Informal

After quite a long time getting the computer to accept our pre-paid voucher codes, the poor girl at the cinema gave up when the machine then refused to print our tickets. This session was sold out, perhaps I could have made some extra money with this...

As is Boxing Day tradition we had an easy day of leftovers (with family friends), and a new release at the movies. We went to see an obscure new movie today, called The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. I don't know how wide its distribution is, but it's a rollicking adventure if you get the chance. A little long it is, and has very disappointing attention to lighting, but it mostly maintains a cracking pace with a few good giggles thrown in. The theatre wasn't packed, but it was full enough that there was a real sense of communal enjoyment - gasps, laughs and an occasional cheer all added to the fun.

I can see how you might not like it - it takes the book and expands with excessive poetic licence, but I enjoyed it for the most part. I do wonder if we're judging each of Peter Jackson's Middle Earth movies a little harder, comparing it to where he's come from rather than as a stand alone product. Our expectations increase with each release, and at some point we will expect it to reach the Red Sea parting standards. I'm not sure that's entirely fair, but I do think we can expect him to learn from what's come before. Perhaps that's why I was so disappointed with their lack of a grasp of dusk colours and various lighting inconsistencies. Perhaps it's a bad sign that I noticed and was bothered - was I not engaged enough? I'll let you decide.