News from Bree
Valinor
Some old-school SPOILER space...
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End ye olde-school SPOILER space.
ELEVEN YEARS AGO I sat in a dark movie theater watching a "small" film called The Fellowship Of The Ring. As the first images of the Shire started to appear onscreen, a large smile came to my face and tears came to my eyes at the same time. That was it.
Eleven years later here I was, there and back again, at a preliminary screening of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. As the familiar titles appeared, the beloved soundtrack started playing, and as Ian Holm's voice as old Bilbo started to tell the tale of the fall of Erebor, a large smile came to my face and tears came to my eyes, just like that very first time watching Peter Jackson's first installment of his Rings trilogy.
While some reviewers/critics have complained as Frodo would say that it "feels strangely familiar" I believe fans worldwide will cherish this amazing chance at revisiting Middle-earth. We have been waiting for this ever since we saw the last frame of Return of The King. We didn't want the journey to end. It took over 10 years but eventually we got our wish and now the worldwide movie-going audience is set to discover what happened 60 years before Gandalf showed up at Bilbo's door to celebrate his 111th birthday.
Some people also had issues with the fact that the tone of the film is "lighter". Well, it's supposed to be that way! This is an adaptation of a children's book, and the mood in this book is very different from the "end of the world" feel found in LOTR.
I saw the movie in the "regular" 24 fps format so I can't comment on the criticisms that have been made of the 3D HFR format. I'll see how it feels when I see the movie again on opening night. I can't wait!
Then comes an interaction between Bilbo and Frodo, on the day of the "unexpected party", tying in nicely to the opening of FOTR as Frodo heads down the trail to "surprise Gandalf". Bilbo is left quietly smoking his pipe in Bag End, and we go back in time 60 years to find young Bilbo, Martin Freeman, smoking his pipe in Bag End and being approached by a strange character... Gandalf.
Then follows pretty much verbatim the entire chapter "An Unexpected Party" from the book. Some fans who have seen the movie have complained that there's not enough time spent in Bag End. I disagree completely. This movie is nine reels long. The prologue and Bag End scenes take up two reels of the movie, or approximately 40 minutes!
I'd also like to point out that each of the dwarves is uniquely described and portrayed even at this early stage, making it easier for the audience to know who is who in this company of thirteen. So far overall I would say half of the dwarves in the film stand out: Dwalin, Balin (wonderful Ken Stott), Kili and Fili, Nori, Bofur, and Bombur. Quite an achievement by the filmmakers to give each one of those their own personality (while in the book I find most are rather generic).
We're introduced to an odd character - also a very powerful wizard: Radagast the Brown. Brown is his attire but in today's parlance he would probably be called "the Green" as he is the Middle-earth embodiment of Greenpeace.
Radagast communicates with the forest, the birds, the animals. A dark power is invading the forest - destroying living beings and turning the forest into Mirkwood - we see our first glimpse of the spiders. I loved the filmmakers' idea of Radagast and his interpretation by Sylvester McCoy. I loved that he is so different from Gandalf and Saruman. He's the organic wizard!
The Trolls' scene - fantastic, exactly as happens in the books. Treasure and weapons are found in the troll's horde - as in the book, including three beautiful swords which will all become very important in the rest of the tale as well as in future LOTR.
Meanwhile we know they are being tracked, not by dark Ringwraiths like in LOTR but by a company of orcs/wargs scouting on behalf of the white Orc, Azog. During one of the night watches, Balin tells the company the story of Thorin's fight against the white orc.
The company ends up in Rivendell, where we find a younger, more active Elrond. There Gandalf encounters the other members of the White Council - the lady Galadriel and Saruman the White. Elrond is able to read Thrain's map and interpret it for Bilbo, Gandalf and the dwarves. The visiting of the company to Rivendell allows for some humorous scenes, some Elvish music (no songs though), and powerful interaction between Gandalf and Galadriel.
Riddles in the Dark is pretty much straight from the book. This scene made me cry. Actually, Gollum made me cry. His desperation when realizing he has lost the ring is heartbreaking. Very powerful acting from Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis there.
Gandalf helps the dwarves escape Goblin Town and the Great Goblin is defeated. Bilbo has found the ring and realized its powers. As Gandalf and the Dwarves are wondering if he's still alive, Bilbo reappears. At that very moment they are attacked by orcs and take refuge in trees. The end of the movie reflects the book with the addition of a fight between Azog and Thorin, in which Bilbo steps in to save Thorin's life. The company is rescued by the eagles and taken to the Carrock. There for the first time Thorin shows some appreciation for Bilbo.
In the distance we can see the Lonely Mountain. Inside the mountain underneath a huge pile of gold, a gigantic beast awakens and one of his eyes opens.
The last shot of the movie.
The end.
The cinematography is gorgeous. The only main new theme added to the soundtrack is the "Misty Mountains" theme which was heard in the trailer. Otherwise Howard Shore brings back all of the famous and beloved Middle-earth musical themes - the Shire, the Ring, Rivendell. Galadriel etc.
The acting in the movie is top notch. Martin Freeman shines and is the perfect Bilbo, body, character and soul. We totally identify with him - he's us in the movie. Richard Armitage creates a powerful, flawed and conflicted Thorin. Each of the dwarves is impersonated to perfection by each actor. Sir Ian McKellen once again IS Gandalf. There's no other way to describe his brilliant performance.
There's a great deal of humor in the film, as was the case in the book.
Overall, this is a very good adaptation of Tolkien's book and a very welcome revisiting of the visual world Peter Jackson introduced us to a decade ago. I think fans and non-fans alike will love it and cherish it for many years to come. As for myself I will want to see it and enjoy it several times!
Thank you PJ, Wingnut Films and WB. We can't wait for the next installment to this new adventure.
Namarie
Arwen
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