The Hobbit (the Jackson films)

[Arcadia]

To be honest, never having read any of the Tolkien books (well, I gave Fellowship a try but disliked it), I really did not like Bilbo in LotR. I thought he was unpleasantly unhinged and did not feel any sympathy for him. It took me the Hobbit films to realize he is probably the coolest person in Middle Earth - clever, adventurous, kind and with great moral standards. Also, I only just realized how incredibly strong he is. He may have become a bit unhinged by the time of LotR but the ring actually seems to have had very little power over him compared to others - even when compared to other Hobbits. Frodo was losing it after just a few months and don't get me started on Gollum. Bilbo was mostly just distracted and had DemonFace once.

 

It also makes me feel sad. After all that adventure, he gets such a huge burden to carry with him for the rest of his life and he does so quietly and nobody gives him any credit for it.

Ah yes, one of Tolkien's favorite themes, the unsung hero! I'm glad you learned to appreciate Bilbo, imo he's every bit as cool as you say he is. In Frodo's defense, however, I must point out that the ring was getting stronger with every step he took towards Mordor, so he actually held up pretty well, considering.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Even Gollum did very well, considering how long he carried the ring -- a few hundred years?

 

[Arcadia]

Hobbitses are tougher than they look!

[T.o.b.y]

Ah yes, one of Tolkien's favorite themes, the unsung hero! I'm glad you learned to appreciate Bilbo, imo he's every bit as cool as you say he is. In Frodo's defense, however, I must point out that the ring was getting stronger with every step he took towards Mordor, so he actually held up pretty well, considering.

 

Poor Frodo. I'll never forget that pitiable blue-eyed look of suffering. I'm glad he finally got to go into the West and be at peace there. Poor little Hobbit.

 

One of my favorite parts in the books is the brief section where Sam has the ring. Brief delusions of grandeur, and then his "good Hobbit sense" kicks in and he just grumbles about the ring not being much good to him in Mordor. I love Sam anyway. My favorite hero by far, and not just because he killed the big spider. Sawise the Brave. Not clever, not handsome, not anything. Definitely not hero material. Speak of rising above ones self! And I love Sam's happy ending, too.

 

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Sam is definitely my favorite of the four Fellowship hobbits (though my heart will always belong to my first hobbit, Bilbo).  Frodo is heroic enough for an opera, but I far prefer good ol' down-to-earth Sam.  I wonder how the story would have gone if Frodo's parents had had more good hobbit sense than to go messing about in boats.  Sam felt a good deal of affection for Bilbo, and I suspect the reverse was also true, so who knows, Sam might have been Bilbo's direct heir, class system (and the Sackville-Bagginses) be damned.

 

[Arcadia]

Yeah, Frodo's a little otherworldly, isn't he? Sam and Bilbo, you feel like you could sit down and have a pipe with, or a round of darts, while Frodo's out wandering under the stars. I love him, though, and feel for him.

[T.o.b.y]

Yeah, Frodo's a little otherworldly, isn't he? Sam and Bilbo, you feel like you could sit down and have a pipe with, or a round of darts, while Frodo's out wandering under the stars.

 

I love characters like that. I've felt a bit "otherworldly" myself at times, and as for wandering under the stars, well... I'll come along, Frodo. Any time.

 

[SherlockedCAMPer]

 

Yeah, Frodo's a little otherworldly, isn't he? Sam and Bilbo, you feel like you could sit down and have a pipe with, or a round of darts, while Frodo's out wandering under the stars.

I love characters like that. I've felt a bit "otherworldly" myself at times, and as for wandering under the stars, well... I'll come along, Frodo. Any time.

I would also go for wandering under the stars or finding a nice hill that allows for good stargazing.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I enjoy stargazing as much as the next hobbit, but I do prefer a nice hot cup of something by a warm fireside afterward -- so I think I'll do my stargazing with Bilbo.

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Another review -- spoiler warning! -- mostly negative, but although I liked the movie well enough, I have to agree on some points, such as this one:

 

Martin Freeman has established himself as a quietly great actor with serious dramatic and comedic chops, and his scenes in these movies have consistently been the best thing about the films. Bilbo Baggins is the only character capable of eliciting genuine reactions from the audience....

 

And I see here that the movie hasn't yet premiered in Australia -- right next door to where it was filmed.  Odd!

[sherlockandjohn]

Even Gollum did very well, considering how long he carried the ring -- a few hundred years?

 

Weeeell... he succumbed to its' power very quickly and killed his friend as soon as he'd laid eyes on the ring.

Just rewatched The Return of the King yesterday, and I wondered why these two men, Smeagol and Deagol, were so quickly overcome. Maybe that particular race was weak? Who knows...

[SherlockedCAMPer]

 

Even Gollum did very well, considering how long he carried the ring -- a few hundred years?

Weeeell... he succumbed to its' power very quickly and killed his friend as soon as he'd laid eyes on the ring.

Just rewatched The Return of the King yesterday, and I wondered why these two men, Smeagol and Deagol, were so quickly overcome. Maybe that particular race was weak? Who knows...

I thought Smeagol & Deagol were hobbits.

[Carol the Dabbler]

They were something like hobbits, but apparently not exactly hobbits.  Maybe proto-hobbits?

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Here's Martin Freeman interviewing Sir Ian McKellen (and a bit of vice-versa) about being in The Hobbit and about acting (and life) in general.

 

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

A team of researchers from 46 countries, lead by two university professors from Wales and funded by the British Academy, have launched The World Hobbit Project to gather the opinions of people all over the world regarding Peter Jackson's Hobbit films.

 

You can click here to read more about the project (in a variety of languages), and to do the survey (which should take 20 minutes or less).  The researchers need input from thousands of people, so they hope that you'll spread the word to other interested persons.

 

[Arcadia]

Saw the film yesterday, as suspected, my initial reaction was much the same as I had to the second one; not enough hobbit! And

they killed off Smaug too quickly ... or should have killed him off at the end of pt. 2

The confrontation between the Necromancer and the White Council didn't make much sense.

 

 

Glad I saw them all, but if I had editing capabilities, I'd make it into one 3 hour movie.

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Yeah, great idea -- the fan's cut!

 

Hmm, lessee, start by deleting any epic battle scenes that are not crucial to the story arc (i.e., all but about 5 minutes), and whittle the other Orcs-and-Wargs scenes down to maybe another 5 minutes; likewise the other Legolas scenes.

 

After that, it'd probably be more a matter of individual taste, but I vote for omitting most of Radagast's scenes -- I would say simply have Gandalf mention him to Beorn (as in the book), but Sylvester McCoy's performance deserves recognition.  I could also do without most of the Necromancer scenes (unless someone can explain to me what they're actually doing in the movies).  The Goblin Town scenes could also use some serious cutting.

 

And finally, restore all of Bilbo's deleted scenes!  I would also say add a bunch of newly filmed scenes for Bilbo, but I'd hate to make Martin Freeman go all the way back to New Zealand again.  Maybe he could do some scenes at Pinewood?

 

[Arcadia]

I actually get the point of the Necromancer scenes, because that's what Gandalf went off to do when he ditched Thorin & Co. at Mirkwood, and I always wanted to see that. But they didn't incorporate it very well into the movie, did they? And what was the point of bringing the White Council together when all it took was Galadriel? Yeah, I thought they pretty much botched that bit.

 

Otherwise I'm with you 100%.

 

PS - my friend who didn't even know it was based on a book absolutely loved it. So maybe PJ does know what he's doing, insofar as pleasing the uninformed masses......

[Carol the Dabbler]

Yes, I do sympathize with Jackson's predicament.  I would certainly not care to attempt pleasing Tolkien fans AND generic movie fans.  (I mean, did you watch the previews they showed before The Hobbit?  If that's what typical movies are like these days....)  He probably did about as well as anyone could have done.

 

And I really like some of his modifications (for example, the scenes at Beorn's house).

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

... I really like some of his modifications (for example, the scenes at Beorn's house).

 

Others, not so much.  For example:

 

 

What the hell are sandworms doing in Middle Earth?!

 

[Arcadia]

OMG, yes!  That was just silly. Not to mention the use assorted deer, rabbits, pigs and goats were put to. Reaching, PJ, reaching! This is Middle Earth, not Mother Goose!

 

I did like the portrayal of Bard as just a really, really decent human, though. If his lineage was mentioned, I missed it; I liked that he was just the right man at the right time, rather than someone fulfilling a destiny. But the black arrow bit .... yeesh. Over the top, PJ!!!!

 

Oh, and just once I wanted to hear Bilbo grumble "confusticate and bebother these dwarves!"

[Carol the Dabbler]

I think I did actually hear him say that once, and just recently -- but I've seen all three movies within the past couple of weeks, so I can't actually be sure which one it was in.  My best guess is that it's in either an "extended" scene from #2 or the theatrical release of #3.

 

[Arcadia]

Not 3, pretty sure as I've just seen it. In #1, maybe -- would be most logical place.

[SherlockedCAMPer]

I know in the book confusticate comes up somewhere before the burning trees so logically it would be in movie 1. I'm only to the burning tree part in the book.

[Arcadia]

Hmmm, somehow I thought he used it (or variations) several times, but it's been awhile since I've read it....