Haha they're so funny and awesome.

All of them are awesome! The most recent one is really good! I enjoyed it. Especially having flown so much, I know all the drills, so this is a fun change. All air companies should start making more creative flight safety videos.

I agree.

Just saw a short video in which Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Luke Evans, Orlando Bloom, and Martin Freeman announced the BFA premiere in London. (random fyi: Freeman has a beard and moustache. Thankfully, it looks better than the 'stache he had in Sherlock (*shudders at the memory*), but it really alters his appearance. He looks like a short-bearded Dwarf.)

I KNOW, Ariel, that was so weird to see Martin Freeman with a BEARD! So odd!!!!

So, one thing that is really bothering me about The Battle of the Five Armies is that they are making it the ending of all endings, when I cannot see this as the end. The Return of the King will always be the ending of Middle-Earth movies to me, even if it was made first. The whole "Defining Chapter" makes no sense to me. Agree, disagree?

I don't think "the defining chapter" is meant to apply to Middle-earth proper or to the fandom, but more to the history of the movies for what they are: movies. I agree that RotK is the final chapter, the last leg of the journey; The Hobbit is only the prologue to the bigger, grander LotR. Calling BFA the "defining chapter" is a marketing gimmick, just like invoking the feels with Pippin singing "Edge of Night" and inserting Thorin's "Will you follow me one last time?" (Not to mention that there's no possible way BFA will be able to compare to RotK, especially with concern over the liberties they've taken in various areas. 😀 ) And PJ is smarter (at least, I'd hope he is) than to make the ending of BFA "the ending of all endings". We want a smooth and easy transition into LotR. (Maybe we'll have another just-at-the-very-beginning-of-FotR scene, like Bilbo working on his book and being interrupted by Gandalf's knock? (Hey, that's a double-call-back there: one to FotR, one to UJ.))

I'm with Ariel, it's a way to get people to watch the film - 'Defining Chapter' just makes it sound more appealing to average movie-goers who may not be familiar with the previous films. The filmmakers also want to make BoFA stand out since it will be the final look into M-E; the last film created by PJ's team.

Here's hoping that there will be a smooth transition from this trilogy to the next. 🙂

Ooohhh, I like your idea of an ending, Ariel!! I think it would be fun to have a brief scene (maybe after credits like Marvel? :P) where Gandalf meets up with Aragorn before they go to hunt Gollum. I don't remember where they met up, but I'm thinking like Gandalf walks into the Prancing Pony, and the camera follows his gaze to the corner where Strider is lurking. That's just my imagination and fangirl side. 😛

The only problem with a pre-Hunt-for-Gollum scene is that movie-only fans are gonna be all like, "Wha...?" (Which would cue the rest of us to point them to the books on a library shelf and/or to the "Hunt for Gollum" fan film, haha.) It also wouldn't fit into the films' timetable unless we say that Gandalf's sends Aragorn on the hunt after Gandalf's leaves the Shire to check out the Mina's Tirith library (because why confuse fans by flashbacking to an separate event?). *shrugs*

Yeah, and that's exactly what I mean, too. They are making it dramatic cause it's the last M-E movie. I dunno, just bothers me. 😉 Ignore my rantings.

The only problem with a flashback with Aragorn is that Viggo Mortenson has refused to be in The Hobbit at all— he said Aragorn was not in the Hobbit, so he wouldn't do it.

I think the Shire will probably be the ending scene— after all, Bilbo has to go home. I hope it ends with a visit from Gandalf and Balin, just like in the book.

lol Good ol' Viggo Mortenson! Sticking with the book!

@Anne: Yes, that would be a wonderful ending! The only thing is how they began it (old Bilbo and Frodo) - they can't really leave it off that way. :/ But hopefully they will do something like that! There are a bunch of things I want them to get right (but I'm not holding my breath that they do) and the ending is at the top of my list.

@always: that's okay. I rant about many things. and uber-dramatic marketing is one of them (even if I won't deny that it worked on me). 😀
Oh, yeah, I forgot Viggo had said that!

@Elanor: unless they tie the last scene of the book to the early-FotR scene (like maybe Freeman-Bilbo puts on the kettle for Gandalf and Balin and then transition to Holm-Bilbo putting the kettle on (since he'd just done so before Gandalf came knocking))?

That just blew my mind. I could totally picture it and would love if something similar happened. 😀

😀

Yeah it should be something....really nostalgic! (is that the right word?) I didn't realize how big this ending is......although they really just need a good transition, since it's a prelude...Hmmm