The Hobbit was not the best movie I have seen lately and that I would be breathless about, but putting that aside, it doubtlessly was a great event. Armed with popcorn and soda beverages, I and a few people from this university course (Jaromír L., Kristýna Č., Martin S., Magda M., Jan L., Tomáš S.) sat deep into our seats and enjoyed the 2.5-hour spectacle in its original dub.
Rumor has it that some people (down-to-heart Tolkien fans) have left the cinema not even half-way through the movie, outraged by Jackson's adaptation of their beloved story. Yes, they do have a point that apart from the Irish aura of the songs (“Misty Mountains,” namely), there was little or no sense of the story that was originally written for children. However, I find that leaving the cinema in the middle of the screening is an over-reaction. Agreed, Jackson unnecessarily prolonged many scenes and added many more battles and blood spill (though not much red matter was seen, actually) than needed, though one must realize one thing: most people have not read the book. So Jackson did what he had to: made the movie watchable! He portrayed breath-taking landscapes (New Zealand product placement!), put in lots of amazing 3-D scenes (that moment a warg gets shot and falls onto the audience – blackness!) and technically speaking, it was a marvel in computer effects. Jackson succeeded in not making anyone fall asleep, though a short break in the middle surely would have been welcomed.
During the 2.5 hours my anonymous neighbor spilt his 1l cup of Coca-Cola on the floor and crunched onto his popcorn that occasionally landed on my lap and everyone, especially us eight, laughed heartily at Saruman's words: "But how can we believe Radagast [a forest wizard]? He eats too much mushrooms!" In all seriousness, Martin asked as we left the cinema: “Does the book also end with the dragon opening his eyes?" Most of the people present grinned; someone informed him that there are two more movies to go. Martin threw his hands dramatically towards the now dark skies and exclaimed: "WHYYYYY??" A while later he added bitterly, though in a calm voice: "I am not going to wait two bloody years for the next part. I want it now!" Our cinematic fellowship concluded the evening either in a pub (it was a Saturday night after all) or with a long walk through Prague, making use of the warmer winter weather.
As for myself, I definitely enjoyed The Hobbit and decided on a few things. One – attempt to put together a light-mode Hobbit costume for the next premiere. Two: wait patiently for the continuations. Three: read the book once it's all over. It would be a pity and a waste of positive energy to compare the book with the movie when one should be enjoying his return back to Middle Earth!
