You say that PJ didn't try to replicate the fairy-tale tone of the book; do you think he should have?

In the book there was also a build up to the spider encounter. The company had been wandering hopelessly through Mirkwood. They were tired and lost. At night there were the strange eyes in the dark that were creeping in on them. This creates tension and sets the mood.

You say that PJ didn't try to replicate the fairy-tale tone of the book; do you think he should have?

After Bilbo cut them down the Dwarves and then Elves got into a huge confrontation with the Spiders while Bilbo leaves the battle to pursue the Ring. This does downplay Bilbo chasing off the spiders as in the book.

"They slept all closely huddled together, and took it in turns to watch; and when it was Bilbo's turn he would see gleams in the darkness round them, and sometimes pairs of yellow or red or green eyes would stare at him from a little distance, and then slowly fade and disappear slowly shine out again in another place. And sometimes they would gleam down from the branches just above him; and that was most terrifying. But the eyes that he liked the least were horrible pale bulbous sort of eyes. "insect eyes" he thought, "not animal eyes, only they are much too big." - The Hobbit, chapter VII, pg 141.

I do remember that they did see eyes in the dark, I always thought it where other animals and not the Spiders. But now after reading it again it does make sense that they are the spiders eyes.

So, how 'bout another hornet's nest? On my last post, a few of the (for lack of better term) naysayers stated that the Hobbit movies didn't capture the "spirit" of the book. Now, in all honesty I would like for one or more of the naysayers to explain their position here. I may not be the best judge of this topic, since I personally wasn't crazy about the book. Maybe if I'd read it as a child I'd feel differently, but then I know of a few TORnsibs who did and still manage to like/love the movie, so feel free to join in. First of all, what do you think the "spirit" of the book is - a whimsical tale? A lesson about greed? Here's what I think the book was about:


First, it was an adventure. Now that's something that I think most children dream of, but as adults we can certainly become complacent and resistant to change. Stepping outside of our comfort zone can be difficult, whether it's a cross-country trip or just trying something new closer to home. I think this was expressed in the book by Bilbo's comparison of his Baggins and Took side. The movie started with his Baggins side, but then the Took side took over and he went off on an adventure!


Second, it was the idea that the smallest person that the least is expected from can be just the right person after all. Bilbo struggled with the task, certainly felt inadequate at times, but was able to rise to the challenge and help those Dwarves who he'd grown to care about.


And finally, the book does take a darker turn, and you have people who should know better fighting over gold. You also have Bilbo making the difficult decision to backstab a friend in order to save him from himself (a difficult subject for a child to understand). I don't think there's anything the movie got more right than this - and we still had that awful ending where both nephews were killed, one of my biggest problems with the book and probably the main reason why I didn't like it so much. There's death and loss, and Bilbo is a changed Hobbit because of it - no longer "respectable," I believe, but probably a better person for all that.


So, that's what I think the "spirit of the book" was, and maybe I've completely missed the point (or maybe that, too, is subjective). But from what I've seen, the movie captures these points quite well, and in some cases better than the book (yes, I said that!). But I'm up for having an honest discussion with people who DON'T share my enthusiasm for the movies, especially those who think the movies violate the spirit of the book. Please tell me what you think!