*flails everywhere*
Finally got to watch “The Hobbit” yesterday! Instead of spazzing here right away, I took a day to collect my thoughts and organize them a bit. Because I have a LOT to say about the movie.
I really, really enjoyed it, despite some initial apprehensions due to mixed reviews. I took a leaf out of a fellow Tolkien fan’s book and decided to think of the movie as fanfiction instead of a direct adaptation of the book. It worked really well and I was able to enjoy the movie a lot more than I would have otherwise, because I am usually a stickler for canon and unnecessary changes annoy me.
What I Liked:
- Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins is absolutely perfect. Martin has this brilliant way of portraying the everyman character thrown into a world of adventure and uncertainty. His Bilbo is slightly bumbling and easily flustered, but, like Martin, is also a deadpan snarker and rather fun in general. He also gets one of my favorite lines from the movie, when he tries to explain to the Dwarves why he keeps coming back to them: “I often think of Bag End. That's where I belong. That's home. And that's why I came back. You don't have one, a home. It was taken from you, but I will help you get it back if I can.” The way he delivers it…it doesn’t exactly move you to tears, but there’s a quiet beauty to it that isn’t often found in movies nowadays.
- The Dwarves, who admittedly aren’t very Dwarvish, (but more on that later) were really interesting. The large cast of characters were handled very well, each with unique and different personalities, and they didn’t blend into one blob labeled “Dwarves.” I especially liked Balin, Kíli, and Fíli, which makes me cringe a little inside because none of them get a happy ending.
- Gollum. Gollum is SCARY. One of my favorite scenes in LotR was when Smeagol and Gollum had that internal argument. In “The Hobbit,” the personality switch scenes are just as well made. I could tell exactly when one persona took over and it is terrifying.
- RADAGAST. Oh, there’s so much about Radagast to love! Yes, he’s a cuckoolander of a wizard who eats lots of mushrooms and has birds nesting in his hair and whatnot, but this is the guy who nurses little hedgehogs back to health and then duels with the Witch King of Angmar before stealing his blade. Then outruns Warg-riding Orcs on a sled pulled by giant rabbits to act as decoy and allow his friends to escape. And then he keeps on cutting in front of said friends’ escape route. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s played by Sylvester McCoy.
- Elrond fights Orcs! One of the problems I had with LotR was how the Elves were all portrayed as these super ethereal mystical creatures. Which they are, but that doesn’t mean that they spent all their time playing soft music and gliding along regally. Elrond is a Healer and a Master of Lore, but I appreciate the reminder that Elrond is also a great warrior when he needs to be. He wasn’t Gil-galad’s herald just because he wrote decent poetry.
(On a similar vein, I really hope that Galadriel gets to see some action, including bringing down the tower of Dol Guldur. I have issues with people who see her as your typical Elven queen who doesn’t do anything except to look pretty and offer gentle advice. Galadriel is one of THE oldest Elves left on Middle Earth. She fought at Alqualondë, she crossed the Grinding Ice, she plays mind games with Sauron on a daily basis. She is in no way just there to be beautiful and grave. Although she is both.)
- The fact that Orcs and Goblins are separate is pretty interesting. I always wondered how the movie would confront the confusion between the two. The movie makes the Orcs more intimidating and dangerous, but the Goblins speak the Common Tongue and that makes them so much creepier. And their King is rather hilarious.
- The winks and nods to LotR and the Silmarillion had me flailing a bit. I know that many critics are complaining about the padding and pandering to the fandom, but I’m an avid Tolkien fan and I appreciated the fact that the movie goes to some lengths to show that they not only did their research, they also respect Tolkien’s work enough to try to present the whole picture. I have no doubt that the expansion of “The Hobbit” is favorable because of New Line Cinema’s monetary interests, but I don’t mind it too much because I love it when the moviemakers show that they are fans, too.
- By this point, I’m sure that everyone has heard the ravings about it, but the movie scenery itself was absolutely gorgeous. The moviemakers deserve all the love and credit for this, and I must go to New Zealand someday.
What I Liked Less:
- The Dwarves aren’t very Dwarvish. The ones most guilty of this are Thorin, Kíli, and Fíli, which is somewhat understandable because Thorin is a prince and Kíli and Fíli are his nephews so they MUST look more refined and regal by default. But I would have liked it if the Dwarves were a little more rough and boorish. The next entry is similar…
- The Elves played waaay too heavily into the mystical Elves stereotype. Rivendell is absolutely beautiful and I love how it looks, but that whole eating scene with serenading musicians? For Dwarves to boot, who don’t appreciate breathy music and gentle strumming? Really? I think the whole thing was just Elrond having a bit of fun with the Dwarves, but still. The Elves love music, but even they would enjoy a bit of rowdiness from time to time. The Last Homely House is a little too homely and starting to step into “too perfect” territory. This also applies to Galadriel, full stop.
- There were parts when “The Hobbit” didn’t seem to be about the Hobbit anymore. I really enjoyed the backstories and the meeting of the White Council (which reminds me, why wasn’t Cirdan there?), but some parts were a bit too long and slowed the flow of the movie.
- The whole thing with Azog adds to the movie, but there are times when I feel like too much emphasis is being placed on the Orcs as the main enemies, while Smaug and the Necromancer are pushed into a corner. I understand that there had to be some form of a conflict before the Company reached the Lonely Mountain, but Azog is pushing it a little by appearing every half an hour. And didn’t he die in Moria?
- Too. Many. Fights. Action/adventure film, I get it, but can’t the Company walk two steps without being ambushed/threatened to be eaten/having their stuff stolen/chased by Orcs?
I’m really looking forward to the next “Hobbit” movie. I can’t wait to see Smaug the Magnificient and Thranduil’s palace and giant spiders and lots of other stuff that I know is coming along. Another whole year of waiting! Now I know how the LotR fans felt like in the early 2000s.
Oh, and Happy Holidays! :D