Bilbo Warrior Hobbit: A Review of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." Part 2
Continued from Part 1 here on DW and here on LJ.
NEW ZEALAND TOURISM
This is a nitpick only for the diehard fans, that both lovethosehobbit and I came away with between our first and second viewings. While, I love all the beautiful shots we get of New Zealand in this movie, in keeping with the LotR Trilogy, I got the feeling the NZ Tourism board may have pushed too hard here. I thought there was scenery that was inappropriate for the part of Middle Earth (Eriador) they were traveling as depicted in the LotR films; it felt like they were trying to get as much scenery as possible in. The company was covering the same territory the Fellowship passed through before reaching Rivendell, but before they met the trolls, they looked to be riding for a couple of shots through the mossy forests used for Lothlorien in FotR, and the rock outcroppings the warg riders were chasing the company around looked liked the hills around Rohan.
Not only was there a problem with where they were, but when. While the Fellowship was traveling in September and October through Eriador, this company is travelling in April, May, and June. So all the browned-out grass they tromped over in a number of frames looked pretty out of place. The Continuity Police are ever watchful and do not sleep.
STONE GIANTS
I loved them. Canon inclusion, baby! And I love the idea that the party is caught in a fight between natural forces that have nothing to do with them--a great idea in the book, and a great idea here. It links to the beauty Sam sees in the star beyond Sauron's reach in LotR; the natural world of Middle Earth is always bigger than any of the characters' concerns, even those of Maias and Elves who have seen the light of the Trees. I liked the surprise that they were standing on the giant's thighs. I thought the CGI looked good and I liked the roller coaster effect. Reminiscent of the falling pathway in Moria, yes, but different enough to not be a blazing marquee sign, like some of the other nods this movie made to the LotR films. I saw some fanart already of simple cartoon sad-faced Fili and Kili on the separate stone thighs, reaching for each other--awwww. (-:
GOBLIN TOWN
I liked the scene between Bofur and Bilbo. It was a good defining moment for Bofur as a really sweet and forgiving character, to add to his bright smiles and physical defenses of Bilbo. Yup, add me to the Bilbo/Bofur shippers. I still do ship Bilbo/Gandalf as well. Gandalf has it sooo bad for Bilbo in this film.*happy sigh* And yeah, I definitely see Thorin/Bilbo as main text, not subtext. Their relationship is being foregrounded at the expense of Bilbo's competency arc, and I don't think that is a bad idea, if they do it well.
OK, back to the scene--though it does seem a bit iffy for Bilbo to decide to go back on his own after passing through Stone Giants, it's not like the absurdity of Frodo sending Sam away to go find that Shire bus home in the Ephel Duath. They are not that far from Rivendell yet, so it's not totally implausible for him to make it there and eventually find a group of Elves going west to travel with, so I can buy that Bilbo might decide to try it.
As I've already established, slipping into Goblin Town is a prime bathroom break spot. The CGI on the Great Goblin is great, though I'm ambivalent on his voicing. Yes, he is the king and there could be a class diction distinction between him and all other orcs and goblins, but it didn't quite sit right with me, though it does go with the singing in the spirit of canon. I hated his Whedonesque death quip--it fell flat for me. Also, though the slicing was not gorey, and that shows great gold star worthy restraint on PJ's part, it was still a bit visceral--like a compulsion to make a spectacle of doing violence to the fat body. It didn't sit right with me.
I did like the little scribe goblin--more of that kind of visual whimsy would have made this scene more sit-through worthy. The conceptual artists should have been let loose to do more work here; it looks like it was thrown to the CGI people too quickly. Goblin Town just wasn't interesting enough to look at. I think they took some cues from Hieronymus Bosch's hells, but failed to follow through on enough busy mayhem in the details to make it visually fun enough to spend time there.
RIDDLES IN THE DARK
What a tour de force performance between three two amazing actors. It was perfect. Such a seamless fusing of funny and chilling that is Gollum/Smeagol. I wish I hadn't been spoiled for Bilbo's "Fair enough." You see Bilbo weighing EVERYTHING before he says it. It's such a great moment. I loved the musical theme for the scene, too--both light and tense, and how it subtly ratcheted up the tension in a bit of a Bolero like way. This Gollum is much more deadly because his murderous insanity is much more monstrously human than the book's version, and consequently, this Bilbo has to be not only more competent to stand against him, but at the top of his game. The acting competency on the meta level infuses the action of the scene, as this contest becomes the quintessential Competency Test.
I know this was the first scene they filmed, and it makes me wonder if Boyens, Walsh, and PJ rewrote the troll scene to bring it closer in line with where Bilbo has to be in his arc here--a Tookish place he doesn't get to in Tolkien's text until stranded in the middle of Mirkwood. I'm wondering if the performance drove the decision on character presentation. I'm all for letting poor bumbling canon Bagginsy Bilbo go in favor of what we get in this scene. I can always go visit him on the page any time I'd like.
The pinched face Bilbo makes when he comes to realize he is indeed a thief, one no one could blame, but a thief still, and in a morally gray place, is so telling. Bilbo's coming to understand he is invisible was also so well done. Freeman shows it all on his face. They did not use the ring-world in the LotR to such good effect as they did here--the slow motion, low saturation, and soft focus set the mood so well. (Not doing more with the ring-world in RotK is one of my big beefs with that film.) I do wonder, though, if all the visual cues here are enough for someone who hadn't seen this effect in the LotR trilogy, or knows the book, to immediately understand he is invisible. But I do think PJ is probably safe to rely on the audience's prior experience with the LotR films.
While invisible, Bilbo's despair at seeing his friends run past him while Gollum is blocking the way feels like every slow motion anxiety dream I've ever had--sooo evocative. His final sparing of Gollum is all done beautifully. I'm so glad they did not put up the neon marquee sign to FotR by replaying Gandalf's words here, and trusted Freeman to carry it. Kudos to Serkis and Freeman, and Pj for letting them have at it.
PINE TREES AND WARRIOR HOBBITS
I loved Bilbo's speech about why he is staying, though again, I wish I hadn't been spoiled for it. The ratcheted up tension with the trees and dwarves going all dominoes worked well. It was all good, until Azog does blinky traffic light action with his eyes at Thorin, and Thorin marches to Ringwraith music. I'm left wondering why Howard Shore couldn't have come up with another theme for Thorin, because this feels like too much musical theme recycling without sense. The only thing that would make sense of this is if there's some ring-play going on here. I'm wondering if they decided to change the back story further, and Azog has Thror's ring, and it never passed to Thrain. That is the only thing that would make sense of using ringwraith music for Thorin's charge at Azog.
I'm all good with any of the above changes to canon in PJ's adaptation. What I'm not good with is Bilbo using brute strength on the battlefield. And bowling over a larger opponent like Bilbo did, and then rising to fight him takes both brute strength and some battle prowess. It's important to have a hero who presents an alternative to being a mighty warrior in a story, for those of us who aren't the strongest and biggest to be regarded as just as valuable. And it takes away what being a hobbit, and the hobbit is about: making a difference in the world through wit, wisdom, and courage, being small and the stealth that comes therewith, like the women and men of folk tales and ballads who don't have the economic and social resources to have a fine suit of armor for the battlefield. Tolkien's Bilbo stabs a giant spider, but he uses every trick he has to accompany his sword strikes, not brute strength. He never proves himself on the battlefield. This change from canon is a move I dislike because it creates a different kind of hero: Rambo Baggins. And we have enough of those.
Not to mention the less important plausibility problems. I used to fight in SCA (medieval recreation) battles, and believe me, size and strength matter. I was 125 lbs and 5"2" and I wasn't going to take down any of the big guys around me without weight training and tons more practice than them. I just don't believe a little hobbit could bowl over a larger orc, even if it's not one of the largest, and thousands of Dungeons & Dragons players made a collective moan upon seeing that move and wondered what kind of D-20 dice he rolled, and sighed that everything they learned about hobbit abilities was just undermined. Knocking over a larger opponent takes great strength Bilbo doesn't have. And the kind of skill it takes to develop in place of strength is also something Bilbo lacks. We don't even get to see him practice, like Merry and Pippin did with Boromir.
All we needed to get the emotional pay off at the end and get Thorin's apology and gratitude toward Bilbo, and the pivotal Thorin/Bilbo hug, is for Bilbo to risk his life for Thorin within Thorin's view. Bilbo does not have to succeed in battle to accomplish this. He can do a half-assed move and then get rescued by the rest of the dwarves. Better for him to use hobbit stealth or trickery. Let him run in front of the orc's feet and trip him--small furry opponents practice this move on me in my home on a regular basis, so I know it works. Or as
claudia603 suggested, throw a rock, as hobbits are wont to do. Or even throw himself over Thorin's body holding Sting close over himself to deflect the orc's blade and show what a good little letter opener from Gondolin can do, even for a beginning wielder of it. Or have him pick up Thorin's oak shield and block the blow holding it close over himself. These moves do take strength, but not the kind of brute strength and warrior prowess and going on the offensive that Bilbo's rush, push, roll, and stab took. Bilbo is a fighter, not a warrior. There's a difference. I dislike this choice to make Bilbo a successful warrior a great deal, and what it says about heroism and who qualifies.
THE EAGLES!
The eagles! The eagles! The eagles! If I had mad vidding skills, I would do a vid featuring the eagles with some interspersing with the rest of the movie set to Peter Gabriel's "Salisbury Hill." Who will make this for me? I loved every thing about this scene down to every last beautifully depicted feather, and the gorgeous sunrise they flew into, so much. I wonder if they'll talk in the beginning of the next movie, or at least do sanwe-latya (mind speech) with Gandalf.
Lastly, yes, the hug was lovely. It sets us up nicely for the arc Bilbo and Thorin will have to go through as their relationship is foregrounded in this trilogy, giving the tragedy of Thorin's fall and death bed growth full impact through Bilbo's grief. At the end of this movie, Bilbo is craving Thorin's respect, and he gets it, with affection on top, and more for the happy slasher. In the book, Bilbo's craving for respect is not centered on Thorin, but on the dwarves as a whole, so the movie is creating a more intense relationship between Thorin and Bilbo. The better to personalize the conflict between them. It's very Jane Baggins/Rochester Oakenshield. Not my pairing of choice, but good drama nonetheless.
SOUNDTRACK AND REVISITS
Despite loving the two songs in Bag End, the Rivendell Quartet, and the Riddle Game music, so much music from LotR was being rehashed, my initial reaction was that Howard Shore phoned it in. I love the LotR soundtracks to death, but I wanted more new. Upon reflection though, I realize that in this first movie, they are mostly in the places the Fellowship journeyed through, and that changed at the Carrock. Next movie, we'll be going through whole new terrain, and the music will become accordingly new, at least I'm counting on that.
I didn't mind some visual nods to events and choreography from LotR, but I thought we got a little bit too much. And I've already mentioned the weirdness of getting Thorin marching to the ring wraith theme. However, I loved to pieces the embellishments we got of Bag End, the Shire, and Rivendell in this movie, and it is fitting the music hearkens back. I won't fully appreciate the way teh music may be embellishing the old themes to accompany the embellished images, and not just repeating them, unless I sit down with a copy of the soundtrack-- I am always too engaged by visual stimulus.
TECHNOLOGY
I'm really not sure now if the first viewing we went to was in HFR 3D or just plain old 3D--I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of theaters are having a mess up about what exactly it is they are showing. It was a smaller theater, and though the picture was clear, I can't say it was clearer than HD, and the 3D was sporadic and not very effectively used until the eagles arrived. And though I loved the eagles, I wasn't sure that one scene justified how much eye strain the 3D caused me. So all of this added to my initial lukewarm reception. When I saw the film two days later in 2D I was much happier with it. For my third viewing, I went to one of the officially listed theaters for the HFR IMAX 3D, and it was a whole different viewing experience from my initial one, and I enjoyed it immensely. I also came armed with eye drops, that I applied copiously during the viewing, and that worked to keep my eyes happy, though I think they were under less strain than the first viewing caused.
The 3D definitely worked much more effectively in IMAX, and I'm not sure if that was due to how it works with HFR or an IMAX screen, or both. If it's both, then it makes me think, that they shouldn't release the 3D in any theater that isn't HFR and IMAX. They didn't seem to release a version that is HFR 2D, and I'm wondering why they didn't give us that option. In any event, the sporadicness of the 3D I saw in the first theater kept pulling me outside of the movie and total immersion, whereas the better and more constant 3D of my HRF IMAX viewing enhanced it, in a busy kind of way, a way that, if I was tired, I think it would interfere with my viewing, and I'd be better off relaxing with the 2D version. So I think you have to be up for and primed for enjoying the HRF IMAX 3D, at least I do, and have the money to burn (I went to a discounted early bird viewing, but it''s still pricey.)
I do think the amount of variables a viewer has to account for in choosing a theater to see it in is a problem. If I weren't a diehard fan of the LotR movies, I wouldn't have given this movie a chance past my first viewing, and if I picked a theater, and sat in a place in the theater that gave me a lesser viewing experience, I might wipe my hands of the whole franchise. And that where you sit in the theater can have an effect on how well the 3D viewing works is a big problem. Not to mention that optical processing varies so much from person to person and 3D adds to the hit and miss possibilities of a viewing experience. Movie viewing is expensive nowadays, and a lot of viewers are not going to put up with all these variables.
And many viewers do not have a choice of theaters, and if their theater is not a good host for the new technology, these viewer's experience of the movie may be negative. On the together hand, they will have the better off die hard fans who are curious about all the vagaries of the new technology to make money from, because they will want to try all the variables to determine if it's the IMAX or the HFR that makes one viewing of 3D better than another, or the sound system, or if it varies even more theater to theater.
There was a review on TORN that advised seeing the movie in 2D first and then seeing it a second time with all the bells and whistles. With the kind of viewer I am, I wish I had done that and will definitely follow that rule when I see the next installment, if my hobbit posse agrees. Simple 2D is easier on my eyes and a better way to take in the basic story being told the first time. After that, seeing it with the greater depth and sound quality of an HFR IMAX 3D will feel like a viewing enhancement, rather than a distraction and too much to take in at once. Your viewing needs may differ.
WHO AM I? 24601 . . .
To sum up about movie Bilbo, I have to say this Bilbo is quite different from Tolkien's Bilbo. He's not just more competent, but much more self-possessed from the beginning. Tolkien's Bilbo fumes inwardly, but is polite to a fault when the dwarves take over his house, and he shrieks like a tea kettle and squeaks a lot. Movie Bilbo doesn't hide how cranky he feels and has no problem saying no, even if his objections are as ignored as book Bilbo's inner fuming. He is sardonic with Gandalf ("Is he a great wizard, or more like you?") and knows how to speak with strangers, as he plays for time with the trolls.
In fact, he's not book Bilbo at all. He's book Frodo! It's Frodo who starts out with this level of competency, aaaaand crankiness. Tolkien's Frodo would not drop his sword and fall on his bum when beset by ringwraiths, but Tolkien's Bilbo, before he reached the middle of Mirkwood, might have. And don't tell me it's because Elijah Wood couldn't project this level of competence and sardonic quippiness, because he can, and does so in his initial talk with Gandalf and in the extended Green Dragon scene with the Gaffer.
Movie Frodo never does get to display the level of competence and wisdom that book Frodo shows, and that book Bilbo develops in the latter part of his arc, and I'm not just talking about Frodo's inner struggle, which film does have some unique ways to portray that PJ did not take advantage of. So Boyens, Walsh, and PJ seem to have reversed these two characters and plopped them in each other's stories. Crackfic central! It makes me wonder if they're just bigger Bilbo fans than Frodo fans, since they took away much of Frodo's strength of character and gave it to Bilbo. Or if they loved beginning Bilbo's fish-out-of water-ness so much they wanted Frodo to have it when he went on the road. And with this new trilogy, they don't want Bilbo to seem too much like their Frodo, so they are dispensing with his fear, vulnerability, and difficulty with the road.
Since they're making Bilbo competent from the outset, maybe they feel that must naturally culminate in battle prowess, because they equate being competent with being a macho warrior--FAIL. I do not want Bilbo to fight in the Battle of Five Armies, but I'm suspecting he will. He will probably have to fight spiders that are bigger and scarier than Shelob by the Law of The Audience Expects More and We Must Deliver, the poor fellow, but we'll see how that goes. Whether he is really book Bilbo or Frodo, I do love Martin Freeman's Bilbo thus far.
LEGENDARIUM AND SCOPE
I will continue to ponder all these issues into the next movie as I watch where they take this hobbit, whoever he is, and his companions. I do love the bigger scope of this story made by the incorporation of the LotR Appendices. I am eager to see what changes they make for the internal logic of their adaptation and how big and operatic it makes it, along with what they try to preserve of Tolkien's textual work and what parts of the Legendarium they can bring in without copyright infringement and Tolkien Estate battles.
Speaking of the Tolkien Estate, I love how Boyen's, Walsh's, and PJ's larger scope gives greater sympathy to the "jealous love" of the creator, that is a major theme in The Silmarillion in a predominantly cautionary vein. In this movie, that jealous love of creation among the Dwarves is also about communal production and cultural identity formation, what makes a people with family and cultural traditions, not just a clinging to objects for greed's sake. Tolkien's The Hobbit brings to this issues of rightfully contested cultural ownership and shared territory that the last movie installment should explore. PJ's team have the potential here for revealing a greater emotional and ethical complexity than Tolkien elaborated in his Legendarium, in what is, in essence, Feanor's quest in the Dwarves quest for Erebor. I hope they do more with this.
What do you think?
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NEW ZEALAND TOURISM
This is a nitpick only for the diehard fans, that both lovethosehobbit and I came away with between our first and second viewings. While, I love all the beautiful shots we get of New Zealand in this movie, in keeping with the LotR Trilogy, I got the feeling the NZ Tourism board may have pushed too hard here. I thought there was scenery that was inappropriate for the part of Middle Earth (Eriador) they were traveling as depicted in the LotR films; it felt like they were trying to get as much scenery as possible in. The company was covering the same territory the Fellowship passed through before reaching Rivendell, but before they met the trolls, they looked to be riding for a couple of shots through the mossy forests used for Lothlorien in FotR, and the rock outcroppings the warg riders were chasing the company around looked liked the hills around Rohan.
Not only was there a problem with where they were, but when. While the Fellowship was traveling in September and October through Eriador, this company is travelling in April, May, and June. So all the browned-out grass they tromped over in a number of frames looked pretty out of place. The Continuity Police are ever watchful and do not sleep.
STONE GIANTS
I loved them. Canon inclusion, baby! And I love the idea that the party is caught in a fight between natural forces that have nothing to do with them--a great idea in the book, and a great idea here. It links to the beauty Sam sees in the star beyond Sauron's reach in LotR; the natural world of Middle Earth is always bigger than any of the characters' concerns, even those of Maias and Elves who have seen the light of the Trees. I liked the surprise that they were standing on the giant's thighs. I thought the CGI looked good and I liked the roller coaster effect. Reminiscent of the falling pathway in Moria, yes, but different enough to not be a blazing marquee sign, like some of the other nods this movie made to the LotR films. I saw some fanart already of simple cartoon sad-faced Fili and Kili on the separate stone thighs, reaching for each other--awwww. (-:
GOBLIN TOWN
I liked the scene between Bofur and Bilbo. It was a good defining moment for Bofur as a really sweet and forgiving character, to add to his bright smiles and physical defenses of Bilbo. Yup, add me to the Bilbo/Bofur shippers. I still do ship Bilbo/Gandalf as well. Gandalf has it sooo bad for Bilbo in this film.*happy sigh* And yeah, I definitely see Thorin/Bilbo as main text, not subtext. Their relationship is being foregrounded at the expense of Bilbo's competency arc, and I don't think that is a bad idea, if they do it well.
OK, back to the scene--though it does seem a bit iffy for Bilbo to decide to go back on his own after passing through Stone Giants, it's not like the absurdity of Frodo sending Sam away to go find that Shire bus home in the Ephel Duath. They are not that far from Rivendell yet, so it's not totally implausible for him to make it there and eventually find a group of Elves going west to travel with, so I can buy that Bilbo might decide to try it.
As I've already established, slipping into Goblin Town is a prime bathroom break spot. The CGI on the Great Goblin is great, though I'm ambivalent on his voicing. Yes, he is the king and there could be a class diction distinction between him and all other orcs and goblins, but it didn't quite sit right with me, though it does go with the singing in the spirit of canon. I hated his Whedonesque death quip--it fell flat for me. Also, though the slicing was not gorey, and that shows great gold star worthy restraint on PJ's part, it was still a bit visceral--like a compulsion to make a spectacle of doing violence to the fat body. It didn't sit right with me.
I did like the little scribe goblin--more of that kind of visual whimsy would have made this scene more sit-through worthy. The conceptual artists should have been let loose to do more work here; it looks like it was thrown to the CGI people too quickly. Goblin Town just wasn't interesting enough to look at. I think they took some cues from Hieronymus Bosch's hells, but failed to follow through on enough busy mayhem in the details to make it visually fun enough to spend time there.
RIDDLES IN THE DARK
What a tour de force performance between three two amazing actors. It was perfect. Such a seamless fusing of funny and chilling that is Gollum/Smeagol. I wish I hadn't been spoiled for Bilbo's "Fair enough." You see Bilbo weighing EVERYTHING before he says it. It's such a great moment. I loved the musical theme for the scene, too--both light and tense, and how it subtly ratcheted up the tension in a bit of a Bolero like way. This Gollum is much more deadly because his murderous insanity is much more monstrously human than the book's version, and consequently, this Bilbo has to be not only more competent to stand against him, but at the top of his game. The acting competency on the meta level infuses the action of the scene, as this contest becomes the quintessential Competency Test.
I know this was the first scene they filmed, and it makes me wonder if Boyens, Walsh, and PJ rewrote the troll scene to bring it closer in line with where Bilbo has to be in his arc here--a Tookish place he doesn't get to in Tolkien's text until stranded in the middle of Mirkwood. I'm wondering if the performance drove the decision on character presentation. I'm all for letting poor bumbling canon Bagginsy Bilbo go in favor of what we get in this scene. I can always go visit him on the page any time I'd like.
The pinched face Bilbo makes when he comes to realize he is indeed a thief, one no one could blame, but a thief still, and in a morally gray place, is so telling. Bilbo's coming to understand he is invisible was also so well done. Freeman shows it all on his face. They did not use the ring-world in the LotR to such good effect as they did here--the slow motion, low saturation, and soft focus set the mood so well. (Not doing more with the ring-world in RotK is one of my big beefs with that film.) I do wonder, though, if all the visual cues here are enough for someone who hadn't seen this effect in the LotR trilogy, or knows the book, to immediately understand he is invisible. But I do think PJ is probably safe to rely on the audience's prior experience with the LotR films.
While invisible, Bilbo's despair at seeing his friends run past him while Gollum is blocking the way feels like every slow motion anxiety dream I've ever had--sooo evocative. His final sparing of Gollum is all done beautifully. I'm so glad they did not put up the neon marquee sign to FotR by replaying Gandalf's words here, and trusted Freeman to carry it. Kudos to Serkis and Freeman, and Pj for letting them have at it.
PINE TREES AND WARRIOR HOBBITS
I loved Bilbo's speech about why he is staying, though again, I wish I hadn't been spoiled for it. The ratcheted up tension with the trees and dwarves going all dominoes worked well. It was all good, until Azog does blinky traffic light action with his eyes at Thorin, and Thorin marches to Ringwraith music. I'm left wondering why Howard Shore couldn't have come up with another theme for Thorin, because this feels like too much musical theme recycling without sense. The only thing that would make sense of this is if there's some ring-play going on here. I'm wondering if they decided to change the back story further, and Azog has Thror's ring, and it never passed to Thrain. That is the only thing that would make sense of using ringwraith music for Thorin's charge at Azog.
I'm all good with any of the above changes to canon in PJ's adaptation. What I'm not good with is Bilbo using brute strength on the battlefield. And bowling over a larger opponent like Bilbo did, and then rising to fight him takes both brute strength and some battle prowess. It's important to have a hero who presents an alternative to being a mighty warrior in a story, for those of us who aren't the strongest and biggest to be regarded as just as valuable. And it takes away what being a hobbit, and the hobbit is about: making a difference in the world through wit, wisdom, and courage, being small and the stealth that comes therewith, like the women and men of folk tales and ballads who don't have the economic and social resources to have a fine suit of armor for the battlefield. Tolkien's Bilbo stabs a giant spider, but he uses every trick he has to accompany his sword strikes, not brute strength. He never proves himself on the battlefield. This change from canon is a move I dislike because it creates a different kind of hero: Rambo Baggins. And we have enough of those.
Not to mention the less important plausibility problems. I used to fight in SCA (medieval recreation) battles, and believe me, size and strength matter. I was 125 lbs and 5"2" and I wasn't going to take down any of the big guys around me without weight training and tons more practice than them. I just don't believe a little hobbit could bowl over a larger orc, even if it's not one of the largest, and thousands of Dungeons & Dragons players made a collective moan upon seeing that move and wondered what kind of D-20 dice he rolled, and sighed that everything they learned about hobbit abilities was just undermined. Knocking over a larger opponent takes great strength Bilbo doesn't have. And the kind of skill it takes to develop in place of strength is also something Bilbo lacks. We don't even get to see him practice, like Merry and Pippin did with Boromir.
All we needed to get the emotional pay off at the end and get Thorin's apology and gratitude toward Bilbo, and the pivotal Thorin/Bilbo hug, is for Bilbo to risk his life for Thorin within Thorin's view. Bilbo does not have to succeed in battle to accomplish this. He can do a half-assed move and then get rescued by the rest of the dwarves. Better for him to use hobbit stealth or trickery. Let him run in front of the orc's feet and trip him--small furry opponents practice this move on me in my home on a regular basis, so I know it works. Or as
claudia603 suggested, throw a rock, as hobbits are wont to do. Or even throw himself over Thorin's body holding Sting close over himself to deflect the orc's blade and show what a good little letter opener from Gondolin can do, even for a beginning wielder of it. Or have him pick up Thorin's oak shield and block the blow holding it close over himself. These moves do take strength, but not the kind of brute strength and warrior prowess and going on the offensive that Bilbo's rush, push, roll, and stab took. Bilbo is a fighter, not a warrior. There's a difference. I dislike this choice to make Bilbo a successful warrior a great deal, and what it says about heroism and who qualifies.
THE EAGLES!
The eagles! The eagles! The eagles! If I had mad vidding skills, I would do a vid featuring the eagles with some interspersing with the rest of the movie set to Peter Gabriel's "Salisbury Hill." Who will make this for me? I loved every thing about this scene down to every last beautifully depicted feather, and the gorgeous sunrise they flew into, so much. I wonder if they'll talk in the beginning of the next movie, or at least do sanwe-latya (mind speech) with Gandalf.
Lastly, yes, the hug was lovely. It sets us up nicely for the arc Bilbo and Thorin will have to go through as their relationship is foregrounded in this trilogy, giving the tragedy of Thorin's fall and death bed growth full impact through Bilbo's grief. At the end of this movie, Bilbo is craving Thorin's respect, and he gets it, with affection on top, and more for the happy slasher. In the book, Bilbo's craving for respect is not centered on Thorin, but on the dwarves as a whole, so the movie is creating a more intense relationship between Thorin and Bilbo. The better to personalize the conflict between them. It's very Jane Baggins/Rochester Oakenshield. Not my pairing of choice, but good drama nonetheless.
SOUNDTRACK AND REVISITS
Despite loving the two songs in Bag End, the Rivendell Quartet, and the Riddle Game music, so much music from LotR was being rehashed, my initial reaction was that Howard Shore phoned it in. I love the LotR soundtracks to death, but I wanted more new. Upon reflection though, I realize that in this first movie, they are mostly in the places the Fellowship journeyed through, and that changed at the Carrock. Next movie, we'll be going through whole new terrain, and the music will become accordingly new, at least I'm counting on that.
I didn't mind some visual nods to events and choreography from LotR, but I thought we got a little bit too much. And I've already mentioned the weirdness of getting Thorin marching to the ring wraith theme. However, I loved to pieces the embellishments we got of Bag End, the Shire, and Rivendell in this movie, and it is fitting the music hearkens back. I won't fully appreciate the way teh music may be embellishing the old themes to accompany the embellished images, and not just repeating them, unless I sit down with a copy of the soundtrack-- I am always too engaged by visual stimulus.
TECHNOLOGY
I'm really not sure now if the first viewing we went to was in HFR 3D or just plain old 3D--I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of theaters are having a mess up about what exactly it is they are showing. It was a smaller theater, and though the picture was clear, I can't say it was clearer than HD, and the 3D was sporadic and not very effectively used until the eagles arrived. And though I loved the eagles, I wasn't sure that one scene justified how much eye strain the 3D caused me. So all of this added to my initial lukewarm reception. When I saw the film two days later in 2D I was much happier with it. For my third viewing, I went to one of the officially listed theaters for the HFR IMAX 3D, and it was a whole different viewing experience from my initial one, and I enjoyed it immensely. I also came armed with eye drops, that I applied copiously during the viewing, and that worked to keep my eyes happy, though I think they were under less strain than the first viewing caused.
The 3D definitely worked much more effectively in IMAX, and I'm not sure if that was due to how it works with HFR or an IMAX screen, or both. If it's both, then it makes me think, that they shouldn't release the 3D in any theater that isn't HFR and IMAX. They didn't seem to release a version that is HFR 2D, and I'm wondering why they didn't give us that option. In any event, the sporadicness of the 3D I saw in the first theater kept pulling me outside of the movie and total immersion, whereas the better and more constant 3D of my HRF IMAX viewing enhanced it, in a busy kind of way, a way that, if I was tired, I think it would interfere with my viewing, and I'd be better off relaxing with the 2D version. So I think you have to be up for and primed for enjoying the HRF IMAX 3D, at least I do, and have the money to burn (I went to a discounted early bird viewing, but it''s still pricey.)
I do think the amount of variables a viewer has to account for in choosing a theater to see it in is a problem. If I weren't a diehard fan of the LotR movies, I wouldn't have given this movie a chance past my first viewing, and if I picked a theater, and sat in a place in the theater that gave me a lesser viewing experience, I might wipe my hands of the whole franchise. And that where you sit in the theater can have an effect on how well the 3D viewing works is a big problem. Not to mention that optical processing varies so much from person to person and 3D adds to the hit and miss possibilities of a viewing experience. Movie viewing is expensive nowadays, and a lot of viewers are not going to put up with all these variables.
And many viewers do not have a choice of theaters, and if their theater is not a good host for the new technology, these viewer's experience of the movie may be negative. On the together hand, they will have the better off die hard fans who are curious about all the vagaries of the new technology to make money from, because they will want to try all the variables to determine if it's the IMAX or the HFR that makes one viewing of 3D better than another, or the sound system, or if it varies even more theater to theater.
There was a review on TORN that advised seeing the movie in 2D first and then seeing it a second time with all the bells and whistles. With the kind of viewer I am, I wish I had done that and will definitely follow that rule when I see the next installment, if my hobbit posse agrees. Simple 2D is easier on my eyes and a better way to take in the basic story being told the first time. After that, seeing it with the greater depth and sound quality of an HFR IMAX 3D will feel like a viewing enhancement, rather than a distraction and too much to take in at once. Your viewing needs may differ.
WHO AM I? 24601 . . .
To sum up about movie Bilbo, I have to say this Bilbo is quite different from Tolkien's Bilbo. He's not just more competent, but much more self-possessed from the beginning. Tolkien's Bilbo fumes inwardly, but is polite to a fault when the dwarves take over his house, and he shrieks like a tea kettle and squeaks a lot. Movie Bilbo doesn't hide how cranky he feels and has no problem saying no, even if his objections are as ignored as book Bilbo's inner fuming. He is sardonic with Gandalf ("Is he a great wizard, or more like you?") and knows how to speak with strangers, as he plays for time with the trolls.
In fact, he's not book Bilbo at all. He's book Frodo! It's Frodo who starts out with this level of competency, aaaaand crankiness. Tolkien's Frodo would not drop his sword and fall on his bum when beset by ringwraiths, but Tolkien's Bilbo, before he reached the middle of Mirkwood, might have. And don't tell me it's because Elijah Wood couldn't project this level of competence and sardonic quippiness, because he can, and does so in his initial talk with Gandalf and in the extended Green Dragon scene with the Gaffer.
Movie Frodo never does get to display the level of competence and wisdom that book Frodo shows, and that book Bilbo develops in the latter part of his arc, and I'm not just talking about Frodo's inner struggle, which film does have some unique ways to portray that PJ did not take advantage of. So Boyens, Walsh, and PJ seem to have reversed these two characters and plopped them in each other's stories. Crackfic central! It makes me wonder if they're just bigger Bilbo fans than Frodo fans, since they took away much of Frodo's strength of character and gave it to Bilbo. Or if they loved beginning Bilbo's fish-out-of water-ness so much they wanted Frodo to have it when he went on the road. And with this new trilogy, they don't want Bilbo to seem too much like their Frodo, so they are dispensing with his fear, vulnerability, and difficulty with the road.
Since they're making Bilbo competent from the outset, maybe they feel that must naturally culminate in battle prowess, because they equate being competent with being a macho warrior--FAIL. I do not want Bilbo to fight in the Battle of Five Armies, but I'm suspecting he will. He will probably have to fight spiders that are bigger and scarier than Shelob by the Law of The Audience Expects More and We Must Deliver, the poor fellow, but we'll see how that goes. Whether he is really book Bilbo or Frodo, I do love Martin Freeman's Bilbo thus far.
LEGENDARIUM AND SCOPE
I will continue to ponder all these issues into the next movie as I watch where they take this hobbit, whoever he is, and his companions. I do love the bigger scope of this story made by the incorporation of the LotR Appendices. I am eager to see what changes they make for the internal logic of their adaptation and how big and operatic it makes it, along with what they try to preserve of Tolkien's textual work and what parts of the Legendarium they can bring in without copyright infringement and Tolkien Estate battles.
Speaking of the Tolkien Estate, I love how Boyen's, Walsh's, and PJ's larger scope gives greater sympathy to the "jealous love" of the creator, that is a major theme in The Silmarillion in a predominantly cautionary vein. In this movie, that jealous love of creation among the Dwarves is also about communal production and cultural identity formation, what makes a people with family and cultural traditions, not just a clinging to objects for greed's sake. Tolkien's The Hobbit brings to this issues of rightfully contested cultural ownership and shared territory that the last movie installment should explore. PJ's team have the potential here for revealing a greater emotional and ethical complexity than Tolkien elaborated in his Legendarium, in what is, in essence, Feanor's quest in the Dwarves quest for Erebor. I hope they do more with this.
What do you think?
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