DORI, ORI, AND NORI GET THEIR CLOSE-UP

[elisabeth rappe]

story link

[the rain dog]

Okay I have to admit, being able to differentuate between so many dwarfs was a mild concern of mine going into this.

No longer, those costumes look tits.

[charliecluster7]

Really good on them for seeing the Dwarves as just a people of a different size, with all the variance that naturally allows. So, yeah, those look pretty fantastic, with only Dori's questionable hair being a bit of a head scratcher.

[Bucho]

I never thought there'd be a day I'd look at a picture of cuddly old Mark Hadlow and think, "Yeah, I probably wouldn't want to fuck with that guy."

[alex augustine]

They look comical, not tough at all.

[stelios]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Rain Dog 

Okay I have to admit, being able to differentuate between so many dwarfs was a mild concern of mine going into this.

No longer, those costumes look tits.

Indeed. The costume department seems to be having a bit of fun with this. Maybe a small indication of DelToro's work on this?

[the rain dog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stelios 

Indeed. The costume department seems to be having a bit of fun with this. Maybe a small indication of DelToro's work on this?

Fantastic call. Now that you mention it, their look does kind of scream Guillermos influence doesn't it.

[mattioli]

Does that dwarf have starfish hair?  'Cuz if he does... *shakes fist*

[MichaelM]

I'll be the wet blanket and say I'm not digging the look. Too fancy and elaborate for dwarves, especially dwarves in exile who have been miners most of their lives.

It's not in this set, but the just-released pictures of Oin and Gloin make Gloin look like a televangelist moonlighting as an 80s hair band singer.

[chris spider]

Eh, these are publicity photos. They always look super-glossy. I have a feeling they'll look much better in the actual film.

[Bucho]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Augustine 

They look comical, not tough at all.

How's your sword defence big man?

[stelios]

Seriously, the finest craftsmen in Middle Earth have elaborate clothes, armor and weapons? Wow, who would have thought?

[Shreds]

I like it. Combined with that second released dwarf photo this suggest a whole culture they inhabit where not everyone is a battle armoured badass with a huge axe. Looking forward to seeing the rest now. Wasn't James Nesbitt one as well?

[MichaelM]

I'll side with Alex. They look like dwarven hair metal band members, not badasses.

[andrew merriweather]

They look like fancier version of Gimli. God, the nitpicking.

[MichaelM]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Merriweather 

They look like fancier version of Gimli. God, the nitpicking.

So just because I don't like the look I'm nitpicking? I've even said they'll likely look better/a bit different onscreen and in motion.

[andrew merriweather]

Uh, you didn't say that anywhere in this thread. And was the "hair metal" thing so funny that it needed repeating?

I don't know. I guess I just don't see what's so vastly different about these designs when held up to the costuming and make-up on the original trilogy. If anything it's nice to see them varying the hair/outfits and individualise them.

[stelios]

Again, the dwarves are the finest craftsmen in Middle Earth. Their finest creations rival these created by Feanor and the rest of the Eldar. Dwarven made weapons and armor are treasures worth entire kingdoms in themselves. Their stuff being "fancy" even when it belongs to less fortunate ones is completely true to the lore.

[MichaelM]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Merriweather 

Uh, you didn't say that anywhere in this thread. And was the "hair metal" thing so funny that it needed repeating?

I don't know. I guess I just don't see what's so vastly different about these designs when held up to the costuming and make-up on the original trilogy. If anything it's nice to see them varying the hair/outfits and individualise them.

The dwarves in the original films didn't have wildly styled hair or overly ornate armor/costumes (their hair, in fact, was long and straight, with little or no styling - and they were the dwarven lords, presumably the elite and most skilled among them). This looks like a significant departure from the designs we saw there.

To me, nitpickig is saying "But Ori's eyes are bluuuuuueee" and getting all pissed about it. I'm simply saying I'm not caring for the look in these stills, not that the movies will suck or PJ's a hack or anything like that. And the hair is the thing that really stands out to me in the publicity photos - it just looks weirdly out of place, like Alan Rickman's anachronistically gelled up Nottingham in PRINCE OF THIEVES.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stelios 

Again, the dwarves are the finest craftsmen in Middle Earth. Their finest creations rival these created by Feanor and the rest of the Eldar. Dwarven made weapons and armor are treasures worth entire kingdoms in themselves. Their stuff being "fancy" even when it belongs to less fortunate ones is completely true to the lore.

I don't have any issue with the armor, weapons or tools having complexity. Your argument is sound, and one I'd agree with. It's the look of the dwarves themselves that seems to be 1) out of character with how they're presented in the books and 2) inconsistent with what we saw of dwarves in the original three films.

[andrew merriweather]

We saw, what, two dwarves in the original trilgoy? Or was it three? Seems to me a whole race might vary its looks/aesthetic choices from person to person.

[MichaelM]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Merriweather 

We saw, what, two dwarves in the original trilgoy? Or was it three? Seems to me a whole race might vary its looks/aesthetic choices from person to person.

There were seven in the prologue, and several at the Council of Elrond. But you're right - the Lonely Mountain dwarves could easily have a different culture/style.

[shunderson]

It's been a while since I read The Hobbit, but I'll add that, with a couple of exceptions, most of the dwarves on the expedition seemed to only show up for the pay day.  They were quite willing to send Bilbo to do all of the dirty work and collect their fair share at the end for basically being road companions.  This did not strike me as a band of armed warriors.

My initial response to the starfish hair was much the same as several others here, but the costumes and designs themselves seem cool to me.

[darkmite8]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shunderson 
My initial response to the starfish hair was...

Finest craftsman of... Bumpits!

[noahthestud]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shunderson 

It's been a while since I read The Hobbit, but I'll add that, with a couple of exceptions, most of the dwarves on the expedition seemed to only show up for the pay day.  They were quite willing to send Bilbo to do all of the dirty work and collect their fair share at the end for basically being road companions.  This did not strike me as a band of armed warriors.

My initial response to the starfish hair was much the same as several others here, but the costumes and designs themselves seem cool to me.

I don't know.  Tolkien mentioned in the Hobbit that when it came to sneaky burgler stuff, the dwarves had no problem sending Bilbo because that is what he was hired to do and would be well compensated.  When it was time to fight, in the goblin caves, against the spiders, battle of five armies, etc. the Dwarves didn't hesitate.  Plus, I think most of them are veterans of the War of the Dwarves and Orcs.

[darkmite8]

Maybe Nori's a Sonic the Hedgehog fan....

[ken savage]

As mentiond before these are a different type of Dwaves to the ones seen before. I'm cool with the different styles on display, reminds me of the attempt in Star Trek 6 to present distinct Klingons.

[user_32]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Savage 

As mentiond before these are a different type of Dwaves to the ones seen before. I'm cool with the different styles on display, reminds me of the attempt in Star Trek 6 to present distinct Klingons.

Agreed. They NEED to look different. There's no way audiences are going to follow 12 dwarves without that differentiation no matter how much they differ in personality. Even the book got confusing in that regard of who was who. Some of their deaths will have more weight at the end than the book did.

[darkmite8]

I hope the Goblin King under the Misty Mountains has a feathery cape, eye makeup, glam-rock hair, and too-tight slacks ("Dance Magic Pants!").

In all seriousness, I like everything seen for the most part, but the weaponized hair (maybe someone tosses this dwarf as a projectile) of Nori is so... odd.

[MichaelM]

Quote:

Originally Posted by User_32 

Agreed. They NEED to look different. There's no way audiences are going to follow 12 dwarves without that differentiation no matter how much they differ in personality. Even the book got confusing in that regard of who was who. Some of their deaths will have more weight at the end than the book did.

This is a legit reason to make them look so wildly different from the dwarves glimpsed in LOTR and each other. Having said that...

Quote:

Originally Posted by DARKMITE8 

I hope the Goblin King under the Misty Mountains has a feathery cape, eye makeup, glam-rock hair, and too-tight slacks ("Dance Magic Pants!").

In all seriousness, I like everything seen for the most part, but the weaponized hair (maybe someone tosses this dwarf as a projectile) of Nori is so... odd.

The more I look at that picture, the more they look like Munchkins from THE WIZARD OF OZ.

[shunderson]

Yeah, but it also seemed that they were rather routinely getting their asses handed to them.  Hey, I'll admit.  I'm no expert. I was just left with the impression that this band of dwarves was a little more idealistic, stubborn, and greedy than they were warriors or tacticians. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoahtheStud 

I don't know.  Tolkien mentioned in the Hobbit that when it came to sneaky burgler stuff, the dwarves had no problem sending Bilbo because that is what he was hired to do and would be well compensated.  When it was time to fight, in the goblin caves, against the spiders, battle of five armies, etc. the Dwarves didn't hesitate.  Plus, I think most of them are veterans of the War of the Dwarves and Orcs.