Legolas, much like your adventure with the shield in Two Towers. Impressed that he actually draws a bow, there have been times in the past were it looks incredibly fake, he just pulls the string back and lets it fly. Very clean draw of the bow, nice battle armor, although no other Elf is wearing it. Is it in Mirkwood? Lots of spider webs. Ori had his sling shot drawn.
0:38 I think Legolas has more eye makeup than Tauriel. And blue lips (?) The line reminded me of "I will kill you if you touch him!" Not sure why...
0:40 Thorin and Kili, I think the only shot we see of him, fighting off the bear, who is HUGE by the way! Is that in the home with all the really big props? Bilbo draws sword, ready to kill again, he's gettin the hang of it!
0:43 Tauriel, looking rather haughtiliy into a jail cell (?) At Thorin maybe? Maybe they'll have a converstaion?
0:45 Didn't our lovely Susan have a similar draw in PC? I think at the raid on Miraz.
0:47 "Not our fight?" Sounds like he has a descion to make, and Tauriels nudging him along. He looks particularly older there.
0:50 Looks like the scene we see in the first released image if Tauriel, wonder what she was shooting at? She looks alot better in motion, not so harsh as the image. She's got a hood, and VERY pointing ears. Legolas has hardly a dent.
0:51 What is Bilbo sliding into?
0:57 A trap by whom? The same person who knew to send the warg scouts int AUJ? What in the name of Durin is going on?
1:05 Eyebrows? Serioulsy?
1:09 Elves kicking butt, in armour
1:10 Azogs imporved, he looks more real.
1:12 Little hobbit, with sword, covered in web, BIG spider.Not good.
1:16 Who just opened what?
1:19 Bard looks and sound just like O. Bloom. That's weird.
1:23 Thorins key was just about the go off the edge, he stepped on it just in time.
1:24 Legolas in casual gard, another clean draw.
1:26 LOVE LOVE LOVE that shot of Tauriel, and whats with the hermit about to asassinate Gandalf?
1:29 and WHO is that freaky looking thing jumping off the cliff?
1:29 Thorin decapitates the camera, while a smiling Kili looks on, bow in hand.
1:38 "...was a dragon." Best line in the trailer. Fabulous deliverey
1:56 Yeah, I can kind see Cumberbatch in the face. Little eyes, long face. . Smaug looks okay, but it's a little dark in that shot, you can't see too much of him. The eye looks smaller than I thought it would be, and he sounds like a raptor from Jurassic Park. Although in JP, I think th T Rex was a bit scaryier than Smaug, inmho. And it's supposed to be a dragon, not a dinosaur. But he looks pretty deadly, liking his chops. Now, just ...speak. Please.

Last thoughts: There's alot of Elves, and a LOT of focus on Tauriel. Azog looks good, Smaug is okay. Thorin and Bilbo didn't utter and peep, save Bilbos laugh. And we've got the Legolasses in one corner of the ring with the Armitage Army in another while still the Fili&Killi groupies are one with the Cumberpeople in another. Who will win the battle of the fangirls? It looks good. Real good. Better than the first. And we've only got 6 months left!Bravo.

AslansChild, great analysis. You really picked up a lot from the trailer. For me, so many things happened so quickly that sometimes, I wasn't sure what was going on. Now that I have watched the trailer a good ten times at least, I watched it one more time looking for some of the specific details you mentioned. (I appreciate the inclusion of leaves and berries in Thranduil's crown, for instance.)

I suppose the movie is going to have a fair amount of scenes happen in the wintertime, because if I recall correctly, a good portion of the journey occurred during winter in the book as well. That could explain why there is snow and ice in some portions of the trailer, yet not in others.

0:38 I think Legolas has more eye makeup than Tauriel. And blue lips (?)

This is something that struck me the first time I viewed the trailer...something about Legolas looks different -- like something about his face got digitally changed. I'm not certain...

0:45 Didn't our lovely Susan have a similar draw in PC? I think at the raid on Miraz.

I'm pretty sure she did.

1:16 Who just opened what?

A couple of guesses... either

1:26 LOVE LOVE LOVE that shot of Tauriel, and whats with the hermit about to asassinate Gandalf?

Possibly

1:29 and WHO is that freaky looking thing jumping off the cliff?

Looks like an Orc to me.

1:38 "...was a dragon." Best line in the trailer. Fabulous deliverey

I agree. As a matter of fact, I do believe that in AUJ's prologue, Balin has to ask Thorin "What is it?" and Thorin replies, "Dragon." It's an interesting reversal -- now Balin is the one telling the other dwarves.

1:56 Yeah, I can kind see Cumberbatch in the face. Little eyes, long face. . Smaug looks okay, but it's a little dark in that shot, you can't see too much of him. The eye looks smaller than I thought it would be, and he sounds like a raptor from Jurassic Park. Although in JP, I think th T Rex was a bit scaryier than Smaug, inmho. And it's supposed to be a dragon, not a dinosaur.

I think Smaug looks fantastic. I'm not sure why some people think his CGI looks off or uncompleted. Perhaps he needs to be better integrated with the surroundings, but as for he himself, I like it. It does seem as if the length of his face might have changed from the ending scene in AUJ (a longer nose and smaller eyes, maybe?), but we haven't seen enough to tell for certain at this point. I really like the way he turns and looks at Bilbo, as if he sees him.

As for Smaug's size, at first I was surprised enough at his appearance to think that he was purely gigantic. Then I began to wonder, "Could his head really be only that size in proportion to Bilbo?" But when one considers that that was really only his head, and that his head will probably only make up a small proportion of his actual body, I went back to liking his enormity. He looks very deadly.

0:27 Lots of blue birds (?) Why?

I believe it's the (black in the book) butterflies Bilbo spots when he climbs a tree in Mirkwood when they're wondering how much longer the forest will continue. A book scene I certainly never expected to see in the trailer!!!

1:19 Bard looks and sound just like O. Bloom. That's weird.

I've been thinking this (at least for looks) since I first saw pictures of him. Good to know I'm not the only one.

After a whole lot of radio silence, there's NEWS to discuss! LOL

The poster - not bad.

The trailer - this didn't exactly increase my desire to see the movie. I feel like PJ took a page from Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader in deciding that the book didn't have enough action and excitement on its own, so he had to add a whole lot more. The trailer consisted of mostly elves (that weren't in the book) and orcs (that weren't in the book) and side stories (that weren't in the book) and in turn, my beloved Hobbit storyline is hardly there at all.
There were certainly things I did like, the butterflies and Smaug. I was excited to see Bard, but not thrilled that he seems to have been given a more prominent role.
Anyways... I guess I'm getting more and more grumpy in my old age.

Hobbit Part 1 Blu-ray news - So... I'm curious if any of you saw this on TORn?

Now we’ve learned that this extended cut has been given a rating by The Motion Picture Association of America. Their bulletin (seen here) gives the movie the same rating as it had in theatrical release, PG-13. But here’s the interesting part – in theatres, the PG-13 rating was for ‘intense fantasy action violence and frightening images.’ Here’s what the rating says for the extended version:

‘Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, frightening images and fleeting nudity.’

Come again? TORn goes on to say...

I think there is one possibility from The Hobbit that could fit the situation of fleeting nudity — when the Company bathe and wash their clothes in the Anduin after the Eagles drop them at the Carrock.

After that they stopped pleading. Then they took off their clothes and bathed in the river, which was shallow and clear and stony at the ford. When they had dried in the sun, which was now strong and warm, they were refreshed, if still sore and a little hungry. Soon they crossed the ford (carrying the hobbit), and then began to march through the long green grass and down the lines of the wide-armed oaks and the tall elms.

Queer Lodgings — The Hobbit.

Weird. At any rate, the Hobbit Part 1 EE will be out on November 12th.

I feel like PJ took a page from Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader in deciding that the book didn't have enough action and excitement on its own, so he had to add a whole lot more. The trailer consisted of mostly elves (that weren't in the book) and orcs (that weren't in the book) and side stories (that weren't in the book) and in turn, my beloved Hobbit storyline is hardly there at all.

That is interesting that you mention the similarity between AUJ, LWW, and PC all getting a lot of action scenes and extra storylines added to them. I liked some of the changes in LWW, disliked the entire restructuring of the storyline in PC, and am leaning towards disliking many of the changes in AUJ. One thing contributing to my dislike is simply the large number of action sequences -- they are almost back-to-back, and each one goes on for a considerable length of time. It looks as if DOS may end up being very similar (although this is only judging from a 2-minute trailer and just how much action was shown in it). I would really like to see character-building moments and quiet scenes in these movies, not just necessarily watch the characters go through one battle after another. (Many of the non-action scenes in the LOTR trilogy are some of my favorite scenes in those movies.)

Now we’ve learned that this extended cut has been given a rating by The Motion Picture Association of America. Their bulletin (seen here) gives the movie the same rating as it had in theatrical release, PG-13. But here’s the interesting part – in theatres, the PG-13 rating was for ‘intense fantasy action violence and frightening images.’ Here’s what the rating says for the extended version:

‘Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, frightening images and fleeting nudity.’

Really? I fail to see the need/context for even just 'fleeting' nudity in this story. I was originally planning to get the extended edition instead of just the theatrical version. (I'm wondering if the EE will have "quieter" scenes, ones that they cut from the theatrical edition so that they could keep the action sequences.) But I may just end up getting the theatrical one, at this rate.

Nudity? hmm. I guess someone will have to watch it and let us know. If this were LotRs I'd have a much better idea what it could be. Maybe it has been incorrectly labeled?

I mostly liked the Hobbit 1. I'm pretty sure that will not be the case with Hobbit 2. It was bad enough when we had the dwarves sticking out of the barrels. But now they are fighting in the barrels!!!!
I do not like added fight scenes. I do not like them in the river. I do not like them in the woods. I do not like them with a bear. I do not like them here or there.

I think I will be watching the movie to see the blue butterflies. I am so glad they included that. The part with Bilbo and the spider looks good as well.

Daughters have just arrived home from Supanova Pop Culture Expo at Homebush, Sydney. This Expo, which covers Star Wars, the Hobbits, Harry Potter, Superman and much more, will be travelling around Australia. However, it seems the 4 actors from The Hobbit Pts 1 & 2 won't be there for Perth as they have to be on standby for more acting.

Fleeting nudity? I see that as a mistake. Back when LotR:FotR came to Australia, some movie posters in the cinemas (for the movie) rated it as being MA15+ For Strong Sex Scenes and Medium Coarse Language. Clearly an error, for anyone who's seen the movie.

... Clearly an error, for anyone who's seen the movie.

...yeah...that's messed up. That's one of the things I really appreciated about the LOTR, it had nothing bad in it, no innuendo, no scenes, no language. The Hobbit however...not quite squeky clean.

I remember seeing this supposed DVD case for LWW:

http://www.spareoom.net/other/humor/rae ... tedlww.jpg

And we all know that isn't true.

...But I can only hope it's a mistake...but let's just say it's not, does that mean the scene will be in the film on the DVD, or can you select it like a deleted scene? In other words: is there a way to avoid it?

The new trailer is getting me really pumped up for this movie. Though I actually think it's a very poorly made trailer overall. Anyone who isn't a previous fan of the book will be completely at a loss over what it's about.

I do not like added fight scenes. I do not like them in the river. I do not like them in the woods. I do not like them with a bear. I do not like them here or there.

Hear, hear!

0:12 Very nice statue, and I like the zig-zag steps leading into it. (On the bottom right hand corner)

Hm, I hadn't noticed those. Definitely kinda neat. I still think the statues are a bit too much of a rip-off of the Argonath in Gondor.

1:38 "...was a dragon." Best line in the trailer. Fabulous deliverey

I actually found it a bit overdone.

1:19 Bard looks and sound just like O. Bloom. That's weird.

I've been thinking this (at least for looks) since I first saw pictures of him. Good to know I'm not the only one.

Me, too! He's like a meld of Legolas (face, archery skills) and Aragorn (hair,

Azog did seem a bit more... real. He didn't seem to stand out from the scene in the wrong way, at least.

It was a busy, wild trailer which I didn't bother to analyze much until reading AslansChild's post. Then I went back and watched it again several times, noticing more to like and dislike. I agree that it's interesting how much focus is on the elves (likely a bad thing), and how little on Fili, Kili (good), Thorin and Bilbo (not too worried).