Maxor127 wrote:I noticed it looks like they have another "wizard duel" in it. I thought the wizard fights in LOTR were some of the worst parts of the films. Just old men flopping around. Peter Jackson has said he hates "magic," so we get geriatric Jedi instead.
Hardly geriatric Jedi or old men! Gandalf and Saruman (and Radagast, for that matter - who, I think, will be in the Hobbit movie!!!
) are not old men at all, but
Maiar - Elder Spirits from the First Age of Middle Earth, who wander Middle-Earth
disguised as old men until their time has come to leave. When that is, no one knows - not even them. Witness, for instance, Gandalf's belief that he died after the battle with the Balrog, but was sent back for a reason - to do battle with the enemies of Men, Elves and Dwarves, and to counsel those who waver (like Theoden of Rohan) to stiffen their resolve.
Nor does Peter Jackson specifically "hate" magic. He allows Gandalf to use a "Light" spell from his staff, and Saruman to throw fire balls. However, I think that what Jackson means by "hating" magic is the idea that magic should be allowed to change the world (like illusion magic, alteration magic, magic to open locks etc). I think his reasoning is sound: I don't remember, in the LOTR books, anyone using illusions (except for the Wood Elves in
The Hobbit). Nor do I remember anyone using magic to open locks (a la D&D), etc. - so I think Jackson wanted to keep the movies as true to the books as possible, and not stray into D&D-land, where you can use magic for just about anything.
Also, if Gandalf/Saruman/etc. could use magic to do anything in the films, then what would be the point of all the OTHER characters?
They'd all be standing around and looking at the pretty magic show.
Anyway, on to
The Hobbit trailer!
I like it very much! I can't help thinking that it introduces far too many characters - in the books, the only dwarfs with a decent personality were Thorin, Kili (who constantly helps Bilbo), Bombur (the fat one) and Balin (who ends up ruling the Mines of Moria). We know he does because in LOTR, during the Mines of Moria segments, we see Balin's tomb and Gandalf reads: "Here Lies Balin, Son of Fundin, Lord of Moria").
I like the representation of Bilbo and Gandalf, and especially Gollum in the very last scene - very creepy! Just like the Hobbit book!
However, I am confused as to why Galadriel is back at all.
I know that we get to see Legolas again during the scenes in Mirkwood, where we will also see Thranduil, his father and king of the Wood Elves. I hope that this doesn't mean that we'll get cameos from ALL of the Fellowship - that would be very tedious and distracting, and certainly not like the book at all.
However, if we do get to see where Gandalf goes, that would be fun. I know that, at an early part of the "Hobbit" book, he tells the dwarves that he'd gone to spy on a keep belonging to The Necromancer (which is one of Sauron's nicknames). Does that mean we get to see Sauron? Or maybe one of his lieutenants? Or the Mordor orcs?
Anyway, don't mind me. I'm just speculating...