Blade Down Under

I'm not sure if anyone else had to experience the before scenes of the last hobbit film

We went and saw it yesterday and I couldn't understand why they had a 25 minute how great is New Zealand by all the staff beforehand.

Why????? I think everyone in the cinema was laughing at how bad it was.

Did anyone else suffer it? Or was I unlucky?

Charismatic

Why would anyone subject themselves to a Peter Jackson film?

Justcol

havent seen any of the LOTR films.
well thats a lie, i took my boys to see the first one (the original first one before the new first ones came out)
I did see about 15 to 20 minutes then a slept through the rest. my boys woke me, thoroughly disgusted at the end

Sparkleydiva

Yes i saw it too and thought it was dreadful, cheesy and i didnt pay to see that rubbish, although i thought the film to be pretty poor too ...

scrubbedexpat094

Well quite. I've never felt the need to.

LauraNotts

Wonder if they played it outside NZ?

Sparkleydiva

I wondered about that too but dont know anyone elsewhere who has seen it

LauraNotts

Actually I'll ask my Aussie mate and report back - then again why would we want to rub it in the faces of our cousins Maybe they just were trying to be nice to NZ - though yeah I agree I spent the entire time swinging between Awwww and *wince*

MrsFychan

we have tried to watch them but so far have failed to finish any of them.

Think we have come to the conclusion really not for us.

BEVS

Come on. They are boring as boring can be.

The books were good back in the day but the films just make a meal out of the storylines.

As to guff about NZ before the film. Silly . Perhaps it was part of the deal.

Tom H

It wasn't played in the UK - I asked a few people and neither came back with a yes. I'm awaiting to see if it was played in the US or Australia. I must admit it didn't surprise me at all. Being in this country for 3 years, they do tend to jump at any opportunity to pride themselves in anything. I think they targeted the wrong audience and should have shown this 25 minute fiasco to audiences across the world, not to the people that already live here. Attract more tourists to the country to see the locations all the scenes were filmed. I'm waiting for them to go on about how great the country is from the Americas cup team of 2013

I was a wee bit disappointed with all the Hobbit films, despite being a huge LOTR fan. I think seeing Richard Armitage as a dwarf instead of a MI5 agent didn't help matters. Also, in the LOTR first film, I think the Dwarf city has been taken over by some evil fire breathing spirit (not the dragon), you don't see in the Hobbit how that happens. I thought they perhaps might add that. Especially when you see the scene that sends Christopher Lee's wizard to Saragons side (if I have the name right). Oh well

LauraNotts

Asked a Brit and and Aussie and got funny looks. Uniquely NZ Cringe.

Persephone

Not for me either. MrS wanted to see The Hobbit, the first instalment and I went along just for something to do. What a waste of what felt like 2 years of my life
At least I could walk away or fall asleep when he wanted to watch them at home

Dandy du2

I love all the LOTR films, had read all the books, and was miffed that we didn't get chance to see the last Hobbit film in the UK before we flew. Trying to see if it is still on in any of the cinemas in Christchurch.
Going against the grain, why not be proud of the beautiful land which is portrayed in the films and you now call home. Although I do agree 25 mins is a bit much to watch for anyone.
When we came travelling through NZ 12 years ago we visited many of the sites where it was filmed and I still enjoy watching the films and the memories of being there (pre-children).
My children now want to visit Hobbiton (think it's Matamata) which we will do at some point when we have saved up enough! The cost of school uniforms was a bit eyewatering.

Bo-Jangles

I haven't seen any of the LOTR films or this doco either - absolutely no desire to go there at all but it seems to have sparked the same sense of cringe and WTF? as I had watching when 'Our Big Blue Back Yard'. I couldn't quite figure if it was meant for the local or an overseas audience but the 'characterisation' of fish and such like was so very amateur and lame.