Review Detail

9.8 113 10
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FanFix November 06, 2021 17357
(Updated: June 28, 2022)
Overall rating
 
9.0
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
Audio Editing
 
9.0
Visual Editing
 
9.0
Narrative
 
9.0
Enjoyment
 
9.0
*Edited for v3

I had several complaints on an earlier version I watched. Stromboli has gone through and fixed most of them with his current version. I think right now this is the best edit of the Hobbit out there!

The vast majority of transitions are great and mostly unnoticeable. This goes for visual and audio transitions. I absolutely love the pacing, especially the beginning and end. You aren't rushed between each chapter as most Hobbit edits are. You get to breathe between each mini-story. The latest version has better pacing in the middle chapters.

Another thing I enjoyed was keeping in a lot of the dwarf character moments. I know they get a little goofy, like Bombur breaking the bench, or the burps at the table, but a lot of other edits lose the group dynamic by taking so many of these out to make it more serious.

Since the story of the Hobbit is basically a bunch of self contained mini-adventures, putting the format in 5 hour long episodes rather than longer movies works great. Each one has a start and a proper conclusion.

Individual episode notes:

E1: I think this episode is perfectly paced. Loved how it started a bit slower than most edits, and then ends well right after the trolls. I think this episode was done exceptionally well. I wouldn't change a thing.

E2: Also loved this episode. The story is mainly confined to the caves and then their escape and works really well. The whole Gollum sequence is fantastic. And the escape from the wolves is great. Most of my original complaints were fixed. Just one thing I think would serve this better:
- A lot of editors cut the goblin cave escape fight way down, but not usually completely out. I wish some of it was left in. They jump very quickly from Gandalf arriving to them escaping the caves. It was nice to see some of their capabilities as fighters because they haven't done much yet.

E3: Stromboli reinstated the longer sequence in the forest and the pacing is much better now. I like that some of the river barrel fight was left in. I think it's a fun battle that most edits cut completely out. I just wish Kili's leg being shot could have been removed as it creates a bit of a continuity error because his injury just gets forgotten after that.

E4: Overall this episode was pretty good, mainly focusing on the dragon and his demise, and then the buildup to the battle of the five armies. I do wish we could have spent more time with the dragon and have his death be the climax of the episode, but the episode works very well regardless. This edit gives a bit more fleshing out of Bard than other edits I've seen especially the book edits. His character works much better than those other edits in my opinion. I only have a few critiques:
- During Bilbo's time with Smaug there is a cutaway to Thorin not wanting to go in to help. This scene feels weird without any buildup of Thorin going crazy. I think it could have been left out. After the dragon dies there are more natural scenes building to his madness.
- Also, the scene a little later where the dragon breaks out and Balin comments that it is a dragon just feels out of place. They already heard the dragon before when they were debating to go in to help Bilbo. If the scene before was removed then this one would feel better.

E5: This final episode concludes so well! This is definitely my favorite edit of the last battle. It isn't cut completely down like so many edits do, and it feels like a proper finale. A big change was to not show Bilbo delivering the Arkenstone to Bard. While there were some good character moments there with Bilbo, I like Stromboli's choice to cut it. It worked really well. The goat ride up to the top of the fortress is kept in. Other edits kind of just have them appear up there. Much better choice to keep it in. The only thing about this episode that still doesn't work for me is Thorin's change of heart. Him simply recalling things his friends said to him and then going back to normal is so anticlimactic for his arc. I'm not sure there is a way to fix this though, so no fault to the edit. Other than that I loved this ending!
A
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