The Hobbit Movie

[cgronlund]

I discovered The Hobbit before I discovered Dungeons and Dragons (D&D). I'm sure it's no big coincidence that when I started playing D&D in fifth grade (1979/1980), reading The Hobbit the year before had a lot to do with my love for the game. I'd read The Hobbit twice by then...I'd even seen a theatrical production of the story...in the round on a

Comments

[the_aristocat]

I'm your opposite fellow Tolkien fan. I've read the Lord of the Rings countless of times. I know them by heart. I've tried reading the Hobbit three times and I've never gotten further than the chapter abut Gollum and the ring. Fun and curious how different elements appeal to different people in the writings of one person. To me nothing compares to Sam and Frodo in Shelob's lair and what comes after that. There is just something so touching about this young boy who has accustomed to being able to follow this older man's example and advice. Used to being able to making mistakes and being silly and there would be that admirable and trustworthy mentor making sure of things. And then he finds himself in a situation that it has to be him making the life changing decisions that you can't take back and take care of his beloved master and friend. Be Master Samwise instead of Sam the boy. I enjoyed the LotR films a lot, but I also suffered when a scene that I loved in the book was changed for the movie. The extended editions helped a little, but because the very thing that I loved most about the book, Sam's development, was taken away by making Frodo the boy of the two of them, I was never fully satisfied with the movies. But like you, I always keep in mind that there was never going to be a chance that the movies would fit my vision perfectly and that's ok.

I'm writing this fresh from the movie theater after seeing The Hobbit. I had almost decided to wait for the DVD too, because I couldn't understand why they had split it in to more than one movie. A trilogy sounded ridiculous. But now I understand. They wanted it to be like the Star Wars where you almost have six movies instead of two trilogies. The Hobbit even overlaps with The Fellowship of the Ring. So I don't think it was just a money making move. They had to bring the dark and violent world of LotR in to Bilbo's journey and to achieve they needed a lot of screen time. And, maybe because I don't have a strong emotional bond with the book, I think it works wonderfully. I love everything dark and ominous so much. But I'm afraid that, for a person loving The Hobbit like it is as a book, these films could be even more painful to watch than the LotR films for a fanatic LotR fan. It's not a merry world even if there is a lot of humor. But then it could also be easier to take them as a completely separate thing because it's easier to take distance from the book. I hope you tell me how you felt after seeing it, be it sooner or later.

As a fan of Tolkien's world, I don't think there was anything that I would like to cut off. Or in a perfect world maybe a few fighting scenes could have been shorter or more realistic, but who cares, both are essential parts of fantasy as a genre. And I have to say that I loved Martin Freeman as Bilbo. That makes the whole movie.

[cgronlund]

Thanks for the reply, Merja. With the LotR, I've always seen that there's something there I should really love. The last time I tried reading the books were in my early 20s. A friend and I recently chatted about it and he suggested I try again. And I've definitely considered it.

I started rereading The Hobbit, and I will admit that it's not the book I remember from when I read it when I was younger. What I remember from my attempts at the LotR, I DO think the trilogy would appeal to me more now than maybe The Hobbit. Perhaps, after The Hobbit, I'll finally move through all the LotR books.

I know a few people who have similar tastes as I do in movies were happy with The Hobbit movie being broken up. I appreciate you taking the time to say that you now understand why they did it.

It's a world I've loved since childhood. Tolkien's writing can be hit and miss in spots for me, but I've always respected what he did. There's something that's always brought me back to the stories. I liked what Tolkien aspired to. The other fantasy written around the time (Robert E. Howard's stuff; Fritz Lieber, and others) all leaned toward pulps. And there's nothing wrong with that. I DO like that Tolkien shot for making it all more literary, if that makes sense? Not my intention to take anything away from other fantasy writers of the time, but there's a reason people view Tolkien as the one who refined the genre and made it something more.

I'll probably be done with The Hobbit this weekend, and I'm sure there will be an urge when the crowds die down to see it while it's still fresh in my mind. I'll be sure to let you know what I think!