The terrible weather was - rather startling. We used to have winters this cold when I was a child, but it hasn't happened in a while. What's really hard to cope with, though, are the temperature swings. When I was a kid, we'd have settled cold for weeks, but now it seems we go from frigid cold to nearly spring-like weather in a week - and then back again.
As to the movie - I agree with you about Beorn. The actor playing him was great, and I think we could have had more of him, and done properly, rather than all the needless Orc mayhem in Lake Town. Actually, I rather like Radagast, and even the sled with the hares. But I find the bird droppings in his hair obnoxious - and it's not Tolkien. It's taken straight from The Sword in the Stone.
There's a dwarf with an axe in his head? Seriously? How did I manage to watch these two movies and totally miss that?!
Yes, I'm afraid Tauriel probably won't survive. I hope it's not set up that she dies trying to save Kili and Legolas blames the dwarf. A flaw in the book, IMHO, is that Fili and Kili's deaths are described in just a couple of sentences. But they die defending their Uncle Thorin. They ought to be with him at the time. There are many of us fans who will be (honestly!) rather pleased if the separation Jackson has set up ends up saving "the boys", but it would seriously falsify the book. So - mixed feelings about that whole storyline.
I didn't even notice the conflict being set up between Tauriel and Bard until I wrote this sporking. But, good heavens, it's there! And most unnecessary, too. OTOH, I did like Bard and his children - and I liked Tauriel, as well. But the echoes from LOTR were a bit weird here.
Oh - we also liked the movie, if anything, better than the first one. It had its flaws, and was a lot coarser and more obvious that Tolkien, but it was very good fun, and the cast is great - as is the scenery.
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Date: 2014-01-10 04:34 am (UTC)As to the movie - I agree with you about Beorn. The actor playing him was great, and I think we could have had more of him, and done properly, rather than all the needless Orc mayhem in Lake Town. Actually, I rather like Radagast, and even the sled with the hares. But I find the bird droppings in his hair obnoxious - and it's not Tolkien. It's taken straight from The Sword in the Stone.
There's a dwarf with an axe in his head? Seriously? How did I manage to watch these two movies and totally miss that?!
Yes, I'm afraid Tauriel probably won't survive. I hope it's not set up that she dies trying to save Kili and Legolas blames the dwarf. A flaw in the book, IMHO, is that Fili and Kili's deaths are described in just a couple of sentences. But they die defending their Uncle Thorin. They ought to be with him at the time. There are many of us fans who will be (honestly!) rather pleased if the separation Jackson has set up ends up saving "the boys", but it would seriously falsify the book. So - mixed feelings about that whole storyline.
I didn't even notice the conflict being set up between Tauriel and Bard until I wrote this sporking. But, good heavens, it's there! And most unnecessary, too. OTOH, I did like Bard and his children - and I liked Tauriel, as well. But the echoes from LOTR were a bit weird here.
Oh - we also liked the movie, if anything, better than the first one. It had its flaws, and was a lot coarser and more obvious that Tolkien, but it was very good fun, and the cast is great - as is the scenery.