Hobbit: The Spence Edit, The

This is my 100th fanedit review...an I open with a huge APOLOGY!
I thought I had reviewed this...but alas...OOPS!

THIS EDIT (and one other), were the driver to my return to this forum a couple of years ago.

THIS EDIT...inspired me to creat my own Hobbit edit....and it was and remains a game changer...not just for me, but for many other fan editors.

Spence did things here which had not been done by anyone at that point.

The Logolas solution, The removal of the Black Arrow, The Barrel ride, The scoring change as the dwarves emerge and SO much more.

This was and remains an inspirational edit. I've watched it more times than my own...and many others have too, and also borrowed many of the genius flourishes within...(yes, I am guilty of this too).

Little did I know back then that I would get the honor of working with this genius.

To be able to strp away near on two thirds of the material and retain a compelling, balanced and well paced narrative is already a huge achievement...but to then sig down and refine it to this polished finish is a glory to behold.

OVERDUE, I thank you publically, for your work, your frienship and humility in permitting me to borrow from your creative efforts.

This remains MY GOTO....

No point going into the technicals...they are spot on.

Long may you REIGN!

After following Peter Jackson's production diaries with excitement throughout 2012, I remember the surprise at the mixed reviews and the disappointment of finally seeing "An Unexpected Journey". The let-down was repeated with each subsequent instalment, and ever since coming across this site I have intended to look through the wide variety of edits in the hope of finding something more pleasurable to sit through, I finally got around to it and chose this out of the well-regarded ones first for the simple reason that it is among the shortest.

This work is absolutely amazing, vindication of the production as a worthy companion to its predecessor trilogy. Yet again I marvel at just how much of a film(s) can be removed (sixty-odd percent here) while still remaining coherent, though in this case that alone is hardly a compliment with all the filler present in the originals. What really stands out (or perhaps doesn't) is just how unnoticeable the excisions are, anybody unfamiliar with the story would have little cause to believe that this could be anything but an non-professional effort, this view upheld by consistently excellent audio and video quality.

Being familiar with and fond of the original book I do miss a few things though, mainly "Blunt the Knives" and Beorn. The latter provides the only real issue for me, after escaping the goblins the company now suddenly get ponies from somewhere (the shot of them mounting up feels a bit brief on its own) and within two minutes they are being sent away (to where?). This is not a plot hole in terms of creating contradictions but it did take me out of the moment a little.

It remains for me to see if any of the longer cuts (up to double the runtime) can provide such a good balance, until I then this is without a doubt the version I would turn to.

This edit is fantastic. It is what I have been waiting for since the first Hobbit movie. It's really gripping from start to finish. The cuts were pretty much invisible, technically very well-executed. The score was very loud for me at three different points (22, 33.5 and 1hr50 minutes) but this is a very minor quibble in what was overall a great experience. Very well done.

This works very well and really shows that it should have been a single film. I didn't notice any technical issues though I'm probably not the best reviewer for that. I marked down one point in A/V Quality for not providing 5.1.

My positives are too numerous to detail here. Suffice it to say this removes almost all the major issues I had with the films. Some highlights:

- The abridged opening. Initially (before seeing the theatrical DoS or BotFA) I was concerned that cutting the opening too much might not allow us to adequately get to know all the various characters we're going to have to keep straight. But in the end, most of the dwarves are just glorified extras that we really don't need to get to know. Introducing Bilbo, Thorin, Balin and Dwalin is enough.

- Though the Stone Giants scene never bothered me as much as some, its absence helps the movie get moving.

- The more ridiculous elements of Goblin Town are mercifully removed, keeping the focus more on the Riddle in the Dark where it should be.

- The seams between films are very well done. Only one minor issue there and it is mentioned below.

- Very much abridged barrel ride!

- No more molten gold!

- The majority of the elves physics-defying athleticism is gone.

- The end battle is feels much more focused, and for me at least, the focus on character helps to make it MORE epic.



Some minor narrative issues I had as I watched:

- Gandalf 's rather unexplained absence from the troll scene is a bit weird.

-While the transition between AUJ and DoS works very well overall, it's a bit strange to suddenly have the company on horses only to send them off moments later.

- The barrel sequence is well done but ends rather abruptly. And the cut from the first encounter with Bard to Gandalf is weird. It feels like it skipped ahead. It needs one more beat if possible before the transition.

- Radaghast is out of place as he is never really introduced.

- I would have liked to have seen no trace of Dune-esque worms, but it's extremely brief.

- There's still some elvish athletic magic, which apparently extends to the reindeer they ride. But again minor gripe.

- I'm much happier with this version's take, but Thorin sort of magically comes to his senses. I'd rather have that than how the theatrical version presented it, but if there's anything in the EE that might help, it would be beneficial imo.

- Another personal gripe is those damned eagles. I would have liked to see them removed completely.

- I'd also have liked to have seen the auction gone. I think cutting from Bilbo seeing Bag End again right to Ian Holm would work. Although I would miss the "he was my friend" line.

Overall, I thought this was great work and it certainly works as a single movie. If some of my gripes could be addressed when the BotFA EE comes out, a v2 would be most welcome! My gripes are all minor, however, and this will be the version I most likely watch in the future.

This is what I wanted to see when I first heard that The Hobbit was going to be made into a film. I am a very critical viewer, even when it is one of my favorite films. There are still a number of things that I would have cut.
-When talking about the Took side of Bilbo- the golf reference always seemed out of place to me even in the book.
-I would have removed ALL traces of the rabbits and sled.
-Galadriel only in the scene against Sauron.
-I'd like to see her not look and sound like the scene in The Lord Of The Rings (that was supposedly how she'd be when using the Ring Of Power).
-I would have kept a bit of the Stone Giants, just enough to see them as part of the thundering storm- but not when the company is on them.
-I like how other edits have handled the drop into goblin town- short. And I think the floor should have given way as soon as Sting shown blue.
- I like how the goblin king dies in the theatrical release. I'd leave out his dialogue, though, during his confrontation with Gandalf. His death was supposed to be the main reason for the goblins chasing the company to the pines.
-I'd like all of Beorn's scenes to remain, although I can understand why it was cut.
-I don't think that we should see the Ring having any sway over Bilbo in The Hobbit at all.
-Rivendell needs several more cuts. Once they arrive I would cut to Gandalf's greeting with Elrond, then skip to Bilbo talking with Elrond.
- I'd cut out the dwarves eating in Rivendell. I don't know why elves are portrayed as vegetarians in Jackson's movies. The elves ate meats in the book.
-Leave out the line about the exact same moon-phase needed for reading the map- too coincidental. Just have the line about needing to be read in the moon light.
-Keep dwarves in trees scene (without the moth) and no one coming down out of the trees.
-Keep the line where Gandalf tells Bilbo that his sword will glow blue but cut the part about it doing so because it is elven. Not all elven swords glow blue.
-I still don't like the ring twirling in the air and falling right on Bilbo's finger. Although I'm not sure how this scene could be done another way with just editing.
-Jackson tends to have an awful lot of light in all his "dark" scenes. I would darken most, especially the encounter with Gollum.
-Get rid of the giant worms.
-Azog falling in water and then jumping up through the ice and ready to fight. Talk about demanding a suspension of dis-belief. I'd skip that whole part and just go to the death scene.
Although I've listed a lot of cuts that I personally would like to have seen, that's not to say that I thought this was a bad edit in any way. It was fantastic. I'm just super critical. There were many things that I loved in this FanEdit.
+ Loved how this edit started with the smoke ring and the older Bilbo at the end of the film. That worked out great!
+ I like the Eagles in the battle. After all, aren't they one of the five armies?
+ I thought all of the cuts during the unexpected party were wonderful.
+ Love how Radaghast's earlier scenes were cut.
+ I don't miss the White Council meeting.
+ I like most of the goblin town edits.
+ I thought all the scenes involving Legolas or Tauriel being cut was done well. I think the FanEditor's decisions on what should stay and what should go were wisely done.
+ barrel sequence edits - perfect!
+ All the scenes that were removed involving Laketown really improved the film. Excellent!
+ No dialogue from Alfrid is so much better.
+ I like how Dol Goldur was wrapped up before Smaug.
+ Of course the dwarf confrontation with Smaug in the mountain had to go!
+ No molten gold dragon!
+ The edits surrounding Bard's slaying of the dragon were perfect. Way better than the ridiculous scene with Bard's son involved that was in the theatrical release.
+ Love how Kili's death was handled.
+ Like how the auction was kept.
All in all, these painfully inadequate movies have been edited into one great film that is now one of my favorites.
Great work, Spence, and Thank You.